The BBQ Cleaner is focused on conquering the barbecue grill cleaning market
with its attractive business model.
By Janice Hoppe-Spiers
The BBQ Cleaner has cooked up a smoking hot business opportunity for prospective operators who can get in on the ground floor and achieve a sizzling success rate. As a business opportunity rather than a traditional franchise, owners keep 100 percent of their profits and, as owner Jeff Krentzman says, “The sky is the limit.”
Before Krentzman launched The BBQ Cleaner in Hackensack, N.J., in 2006, he had read about the concept taking off in Europe and Australia. “It started as a pilot in 2006 and we were booked out for weeks,” he remembers. “People couldn’t get appointments. After that, a few years later we had the opportunity to replicate the business model.”
The BBQ Cleaner provides a convenient and effective barbecue grill cleaning service to homeowners so they can enjoy a healthy and hassle-free experience every grilling season. “A lot of grills today are $10,000,” Krentzman says. “People aren’t throwing out these grills and won’t spend the time to clean it themselves, so they would hire someone to clean it for them. It’s just like hiring a lawn care or plow service for your property.”
The BBQ Cleaner has opened 190 locations throughout the country since 2009 and continues to expand. “We keep opening more locations every year because getting started is very inexpensive. Now we are seeing some of our existing operators expand to multiple units to keep up with the demand in their market,” Krentzman says. “The other thing we are seeing over the last three years is that getting clients seems to be easier and much more cost-effective. With print advertising not as popular as it once was, operators are finding other ways to get their message out and marketing initiatives are easier than ever.”
Owner Operators
The BBQ Cleaner offers its owners the ability to make the company their own while still providing turnkey support. As authorized technicians, the owners receive everything they need to get their businesses up and running, Krentzman notes. “It’s more than just tangible things,” he adds. “They get marketing materials, advice, free ongoing support and the use of the logo for brand recognition. Basically they get everything they need to be successful.”
Authorized technicians receive hands-on training from The BBQ Cleaner and are able to operate their businesses from their homes, which allows them to maintain low overhead. As owners grow their business, they hire employees to meet the market demand.
When a new owner starts their business, The BBQ Cleaner begins training with the notion that they know nothing about running their own company. An owner does not need to have prior experience because the company covers all the bases.
“We do want someone who is not afraid to put in the work and takes pride in their work,” Krentzman says. “The common consensus across the board among our owners is that they are people who want to work from home, be their own boss and are tired of the corporate world. They like being their own boss and setting their schedule, as well as owning all the equity in their business.”
Scott DeLong, operator of Colorado Grill Guy in Denver, says when he was deciding whether to start a business or not, he knew immediately that the traditional franchise where he would have to pay a percentage of the money he earned was not an option for him. “The BBQ Cleaner was such a simple choice,” he adds. “We keep every single dollar we make. Why would anyone ever want to throw money away to a franchisor when they could keep every dollar they make for themselves and their family?”
Gaining Ground
The BBQ Cleaner does not impose territory restrictions on its owners. “That’s an advantage because if you were given 50,000 households and someone outside that area was referred to you and you have a situation where you can’t take it on, that’s throwing money away,” Krentzman says.
In Cherry Hill, N.J., Bart Thompson owns Bart’s Grill Cleaning and has expanded to four locations since coming aboard in 2009. “I thought my expectations might be too high when I started, but it wasn’t long until I surpassed them,” he says. “I could only have dreamed of having this many happy satisfied clients that use me over and over again. They refer me to friends and family all the time. The fact that I keep 100 percent of what I make really has made this a grand slam for me.”
My Grill Guy owner Josh Yale started operating in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2014 and within five months had expanded to another location to keep up with the demand. “Fast forward to now and we have employees galore and keep continuing to grow every single year,” he says. “We really don’t know where our ceiling is, but we are excited to find out.”
Moving forward, The BBQ Cleaner plans to expand by offering potential owners the opportunity to change their lives while continuing to support its current owners and help them grow. “We will continue to focus on getting the word out about The BBQ Cleaner,” Krentzman says. “We want to continue making our owners’ success stories better and better as time goes on.”
