Good Morning! 

In time for grilling season this year, Owl's Nest BBQ in Chattanooga, TN became a Franklin Certified Dealer. I interviewed Steve Ray about his path to having a local BBQ store, what sets it apart, and the process of selling Franklin Barbecue Pits.

Louisiana Grills has a new griddle out. It's their first new product in a while, so it's great to see them release something. It's a 4-burner griddle with nice styling and a non-stick griddle surface. It looks similar to the Gen 2 griddles that Pit Boss released last year, but with added features.

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!

Camp Chef's parent company, Vista Outdoor, has rejected the unsolicited takeover offer from MNC Capital again. They had provided non-public information to the investment firm over the past month, but arrived at the same result.

Vista is going to stick with selling their Sporting Products division to CSG. In order to sweeten the pot, CSG also upped their price a little bit. That ultimately could be good for Camp Chef and the other Revelyst brands because they are getting proceeds from the deal.

Sometimes CookOut News is in the news, and over Memorial Day Weekend, we got a good amount of coverage about the average price of a cookout year-over-year. I point it out because it's interesting information and also to give credit to Ryan Taylor who does great data and marketing work for us. If you're looking for more exposure for your business, reach out to him (ryan AT freshmechanism.com) and see if he can help.

Finally, Academy Sports + Outdoors has continued moving north with their aggressive store expansion plans. They are opening a store this weekend that's a little east of Columbus, OH. It's their northernmost store, and an added outdoor cooking retailer to the area.

I Hope You Enjoyed Your Shortened Week!

Wes Wright

Founder and CEO

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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. 

Administrative Assistant to the CEO/HR Coordinator; Lead Mechanical Engineer; Lead User Researcher; Social Media Influencer Strategist; Sales Manager, West Coast