Feeling at home while dining at Brooks BBQ Introduc8on Literature Review on Family Restaurants Michael Masino Griffin and Frances Brooks founded the restaurant in 1961 on the out skirts of the small Despite the fact that 90% of businesses are family owned, unfortunately only one third of them are able to successfully transfer from one generation to the next (Robinson & Stubberud, 2012). This study is designed to examine the small business sector of family owned small town Oneonta, New York. In 1975 they sold the business to their son John and his wife, restaurants by using one in par8cular that goes by the name of Brooks BBQ and how and thirty years later they sold the restaurant to their son Ryan and his wife. This The failure of a generational transition in small businesses cannot be confined to one single people might feel at home in a public restaurant. There are several exis8ng studies “patriarchal/familistic” restaurant has been successfully passed down for three generations and factor, however the most prominent cause for failure is “lack of interest in the business by the on the sense of home and BBQ, however none of them have 8ed both succeeding generation” (Robinson & Stubberud, 2012, p. 20). To date, the Brooks BBQ have together to show how community members may feel just as much at home si@ng in each generation has contributed to its success and expansion. This is quite impressive a family owned restaurant as they would si@ng in their actual home. This study will considering that the odds of a family owned business’s survival decreases after every achieved two transitions to the succeeding generation, but what is their secret? The intention use the works of others based on family owned restaurants, the sense of home and generation, and only 10% of those survive after the third (Perricone, Earle, & Taplin, 2001). This of this study is to find out what has led to the prosperity of this family owned business. The one of America's most cultural foods, BBQ. Several methods will be u8lized to studies Perricone et al., (2001), Beyrouti (2010), and Robinson & Stubberud (2012), all ascertain how people feel at home while dining at Brooks. Of these, the most leads to the question: what about Brooks has led to their success over the past 53 years they emphasize the vital importance in transferring interfamily values and traditions from one prac8cal and beneficial methods are the use of interviews and observa8ons. I will be have been in business? In order to uncover this mystery there are two major variables that both a par8cipant and complete observer by engaging in the dining experience while generation to the next. According to Perricone et al. (2001) the best predictor that a family need to be examined. One of these variables is a sense of home within the public restaurant simultaneously observing those around me. In addi8on, I will conduct several member will desire to continue the family business is if they were actively involved in that interviews with mul8ple people within the Brooks restaurant such as the owner, and the other is the barbeque itself. employees and customers, if granted permission. business as a child. Although there are several studies on family owned businesses there are relatively few based on restaurants, and none on Brooks BBQ located in Oneonta N.Y.

Methods Literature Review on BBQ Literature Review on Sense of Home Several methods will need to be utilized in order to find the answer to what makes people feel Barbecue is a word that has multiple connotations to different people, especially across at home while dining in Brooks. Of these, the most practical and beneficial methods are the use of interviews and observations. In regard to the observational method, I will be both a different regions of the U.S. Since there are multiple styles of barbeque, this cuisine is up for Due to the lack of research on feeling at home in a public setting such as a family owned participant and complete observer by engaging in the dining experience while simultaneously

observing those around me (Babbie, 2011). In addition, I will conduct several interviews with interpretation on the part of the owners and the consumers. According to Farrish (2011) the restaurant, this paper will draw its information from articles based on the home and apply it to multiple peop le within the Brooks restaurant such as the owner, employees, and customers if the restaurant Brooks BBQ. As (Rakoff, 1977) states, the home holds meaningful value to the four main regional styles of barbequing are the Memphis, Carolina, Texas, and Kansa styles. granted permission. Most importantly before conducting any form of interview I will need culture surrounding it and the people existing within it. It can even be seen as an artifact over informed consent from voluntary participants in order to conduct the research ethically. My Since New York is not included in this list, restaurants may succeed in preparing any one or a the course of time. This might relate to Brooks BBQ; however Rakoff’s study is limited by the interview method will be using open-­‐ended questions so respondents can give answers of their thought. I must make a conscious effort to avoid any negative or bias questions to keep the combination of all in their menus. In the case of Brooks BBQ they serve a variety of entrees that fact that he utilized convenience sampling instead of random sampling. Rakoff (1977) also integrity of my research. could be identified with different regions of the United States. Similarly, the article Barbecue describes the home with a negative connotation, mentioning how the home may entrap those In addition to interviews and observations, I will utilize unobtrusive methods who dwell their by forcing them to realize what has led to their alienation in life. Similar to such as content analysis and historical comparative to further the research. In the content and American Culture (2010) mentions a restaurant named Blue Smoke that opened its doors in Rakoff, Blunt & Dowling (2006) agree that the home has value to an individual but also states analysis the use of manifest content in words such as family atmosphere, home, and barbeque, Manhattan that was able to bring the taste of St. Louis to New York, and succeed due to that found in newspapers and written reviews will be used to analyze Brooks. Similar to the content that the sense of home may be felt outside of the home, “in the same way a trucker might feel analyses, the use of newspapers and older historical records of Brooks will be used to fact that New York does not have a traditional style of barbecuing. In order to better while on the road.” This ontological assumption is the basis of this research proposal: people determine how customers became so comfortable and feel a sense of home within the Brooks dining room. Historical records are an important contribution to this study considering that the understand the success of Brooks, one needs to look toward the people of the community to may feel as if at home while being in another structure in the built environment. In this study business has survived for 53 years. I feel that the combination of interviews, observations,

content analyses, and historical comparative will provide substantial evidence to form a gain a better understanding of their preference in barbecue cuisine. the focus is on how people may feel at home while dining at a family restaurant such as Brooks that serves one of America’s traditional cuisines, barbecue. conclusion about how the Brooks BBQ restaurant became such a successful family owned business.

Preliminary Findings References Beyrouti, N. (2010). The Successsion Process and Leadership in Lebanon Family Businesses. • This is an on going study of the Brooks BBQ restaurant, However to date Journal Of International Diversity, (3), 7-­‐24. some findings from interviews are Carroll, G. R., & Torfason, M. T. (2011). Restaurant Organizational Forms and Community in the U.S. in 2005. City & Community, 10(1), -­‐ 1 24. doi:10.1111/j.1540-­‐6040.2010.01350.x • Brooks is deeply rooted in the community of Oneonta Goldwyn, M. (2012). An accurate, thorough, historically and culinary correct definition of the word barbecue, its etymology, and along the way we debunk the myth that grilling is not • Over the past 53 years liLle has changed within the restaurant barbecue as well as etymology myths. Retrieved from • Brooks serves BBQ of its own unique kind not found anywhere else http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_articles/barbecue_defined.html Farrish, John Raymond, "Critical success factors in barbecue restaurants: Do operators and

patrons agree?" (2010). UNLV Theses/Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones. Conclusion Paper 707 Perricone, P. J., Earle, J. R., & Taplin, I. M. (2001). Patterns of succession and continuity in • As this study furthers I hope to find out more on how a small family family-­‐owned businesses: Study of an ethnic community. Family Business Review, 14(2), restaurant becomes so deeply rooted in a community that both members of 105-­‐121. that community and outside of it may find themselves at home while dining. Rakoff, R. (1977). Ideology in Everyday Life: The Meaning of the House. Politics & Society, 85 104.

This research may further the field of sociology by showing how small family Robinson, S., & Stubberud, H. A. (2012). ALL IN THE : FAMILY ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS A FAMILY

owned restaurants may become a part of a communi8es heritage over the TRADITION. International Journal of Entrepreneurship, 16 19-­‐29. course of 8me.