Missouri’s Favorite Southern BBQ Joint: Salt + Smoke — Partners With Postmates
In just five days, renowned restaurateur Tom Schmidt converted his existing mediterranean restaurant Nico into a wildly successful St. Louis BBQ joint. Two years later Salt + Smoke became a proud Postmates partner.
“The day we opened Salt + Smoke in 2014, we sold out in 6 hours,” confirmed Schmidt. “Smokers were pouring out onto the street. We were filling a need in the neighborhood. We did little to no advertising. It must have been word of mouth, or the scent of barbecue from the street corner.”
But how did Schmidt take the leap, reinventing his business overnight, convincing investors and customers alike to support his BBQ venture ?
“Before Nico, the mediterranean cafe… I opened the French bistro Franco when I was just 25. And meat was the basis of what we did at Franco. We made all of our own charcuterie in house. Opening Salt + Smoke seemed like a logical way to extend that passion to more of an accessible BBQ style.”
On the heels of the Texas style BBQ trend in St. Louis though, Salt + Smoke was met with surprising competition — yet none of it seemed to matter.
“The meat at Salt + Smoke speaks for itself… Meat needs to speak on its own. We don’t sauce anything. We source the best prime brisket… we don’t cut any corners. Every single item on the menu can stand on its own.”
And it’s this commitment to serving only the best to his customers that led Schmidt to Postmates in 2017. “I will do whatever it takes to improve the customer experience at Salt + Smoke … with Postmates we can initiate more deliveries — allowing more people to enjoy Salt + Smoke.”
“Postmates is an extension of our hospitality. The customers choose to use Postmates, and then they choose us… and the impact on our business in notable. The second we turned on the Postmates tablet, we tripled the amount of orders through the app. Things are going well so far.”
Aside from the partnership with Postmates though and the high quality meat and sides — with everything from fries to pies, all made from scratch, Schmidt says he couldn’t have done any of it without the pitmaster, Haley Riley. “Haley is one of those rare people… he is a super talented chef but also can provide motivation and steer the business. He understands all aspects of running a restaurant and is the best partner I could’ve asked for.”
And as Schmidt looks ahead to the future, he is offering Riley partial ownership as they open their second location, also hoping to further the partnership with Postmates as they continue to expand and grow.
