Eric Anders and Ofer Shemtov have discovered the key ingredients to running a successful business — hard work, an efficient workforce and killer barbecue sauce. The longtime friends and founders of Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill launched their first restaurant in Moorpark in 1992. “Neither one of us wanted to manage a single restaurant,” Anders said. “From the very beginning our goal was to build a company and to build systems that would allow our team members to be very successful and not rely on a superstar chef or a superstar host.” And build they did. The company’s all-American menu of baby back ribs, tri-tip, pulled pork and signature barbecue sauce has resonated with consumers, allowing Wood Ranch to grow from a single location to 14 across Southern California, including five in the Valley. Anders and Shemtov said when they started the barbecue business 20 years ago they had no intentions of being pioneers or trailblazers — they simply wanted to be the best. “Our biggest fear was being mediocre and not being exceptional in a category,” Anders said. Now, Shemtov said, the duo is focused on developing a successful system of employees to support the chain’s growing business. Another goal, he said, is keeping the product and service consistent as the restaurant brand continues its expansion. Anders and Shemtov say they are considering additional restaurant locations and plan to update their menu to keep up with consumer demands. This summer, for example, Wood Ranch locations are introducing two new sauces, a Texas-smoked brisket and a quinoa salad.Question: How did you become partners in the restaurant business? Eric Anders: We worked together in a mom-and-pop restaurant when we were 21 for about three years. After we left, Ofer went and opened his own restaurant and I went back to grad school at UCLA. In the summer of 1991, Ofer called me and had an idea. We always worked well together and we shared the same values. So we sat down and did a cocktail napkin business plan. He had found a location in Moorpark — a failed restaurant. We each borrowed $40,000 from our families and that’s what we used to start the business. We opened on April 27 in 1992. Q: What made you decide to go with an all-American BBQ concept? Shemtov: That was our background for the most part. It was very different at the time. In the 1980s, it was all about the salad bar (concept) and we wanted to concentrate on the food and the dining experience. So the risk of trying something completely different was there. But that’s what we wanted to do and that’s what worked. Anders: We felt that our concept could fill that void for people who had the experiences of going out for good food, service and environment but (who) also wanted to bring their baby or toddler or 10-year-old. Q: How did you grow Wood Ranch from one location to 14? Shemtov: The first year in business was questionable because of the location itself. There were just not enough people in the area. We really worked on our infrastructure. As we gained experience, we felt we had gained a core of people to help us with the day-to-day (operations). As the business started to grow, we hired managers and we trained them well and that allowed us the freedom to choose another location and train a new group of people. The focus has transferred from the food to how we deliver the food through people. Anders: When we started, we literally did not have any managers. We would arrive to work at 6:30 in the morning, and at 10 at night, we would sit down with a cup of coffee and two legal pads and literally put all of our notes together for what went wrong and what went right that day. We would then try to figure out how to avoid the same mistake tomorrow that we had today — whether it be a broken piece of equipment, a challenging employee or a recipe that wasn’t made right. Q: How have you financed your restaurants? Anders: We have friends and family that have invested from the beginning. It’s pretty much the same core that has invested in each succeeding restaurant, with a few additional people along the way. Q: How has the menu evolved over the years? Shemtov: The menu has evolved from the guest experience and feedback. For example, we had to expand our salad selection early on. We’ve also added gluten-free and vegetarian items on the menu, and we’ve expanded the side dishes because people wanted a little bit more variety. Over the last few years, we added pulled pork in a different sauce than our traditional sauce. We are currently in the process of adding brisket with a different barbeque sauce and a different method of cooking. We just continue to evolve. Q: Has there been a menu item that did not resonate with customers? Anders: We’ve taken items off over the years. We had a Minnesota wild rice that was by far the most expensive side dish to produce. It just didn’t sell, but it was a delicious item. I think our hurdle to add something to the menu is pretty high. We test it thoroughly and we want to get a tremendous amount of feedback from employees, guests and ourselves. Before we add something, it’s pretty well vetted. Q: How do you develop a new menu item? Anders: We brainstorm ideas. Alex (Benes) heads up our R&D team. The idea can come from anywhere — a guest, an employee, anyone — and then we discuss it. We really don’t want to be a ‘me too’ restaurant. We wanted to do a veggie burger, so Alex took different recipes, different ingredients and different blends. Then we went and tested it in select stores and based on feedback, we went forward with it. Q: Do either of you cook? Shemtov: No. I used to do a little bit of cooking, but I have three little kids and there’s just not enough time for that. Anders: Alex cooks. He does a great job. Shemtov: He invites us over (his home) all the time. That’s where we did the brisket originally and the pulled pork. Q: What is Wood Ranch’s most popular menu item? Shemtov: Our tri-tip. Anders: Tri-tip and ribs. Q: Which menu items are your personal favorites? Shemtov: We try everything. We come to the restaurant often. Sometimes we’ll feel like ordering a salad or a grilled piece of fish. And sometimes we feel like barbecue. It just depends. Q: How did you develop your barbecue sauce recipe? Anders: The original sauce came about after some trial and error. We weren’t trying to enter barbecue sauce competitions from Texas or South Carolina. We were trying to come up with a sauce that operationally we could produce and that was palatable to a little kid and to someone who knows barbecue. Over the years, the only thing some critics and writers would ding us on was that the sauce wasn’t bold enough or (wasn’t) authentic barbecue sauce. But that wasn’t what we were trying to achieve. After years of hearing that we should have a spicy sauce, we are coming out with two new sauces. It’s the first time in 20 years we’ve come out with a new sauce. Q: How many sauces do you produce? Anders: We have an original sauce, which is still by far the most popular and the one we bottle for sale. We have a Carolina sauce, which is specifically for our pulled pork. And rolling out in the next two months we will have a Chipotle Cherry barbecue sauce and a Habanero Peach barbecue sauce. Shemtov: One is spicy and one is very spicy. Anders: We sell them all, but the only one available through the mail is the original. Anyone can come into any of the stores and purchase the other sauces. By the end of July, you’ll be able to purchase all four sauces at any store. Q: Have you thought about selling the sauces to other retailers? Anders: We’ve talked about it, but it’s not a hot priority for us right now. Q: Do you have any new stores in the works? Shemtov: Nothing we can talk about. We are always looking. We would like to open in San Diego, and we’ve looked in Northern California, which is a difficult market to penetrate because of the real estate areas. We are also looking to open in this general area. Anders: We’ll probably have some news by the end of the year. Q: What are your thoughts on the competition and some of the niche restaurant concepts popping up? Shemtov: Obviously, it’s great for the consumer to have diverse restaurants in the community. From a competition perspective, we just have to do what we do. We are not really worried about the existing competition. We are more worried about what we can control. Q: Wood Ranch has a fairly active Facebook page. Has engaging in social media helped business? Anders: It’s an evolution. We’ve had a presence on Facebook for a long time. We’re getting into Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram. It’s hard to see if it translates into sales. I think it’s something we do to stay current with that generation … so we can be relevant to them, as opposed to just their parents. Q: How did the recession impact your business? Shemtov: Overall, I think sales were down. But the way our business is structured, it doesn’t force us to make major changes. Anders: We stayed true to the course and I think we were rewarded for it. We didn’t panic or issue two-for-one coupons or discount anything. We believed that during that time of recession people would still view us as entertainment. So we did not reduce quality or staffing or anything like that. Q: What has been the biggest challenge in running your own restaurant business? Shemtov: I think being consistent and delivering what we promise to people. That’s always the hardest thing to do. Q: What roles do each of you play in the business? Shemtov: I’m more focused on the operations, and Eric is more focused on the marketing and real estate. But we do a lot of the real estate together because it’s such a big decision. Anders: Our rule has always been, ‘if one of us doesn’t feel comfortable about a location, we don’t go.’ We’re best friends first and partners for 20 years. We don’t get enough of each other at the office so we vacation together. Q: Do you ever butt heads? Shemtov: Sometimes. That’s why I lost all my hair. Anders: It comes from passion and commitment, not from ego. That’s why we’ve been able to grow professionally and personally over the 20 years. Q: Do you plans to launch any new restaurant concepts? Shemtov: Our business is still small, so we think we can grow this concept and take it further. Also, we’ve been in this business long enough to know it’s not so easy. When you want to start something new, the commitment is not only financial. A lot of it is also toward passion to the product and commitment to do a good job. I don’t think at the moment our infrastructure is built to do that. We’ve talked about doing things similar to what we have right now in a different format. Anders: If we do something different… we have to have faith that… it’s exceptional. Otherwise, we don’t want to do it. It’s too competitive and time consuming and emotional for us to get involved with something that is as good as everyone else. It just doesn’t work for us.
