Expatriates struggle to keep Texas barbecue alive overseas
Joe Walters is the ownerpitmaster at Texas Joe’s Slow Smoked Meats in the Bermondsey neighborhood of London. The Dallas native is one of the original and best-known purveyors of Texas barbecue in Europe, a trend that has grown exponentially in recent years with legitimate barbecue outlets opening in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Sweden.
Through news reports, Walters had followed the march of the novel coronavirus from its epicenter in China to a dangerous outbreak in nearby Italy. Still, it seemed far away.
On March 13, he attended a neighborhood council meeting. Instead of the usual chamber-ofcommerce-type speeches, a representative from Public Health England, was warning of possible business disruptions because of the virus.
On March 15, all of France went into lockdown to stop the spread of the virus. Restaurants and bars were ordered closed.
“I knew that if they closed the restaurants in Paris, that was very serious,” says Walters, referring to the deeply ingrained café culture there. “I knew London wouldn’t be far behind.”
He gathered his staff to let them know drastic measures may be necessary. Though his restaurant had a busy weekend, the situation in the U.K. deteriorated quickly. Several days later he decided to close the restaurant and furlough his staff.
“When I spoke with you all on Friday I mentioned that at some point we will likely have to close the business for a period of time to ensure the safety of our team and our customers,” Walters wrote in a memo to staff. “I did not imagine that it would happen so soon. Unfortunately Texas Joe’s will be closing as of 10 p.m. this evening.”
Much like his barbecue colleagues in Texas and the rest of the U.S., Walters scrambled to save his business and keep his staff on the payroll as long as possible. Fortunately, he had a few circumstances working in his favor.
His restaurant is in a building owned by Southwark Council, his local governmental entity. Unlike commercial landlords who have been reluctant to cut breaks on rent, his council agreed to a deferment.
Also, the U.K. government deferred payment of sales tax — known there as Value Added Tax, or V.A.T. — for up to a year. With that money, Walters knew he could keep paying his staff at least through April.
The U.K. then announced a job-retention plan that reimburses small business for 80 percent of their employees’ salaries, which will hopefully start in May.
Similar proposals have been announced in the U.S. Though small businesses are currently on their own in negotiations with landlords about rent, the state of Texas has announced some waivers of interest and penalties on late payment of sales tax. And the U.S. government passed the CARES Act, which includes payroll reimbursement for small businesses including restaurants, though details are still being worked out.
Compared to their overseas colleagues, Texas barbecue joints have one advantage: the ability to stay open and serve takeout and delivery orders. In the U.K., many restaurants, including barbecue joints, have temporarily closed rather than stay open for takeout.
According to Walters, this is because Londoners mainly rely on public transit, rather than cars, to get around. Drive-thru windows are virtually nonexistent in central London.
If Texas Joe’s stayed open for takeout, customers would have to take busses or the subway to get there, defeating the purpose and safety considerations of the social distancing necessary to stop the spread of the virus. Partnering with a delivery company wasn’t an option because of the large percentage it would take as part of its fee.
So Walters decided to close, temporarily. In his memo, he signed off with Churchillian flourish.
“We will come back from this, and we will persevere.”