Turning Passion into Purpose: The Story Behind Burn Pit BBQ

As we enter into year 5 for Burn Pit BBQ, I reflect back to why we started in the first place. I can sometimes forget the orginal idea and purpose through the madness of running a business, so I took some time to write it out again. For those that may be new to our business, but mainly to remind myself of our purpose.

Why did the business start? It was first a way out of corporate America. A job that was leading me to nowhere. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the people I was working with and did believe in what the company stood for, however, I had a pain in my life that I was meant for something different. 

Grilling and barbecue had always been a way for me to relax and unwind. I really got into it around the time I was first becoming a father. I would watch “Primal Grill” with Steven Raichlen on PBS on repeat. My first real grill was a Weber Kettle. I did have some propane grills prior, but I never really used them. The kettle was my first real taste of grilling and I was hooked. 

My first cook was terrible!  My wonderful wife got me a brisket for my first Father’s Day. I was stoked to try it. I was not prepared for that level of cooking on my first try. Needless to say, it was a disaster. Even though the meal was tough, I loved everything about the process and the challenge. I knew I was going to get better, but I needed to start smaller. 

The next cooks were more about just understanding how a charcoal grill works. From using a chimney, to setting up a 2 zone cooking surface. After a few more lower risk grill sessions, I was starting to get the hang of it. Eventually, me and my buddy Ben started getting together in the backyard to experiment and have some fun. I won’t lie, we liked to toss back some beers and whiskey too!  I’ll never forget the 4th of July when we cooked up some wings and drank our body weight in Budweiser. I can’t do that anymore! We both really enjoyed the process and the camaraderie of sitting in the backyard talking about life while cooking some meat over a fire. There is nothing quite like it.

When I decided it was time to move on from my corporate job, I knew I wanted to pursue a different path. One that included BBQ and Grilling. After a decade of learning and cooking in the backyard, I felt I had some knowledge I could share. Especially when 2020 hit. We all know what was going on at that time and the barbecue scene exploded. A lot of people started grilling and smoking meats at home because they couldn’t go out to eat anymore. That’s when we launched Burn Pit BBQ. 

Burn Pit BBQ is a reference to our military background. Having served overseas and wanting to incorporate my service into this new venture, we settled on the name Burn Pit BBQ. Some might not think it sounds too appealing, with the negative thoughts around Burn Pits, but we went with it and think it's a little funny. That’s one thing you will find with us, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We like to have fun, even if it as our own expense sometimes. 

We initially launched the business as a blog and website to share recipes and tips for grilling. However, once we really started digging into ingredients and flavors, we noticed that most of the store bought rubs and sauces are loaded with ingredients that really aren’t that good for you or your family. Having younger kids at the time, we sought out to provide our own healthier versions of what was on the market. In late 2020, we brought our first 3 rubs to market and have been going ever since. 

Part of our purpose as well is to give back to the military and veteran communities. Our biggest fundraiser is our annual Back Yard BBQ Bash. This is an event where local backyard pitmasters can come out to help us raise money for a local organization. To date we have raised more than $30,000 for local charities and have no plans on slowing down. 

Since 2020, we’ve written hundreds of recipes and blog articles, shipped products all across the world, and even launched our own podcast (Grilling To Get Away). It all came full circle in 2024 when Ben & I got to interview our BBQ inspiration Steven Raichlen on his revised edition of the book “Beer Can Chicken”.

While we’ve had some amazing success in our first few years in business, we are looking forward to what’s next. New flavors, new recipes, and meeting new people when we are out spreading the word. 

Thanks to the thousands of customers who’ve purchased our products, shared our story, and subscribed to our newsletter. We appreciate each and every one of you. 

Grill on!

Greg Fischer

Co-Founder Burn Pit BBQ