Good Morning! 

It’s another week and another great Pit Boss grill release. This week they released a Walmart exclusive, the Platinum 1250. It has some great features like a 4.3” touchscreen, and WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. The best part is they managed to keep the price at only $697.

Blackstone is bringing their popular griddles to the UK market. They inked an exclusive partnership with JDM Products for distribution. Blackstone has estimated that they’ve built an 80% of the US market, we’ll see if they have a similar result in the UK.

In the press release for their market expansion, they also quoted a total revenue number of $650 million. That shows that they’ve had some good growth since the pandemic. In their last public financials, they had revenue of $484 million for 2021, and proforma revenue of $608 million for 2022. While there’s a good chance they missed on their 2022 number, having $650 million now shows that they’ve managed to continue to have impressive growth.

Sponsored By Franklin Barbecue Pits

Franklin Barbecue Pits, designed by famed Pit Master Aaron Franklin are built from heavy duty USA steel and made by craftsmen right here in the USA. For BBQ beginners and pros alike, its design and construction make it one of the best offset smokers for the backyard. And it will last for generations. Get yours at a BBQ dealer near you, or direct from Franklin if you don’t have a local dealer near you. We love and support local businesses, so if you’re a BBQ dealer that wants to carry Franklin BBQ Pit, please reach out!

The father/son duo of John and John McLemore were on The BBQ Central Show this week reflecting on their sale of Masterbuilt. They talked about life since then, and what it's like to transition a 3rd generation family business to outside ownership. It was a really interesting segment to listen to.

TIKI Brand has added another well designed fire pit to their product portfolio. Much like their wood fire pit, their new Customizable Propane Fire Pit does things that we haven’t seen anywhere else. It’s a modular design, that can convert into a fire table, have a glass surround, or even change into a great looking patio heater.

Camp Chef's parent company, Vista Outdoor, has received another unsolicited takeover offer. The offer comes from an investment firm and is for $2.9 billion. It's a richer offer than the previous offer for Vista that came in from a Czech based company.

There was big news in the world of consumables (sauces, rubs, charcoal, etc.), the FTC has filed a lawsuit to block the Kroger merger with Albertsons. The AP had a good article explaining the proposed merger and why the FTC wants to block it. I have a background in mergers and acquisitions and agree with the FTC. It likely would result in less revenue to consumable suppliers and higher consumer prices because of such a reduction in competition for the combined grocer.

Luxury outdoor cooking brand Fire Magic has a new electric grill that packs some power. It’s made of 304 stainless steel, has dual zones, thermostatic temperature control, and offers connected cooking. It’s made for built-in use in outdoor kitchens, so it runs off 240 volt power, giving it that extra oomph.

Finally, it looks like Solo Stove is going to continue to expand into outdoor lifestyle. They filed for a trademark for Fireside Collection which covers outdoor furniture. It’s consistent with their growth strategy that we’ve seen, which has included acquiring TerraFlame.

Thanks for Reading!

Wes Wright

Founder and CEO

Key Events Next Week

• Traeger reports earnings on Thursday after the market closes
• Vista Outdoor is expected to respond to their buyout offer
• Gozney Arc XL and Arc pizza ovens will be released on Tuesday

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Sponsored By Big Green Egg

At Big Green Egg, we’re not just the best Kamado grill on the market; we are a lifestyle brand dedicated to enhancing outdoor entertaining. The Big Green Egg believes in bringing families, friends and neighbors together to cook over live-fire. Our “EGGhead” community of loyal fans create memories with the delicious and diverse food they can prepare on their Eggs. 

With a rich 50-year history and a strong presence as an iconic brand in the outdoor kitchen industry, we are committed to providing our customers with premium products and a seamless experience, both online and offline. And we are now hiring for our headquarters location in Atlanta!

We offer a fun work environment, with lots of food and BBQ (of course!), as well as competitive benefits, including a 401(k) match, medical and life insurance, to name a few. More detail on open roles in links below and/or click on this link to apply. 

CRM/Loyalty Strategist; Culinary Engagement Strategist; Senior Accountant;