Evan LeRoy of LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue on Crafting a Digital Community

LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue co-owner and pitmaster Evan LeRoy on building an online audience, leveraging digital storytelling, and making Patreon videos

Evan LeRoy, co-owner of LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, is crafting boundary-breaking menu items and innovative social media at the same time. Recognizing a branding potential beyond mere views and clicks, his restaurant business focuses on crafting videos, podcasts, and more content with value.

Watch this interview to learn about building an online community, leveraging organic content, and implementing Toast. #restaurants #businesspodcast #entrepreneurship #austin #bbq

@calibbqmedia @entrepreneur @evanleroybbq @leroyandlewisbbq

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Chapters:

[02:00] - Evan Leroy 2-Minute Drill

[05:05] - Content Creation and Paetreon

[14:15] - The Importance of Sharing the Process

[24:42] - Creating Content Around Storytelling

[30:04] - Building a Digital Hospitality Community

Evan LeRoy is a Restaurant Influencer -

For the talented team behind LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin, TX, social media isn’t about just promoting their innovative New School BBQ menu items — it’s about growing a community.

Viewing various social media channels as opportunities for education, LeRoy and Lewis co-owner and pitmaster Evan LeRoy emphasizes adding value with each post. The online community then extends to in-person interactions, as enthusiasts end up visiting Austin to try their food. This creates a self-fulfilling cycle of engagement and community.

“It's really about building up community,” Evan LeRoy tells host Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media (). “The people who do come to visit us at the classes engage on the Discord and on the Patreon.... They interact with each other and share recipes, secrets, tips and everything with each other.”

LeRoy sees sharing content as storytelling and a potent marketing tool that generates income. For Leroy & Lewis, every recipe is not just a culinary experiment, but a business strategy.

"If you make a brisket, film it, and serve it to thousands, you're going to make money on that two times." says LeRoy. "It's also marketing and advertising for your business. That pays for you. You don't have to pay for marketing and advertising.”

On Patreon, hundreds of LeRoy and Lewis subscribers give money every month to support the business and get access to video features and more access. The team shares recipes, behind-the-scenes footage, and more exclusive educational content while drawing in thousands of dollars a month in additional revenue.

Evan LeRoy's innovative approach to content creation and BBQ is about finding the intersection of culinary and community.

“We're all just telling a story, right?...And there are so many other tools to tell those stories”

Episode Links:

Evan LeRoy Instagram

LeRoy & Lewis Online

LeRoy & Lewis Instagram

LeRoy & Lewis Patreon

LeRoy & Lewis YouTube

ABOUT EVAN LEROY

Evan LeRoy is a chef, pitmaster, and co-owner of LeRoy and Lewis BBQ in Austin, TX. LeRoy has made his mark in the industry through innovative takes on classic BBQ dishes. They call the food at LeRoy & Lewis “New School Barbecue” and they source meats locally while expanding the traditional Texas BBQ menu. LeRoy prides himself on sharing the entire story of BBQ and offering customers dishes that push the standard and create experiences unique to LeRoy and Lewis.

Evan LeRoy LinkedIn

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Rob Dyrdek, Elizabeth Chambers, Stratis Morfogen, Chris Comparato, Meredith Sandland, Jon Taffer, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST

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