Single Tree Nation sits down with Tim Hutchins, owner and pitmaster of Hutchins BBQ — the McKinney and Frisco, Texas institutions his father started on the side of the road in 1978. Tim was literally born into the business, living in a 10x10 room at the end of the barbecue joint as an infant, playing in cooled ash piles as a kid, and eventually taking over the family restaurant during one of the toughest chapters of his life.

In this episode, Tim opens up to Charlie Eblen and Derry Wells about growing up in a barbecue family, filing personal bankruptcy at 22 with over $200,000 in family debt hanging over his head, and the moment in 2011 that changed everything — walking into a place he'd never heard of called Franklin Barbecue and setting a new standard for what Hutchins BBQ could become.

The conversation gets deep into the craft and the business side of Texas barbecue: sourcing Creekstone Prime brisket (and why Franklin buys it all), the move to American Wagyu from Rosewood Ranch, RC Ranch, Greater Omaha, and Mishima, why the commodity beef market is broken with a 70-year low in prime supply, and how Hutchins burns through 9 to 10 cords of oak per week between two stores. Tim breaks down his 40% yield strategy, the M&M rotisserie pits vs. offsets debate, running eight rotisserie pits plus a Zeus at the McKinney store, and why fire management still matters even when you have all the automation in the world.

Tim also gets real about scaling craft barbecue — running 240+ employees, coaching versus bossing, and the honest limit of how many locations you can build before the feel starts to slip. Plus, why he charges what he charges for brisket, why "budget shoppers aren't your customer," and the philosophy behind trying to be "a five-star restaurant in a barbecue shack."

Also in this episode:

• The 2002 bankruptcy and the two-year payoff grind
• The 2012 fire and rebuilding culture
• Sourcing brisket in a broken beef market
• Wagyu vs. Prime yield tests on the block
• The Lucky Linker sausage machine game-changer
• Texas Twinkies, jalapeño cheddar sausage, and pork ribs
• Dinner For Two: Paul the Apostle
• Mac or Beans: pinto beans, real Texas style
• Friday Feel Good: Gary Vee on ego

Connect with Hutchins BBQ: 🍖 Hutchins BBQ McKinney: 1301 N Tennessee St, McKinney, TX 🍖 Hutchins BBQ Frisco: 9225 Preston Rd, Frisco, TX 🌐 Website: HutchinsBBQ.com 📦 Nationwide shipping via Goldbelly

🎙 Single Tree Nation — real conversations, single takes. Hosted by Charlie Eblen and Derry Wells. 🌳 Part of the Spread The Positive Network.

📻 Every Saturday morning on ESPN 94.9 The Fan from 8–9 a.m. 📧 charlie@singletreebbq.com | 📞 (615) 307-0120

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