Big Al’s BBQ & Catering

Big Al's BBQ & Catering -FOOD TRUCK servicing in Adel today 9/3 3-7pm or while supplies last !

Hey Brad Pellett proud dad moment huh

Big Al's BBQ & Catering -FOOD TRUCK IN ADEL Tuesday 6/18/24 and Friday 6/21/24on the usual corner of 14th and Greene .

We look forward to serving our past present and future customers.

Mark 6:37-44

Happy TUESDAY 6/11/24 …Big Al's BBQ & Catering -FOOD TRUCK serving on the usual corner of 14th &Greene from 11-7 or while supplies last . Come one come all !

Thank you to our past present and future customer !

Mark 6:37-44

Due to Winter weather conditions , Big Al's BBQ & Catering - Ankeny will be closed Tuesday January 9,2023.

We will resume normal business hours starting Wednesday 11am-8pm Sorry for the inconvenience and be safe .

Blessings
Mark 6:37-44

Please follow our main page 🍖Big Al's BBQ & Catering - Ankeny🥩

Sorry for the inconvenience… Big Al's BBQ & Catering- Ankeny will be closed today (Sunday 12/17/23) due to staff shortage .

We will reopen Tuesday 12/19/23 @ 11:00 AM. There’s still plenty of time to place a catering order for your business and or family holiday gatherings. PM me for any questions or orders .


Blessings
Mark 6:37-44

(LONG READ…Please Read till the end)

My name is Al Laudencia and I’m thankful that by the grace of God Ive been sober for 14 years 10 months and 2 weeks. In that time, by Gods grace and blessings 3 amazing events have happened. I married my wonderful wife, Betsy , have 3 beautiful daughters Taylor, Lily and Emma, and opened up a business called Big Al’s BBQ.

Big Al’s BBQ started with meager beginnings. One smoker outside of our garage and an oven and refrigerator in our garage in Adel, Iowa. From there, we started a catering company then to a food trailer to ultimately opened 5 restaurants, another food trailer ,and a sauce and seasoning company, all within 8 years. In that time with the restaurants, we were blessed to have stayed open during the hard times of the COVID pandemic. Out of that darkness, several trials and hardships were faced and also blessings and learning opportunities became prevalent.
Big Al’s closed down a restaurant on the Southside of Des Moines and maintained its operations out of the Adel location. To what we thought was going to be a stark decay in the business, actually came the blessing of being able to feed those in need for FREE almost 10,000 people as the community of Adel, surrounding communities and others wanting to be part of “ The Free Meal Movement gave of their financial gifts to help fund the food to help feed their community. Strangers, neighborhoods , churches, all felt the movement and pulled together to help stomp out darkness.

As a result, the cup had runneth over and we and the community were able to feed all of the first responders which included the metro area Des Moines police departments, several fire departments ,all of the Des Moines metro area hospitals, including Guthrie , Dallas,and Cass county hospitals. The Iowa DOT gave us permission to pass out meals at the weigh scales west of Des Moines, to all the truckers who were delivering all the product for our country to survive despite the call for all to stay home.

Big Al’s was featured on front of newspapers, 3 years ago was featured in the Des Moines Register front page Thanksgiving edition, voted business if the year in Adel, Iowa, flown to NYC to be on The LIVE with Kelly and Ryan show, on radio stations on Lutheran church of Hope Pastor Mike Drop podcast, all to talk about the miracles that the community of Adel and God had done during this Free meal Movement.

From that movement of miracles we were able to open 2 more restaurants ,add another food trailer, and a BBQ sauce and seasoning company employing ,at the height of our business, almost 40 employees . Our latest restaurant location is at 1615 SW Main ( In The District at Prarie Trail) Ankeny, Iowa.

Some food accolades Big Al’s has received was we were voted Best Ribs in Des Moines, 2021, Best Tenderloin in Des Moines, according to the Iowa Pork Producers, Voted Best Burger in Iowa as featured in YELP and The Insider magazine and According to a few Kansas City BBQ society judges , they voted us as best burnt ends and sliced brisket in Ankeny.

We’ve been so blessed and have enjoyed feeding our customers home made sides and low and slow BBQ smoked meats from the wood fired smoker.

However, it is to this end I wish to share my learning experience and non sugar coating business update .

Big Al’s BBQ is struggling. This past August our lease got bought out in West Des Moines and at the same time my management staff left for personal reasons. Although in an amazing area in Ankeny in The District, my newest location is basically non existent based on sales numbers. It’s like someone turned the light switch off and no one is coming through our doors and our catering company has had from 6-12 catering a week to 3 caterings a month. I’m trying to look at myself as to why this is happening and all I can come up with is no one in the area knows we are there or that this is the Lords will and it is in his time and in his will that he has other plans for Big Al’s other than owning the restaurant.

In a society having a tough time trying to find employees who want to work, me and my staff of 3 are looking for work.. We aren’t looking for a hand out , we are just looking for a chance to work. We would love some caterings, we would love for our previous customers know that we have moved to Ankeny and if in the area to please come visit. For our neighbors in the Ankeny and surrounding areas, we want to let you know you we have an award winning BBQ restaurant in your own backyard since December of 2022 and we welcome you.

However, Ive learned that numbers don’t lie and to that point I’m sad and disappointed to share with you unless we can get more people through the door and more catering, the Big Al’s BBQ that was featured in the public eye, was blessed to feed others in times of darkness and despair, and was awarded food accolades from several periodicals and magazines and 3rd party input ,, will be forced to close its doors.

All we want is a chance. Based on our previous history of the 4 other restaurants, we are confident that if we can thrive till March of 2024, we will make it. However if nothing changes within the next 6-8 weeks, we will be forced to close our doors after the first of the year or sooner.

If we can get over this season of despair, hallelujah, however if we can’t get over this difficult time, we will still be thankful. I’m thankful I was able to fulfill a dream, I’m thankful I was able to provide for my 2 oldest daughters during their growing years into their college years and first marriage and for my youngest daughter on what it was like be be a business owner and that money doesn’t grow on trees and comes from blood sweat, tears and hard work. I’m thankful I was able to teach all of my children a work ethic and the importance of doing your best and putting customer first. I’m thankful I was able to do what I was put on earth for and that was to serve others and to spread the word of Jesus Christ on larger scale using the restaurant as a platform. I’m thankful, I’m thankful and I’m blessed

So, things may change but some things that wont change is that we are thankful to our past , present and future Customers. We are thankful that regardless of the outcome of maintaining in business or shutting our doors, we are grateful to God and our customers for blessing us with an amazing once of lifetime experience. We have gratitude to have met so many friends along the way and we are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude with the miracles during the Covid Pandemic.

Without giving a final last fight, we want to let you know we have a new location in the The District in Prarie trail 1615 SW Main Ankeny Iowa 50023. Phone # 515-534-1227. We are looking for work… and would love the opportunity to serve you .

To God be all the Glory
Mark6:37-44

I have a HUGE but SMALL favor to ask

Go to the 3 little dots on the side of this page, Hit “invite friends”
Select "invite all" & done

You've SUCCESSFULLY supported my small business for $0.00 and less than 30 seconds of your time.

Thank you for supporting small and local business!

Join us every Thursday for some AMAZING food, drinks and of course the wonderful music of Jesse and The Medicine Men!

Welcome to the NEW Big Al's BBQ & Catering page! Like and follow to keep up with all the excitement going on at our West Des Moines and Ankeny locations!

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Big Al’s BBQ & Catering updated their business hours.