Rising Stars: Meet Victor Janer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Janer.

Hi Victor, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The thought process behind my the BBQ business sort of just fell into my lap. Ever since I was little I enjoyed cooking, as I got older I moved more to grilling and open flame cooking. During my teen/early 20s, the best part of cooking open flame was the fact of having everyone around the fire cooking burgers and hot dogs and just having a good time. I discovered the world of competition BBQ by taking a BBQ class. After a couple of comps, I was hooked. The problem with this new hobby was that it is very expensive and sadly becomes wasteful. Slowly but surely our friends and family that we kept feeding were getting tired of BBQ and it was harder to do something with the food, and the hobby was slowly going away. A friend mentioned that maybe I could sell the food. Started with coworkers, moved up to neighbors and now we are teamed up with local breweries and pop-up events doing twice a month pop-ups. With that, Janer Family BBQ was born. With the pandemic in full effect, I wasn’t able to do competitions but I was still able to do the part I loved about it which was bring people together and the conversations about BBQ. We are now working our way up to a location of our own.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing is ever as smooth as you would think. We had our fair share of issues from timing and stress to pricing and locations. We have full-time jobs, school, family and BBQ is not a quick on the spot cook. There is a lot of preparation that takes up a lot of time to make the end results great. Everything from our house-made sides to house made sausages take a lot of effort. Planning is another big thing that is hard for us. There is a lot to consider when setting up a pop-up, like how much food is needed. The goal is to sell out and not take anything back home or have to find something to do with it. Sometimes that backfires and we don’t make enough. That’s a risk that happens. In the end when we see people come together and talk about our food, seeing how much they enjoy it means the world to us. We know all the hard work is paying off.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Something that sets me aside from others I feel is that my BBQ pits are made by me and my kids. I am a welder by trade so I designed and built our smokers with my boys. This is something my mom taught me back when I was young. Not a lot of people can say that. I love teaching and to be able to teach my boys how to build and cook is a great feeling for me. Someday I hope to teach BBQ classes to others and extend my knowledge to those that want to learn.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something that I think keeps shocking people is my styles of music choices. I am not big on new stuff but will hear it out. I could be at work and someone will think I’m listening to something heavy and it could be classical. It’s funny to see those reactions. With so many new artists and genres out it is tough to keep up, but I try. Another one that shocks people is videography. I love to edit music with videos and make little reels. Those help me zone out and concentrate on something to get my mind off of something that might be bothering me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.janerfamilybbq.com
• Instagram: Janer_family_bbq

Image Credits
Quinn Rios IG: @quinnriosphotography Roneia IG: @lacontadoraca