City Barbeque

City Barbeque

Company type	Private
Industry	Restaurant
Founded	1999 (1999) in Columbus, Ohio, United States
Founder	Rick Malir, Bonnie Coley-Malir
Headquarters	Dublin, Ohio , United States
Area served	United States (over 70 locations across ten states)
Key people	Mike Muldoon (CEO)
Products	Barbecue smoked meats, sandwiches, sides, desserts
Number of employees	fewer than 500 (as of 2018)
Website	citybbq.com

City Barbeque is a fast-casual barbecue restaurant chain established in 1999 in Columbus, Ohio by entrepreneur Rick Malir and his wife, Bonnie Coley-Malir. Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, the company manages over 70 locations across ten states, all of which are company-operated. The current CEO is Mike Muldoon.

History

Rick Malir, the chain’s founder, was raised on a farm in Kansas and held the position of National FFA president from 1985 to 1986. He holds a degree in agricultural economics from Kansas State University and an MBA from the University of Illinois. Before launching City Barbeque, Malir worked in marketing and dealer development at John Deere. He collaborated with barbecue competition members John Kean, Jim Budros, Mike Taylor, and experienced restaurateur Frank Pizzo to start the business.

The inaugural City Barbeque location was opened in a former doughnut shop situated in Upper Arlington, Ohio. Due to delays in launching the restaurant, Malir began catering from his home to maintain operations.

Menu

City Barbeque specializes in smoked meats such as beef brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast, pulled chicken with 'Bama sauce, smoked sausage, bone-in chicken, and St. Louis–style ribs. Each outlet smokes its meats fresh daily on-site. The menu includes signature sandwiches and a variety of sides like fries, bacon-infused green beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, corn pudding, hush puppies, cornbread, collard greens with pork, potato salad, side salads, and baked beans enhanced with brisket. Guests can also enjoy shareable platters, sampler options, and desserts including peach cobbler, banana pudding, and triple chocolate cake. Seasonal limited-time items add diversity to the offerings.

Awards

City Barbeque has received numerous accolades recognizing both its culinary excellence and business achievements. Its brisket secured the Kansas City Barbeque Society’s American Royal Invitational World Champion Brisket title. The "More Cowbell" sandwich was honored as one of the nation’s best by Restaurant Hospitality. The National Turkey Federation acknowledged the brand in the Fast Casual category for Turkey on the Menu. Additionally, its banana pudding was highlighted as a "Ten to Try" feature in Cooking with Paula Deen.

The restaurant has been named Columbus’s premier barbecue establishment by Business Insider (2012), included among the top 25 barbecue venues nationwide by Men's Journal (2014), and ranked second-best barbecue chain by The Daily Meal (2017). In 2018, it appeared on QSR’s 40/40 list and was placed #48 on Restaurant Business’s Future 50 ranking in 2017. Most recently in 2023, City Barbeque won the Nation’s Restaurant News Barbecue Showdown through a nationwide reader poll.

From a corporate perspective, City Barbeque was recognized as Columbus’s best employer for companies with fewer than 500 employees from 2016 through 2018. Founder Rick Malir earned a Smart 50 Award in 2018 for his strategic leadership efforts. The company received a Pillar Award for Community Service in 2019 and was honored with TDn2K’s Best Practices Award in the fast-casual segment for outstanding operational excellence.

Culture

At City Barbeque, the organizational culture emphasizes exceptional food quality, outstanding customer service, ongoing development, and the core mission of "serving and creating happiness." The company provides compensation that exceeds typical industry standards and offers scholarship programs for both employees and their dependents.

Each restaurant actively engages with its local community by allocating roughly 10% of its pre-tax earnings to support nearby charities and non-profit organizations. Additionally, they contribute food to community gatherings, assist families facing food insecurity through Food Rescue initiatives, and participate in fundraising efforts for groups such as the American Cancer Society, Resurrecting Lives Foundation, Mission 22, and the National FFA Organization.