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| Chef's Showcase |
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| CJ's - Local Employees Grow Business
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Owner: Richard Nelson
Open since: 1976
Concept: Barbecue, Bar & Grille
Dayparts: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Catering
Employees: 31
Seats: 75, plus 40 in lounge and 60 on patio
Bestsellers: Ribs, steaks, shrimp scampi, pork sandwiches, sausage sandwiches,
brisket sandwiches
Rib Ratio: 55% Spareribs/45% Baby Backs
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What's smokin' in Montana? - Questions & Answers
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How has your business changed since you opened more than 25 years ago?
We started out in a gas station, which we remodeled ourselves. It was about 1,000 square feet total, only
30 seats, with no liquor license and a smaller menu. A little later we added beer and wine. We moved to our
current location in 1981, increased the space by about five times, and bought a full-bar permit.
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What are the secrets for your success?
Being there. C.J.'s is a family place with a lot of regular customers and personal interaction. I've also
been fortunate enough to hire good people with a good work ethic. The manager has been here since 1978, his
wife since 1977. They now have part of the business. Several kitchen people have been with us for more than
a decade. That all helps us maintain a high-quality, consistent product, especially our homemade barbecue
sauces.
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Mmmm. You mean you've got more than one?
Mild, medium, and hot. They're not as sweet as southern sauces. Right now, we serve them in ramekins with
all barbecue plates, but we're working on packaging and bottling them to have at the restaurant and maybe a
few local retail outlets. Our hope is to also market the Caesar dressing and chili seasonings.
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What are your top three challenges these days?
Competing against the nationals. Billings ranks in the top ten among spending on food away from home, so the
chains have identified us as a prime location. Second would be continuing to find good employees. And third
would have to be keeping up with possible legislation changes. Montana is one of the few states without a
sales tax and it's benefited our industry, I think. But the issue is brought up every legislative season.
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How do you recruit and train C.J.'s staff?
The majority of recruiting happens by word of mouth. People who work for us have a friend to bring in for an
interview. We also do a lot of catering with High Schools in town, so kids hear about us that way. I believe
in trailing people, starting them at the bottom and letting them work their way up. They know that. So
whether they're salad people or hosts, or whatever, they're always watching and trying to learn the
responsibilities of the next step. I also never ask anyone to do something I wouldn't do myself.
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What role does technology play in the way you do business?
We really use our POS system to track sales and labor, too. It analyzes production by the hour and other
blocks of time, so we can make educated decisions about adjusting our scheduling accordingly. For example,
in the winter, people have a tendency to eat by the sun, so we open and staff up earlier. We don't have a
web site. But we do have patio heaters and misters, which lets us use the outdoor space from May through
September.
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How do you add value to your customers' dining experiences?
Value in my mind can be anything from the restaurant's appearance to the pricing. We do extra things around
our usual business, such as special options for dinners or parties with their own printed menus. We make
sure the specials fall into every price range. We're a meat and potato-driven place, so our food costs will
never be low, so we provide extra value for service.
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How do you anticipate customer's expectations?
Feedback is all hands-on. Comment cards go out with all takeout and delivery cards. Anything we get back,
both positive and negative, we answer in both telephone and written form. We've got a pretty loyal regular
clientele. We may lose some on a part-time basis now that there are more options, but they keep coming back.
We're lucky in Billlings with enough solid industry and diverse demographics to keep us economy-proof, so
we've been able to sustain year-over-year growth.
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