Danny’s Barbeque and Smokehouse
The Business
Danny prides himself on taking food from farm “gate to plate.”
Danny Kleinsasser, owner of Danny’s Barbeque and Smokehouse, brought do-it-yourself whole hog barbequing to Manitoba in 2001. Danny grew up loving to cook and he wanted others to be able to experience whole hog cooking “Danny’s way, by slowly cooking meat to perfection.” His business began as a do-it yourself whole hog barbeque where customers pick up a barbeque, a hog and everything they needed to cook it. Since then Danny has expanded his business to include a catering service, ready to serve pick up meals, a retail line of barbeque sauces and packaged pulled pork and turkey. Danny prides himself on taking food from farm “gate to plate.”
Danny’s Barbeque and Smokehouse is located near Stonewall, Manitoba. Danny chose to locate his business in rural Manitoba because he grew up on a farm and is a supporter of the family farm. When it became harder to make a living on the farm, Danny wondered “how can I take the products raised on my farm and get it into a retail package or cater it to people?” That is how Danny’s Barbeque and Smokehouse started.
The Motive and Skills
“Treat people with respect, be a good listener, and give back to the community.”
Danny’s “love of cooking, love of making recipes and love of feeding people” is what motivates him to continue to grow his business. He also wants to teach his customers where their food comes from. Danny believes the skills that helped him as an entrepreneur are also important life skills. “Treat people with respect, be a good listener, and give back to the community.”
Challenges and Support
“how do I let go as I grow.”
One of his biggest challenges, according to Danny, has been “how do I let go as I grow.” As the owner, Danny can’t be everywhere all the time, “[you] need to hire people like you… that have the same principles as you… put out the same services.” Danny says he has been fortunate to have good people around him who provide the same level of friendliness and customer service. Danny’s has received help from the Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development GO Centres and support from the Buy Manitoba Program.
A Piece of Advice from Danny
“If [you] love something, [you] have a dream about … never look at it negatively … if you have a passion for it, go for it. Nothing in the wild world can stop you if you have a passion for something … don’t let anyone hold you back. Listen to your gut feeling and just go for it; you will have success if you stay with that.”Also Danny always says “laugh lots, smile lots, enjoy life and take your dream to the fullest.”