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You’re Never Too Old to Make Sauce
by Kellye Hunter
From shoulder pads to chef whites, Al "Bubba" Baker has worn several different uniforms during his career. As an NFL defensive end from 1978 to 1990, he played for the Detroit Lions, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Cleveland Browns, and set some all-time quarterback sacking records. Now he’s facing a different type of competion--the fight for shelf space--as the creator and owner of Bubba’s-Q barbecue, steak, and seasoning sauces. "Getting by a 300-pound tackle is nothing compared to facing a Kroger buyer," he was once quoted as saying.
After retiring from football, Baker, who lives near Cleveland, ran a successful Mailboxes, Etc. franchise which he sold in 1992 to open what became a not-so-successful barbecue joint. "The restaurant business is a thankless business," he says, "But people never, ever complained about the sauces--toward the end it was our number one profit center." So in 1995 he closed the restaurant to concentrate on the condiments. As someone who has appeared in just about every American home through televised sports, Baker’s goal now is to have his products appear on everyone’s kitchen shelves.
His recipes are based on those of an uncle who was a "barbecue magnate" in Jacksonville, South Carolina over seventy years ago. While this venerated southern-style vinegar-type sauce provided inspiration, Baker embellished upon it by taking favorite elements from different styles of barbecue he had tasted all over the country and incorporating them into his own creations. "My passion is creating sauces," he says. "I’m really the guy who makes them--I’m not just some jock who signs the bottles."
In fact, Baker now wants to be known more for the caliber of his products (the "Q"stands for "quality"), than the fact that he was once a professional athlete. "I don’t want to ride on the fact that I’m Al ‘Bubba’ Baker," he says. "But if that’s going to get people to try my sauces, then that’s what I’ll do." In addition, he works in every aspect of the business, from dealing with customers--"I’m always just a phone call away"--to personally delivering and unloading palette-loads of product.
Eventually, however, Baker would like to bring in a partner--preferably a family member--to handle the business side of his venture so that he can concentrate on the part that he really enjoys--cooking. "I have so many recipes in my head, that I would like to have sixteen or seventeen items in my line," he says. "That’s where I’d like to wind up."
Right now it looks as though he might be on his way. Bubba’s Q sauces are now carried in grocery and specialty stores throughout the Midwest, and are featured in some thirty-five restaurants in the Cleveland area. Baker wants to focus on the specialty market, where he believes there are better chances for longevity because there are always new niches, and he is starting a line of gift packs.
"I’ll never be a football player again, but I can be in the sauce business until the day I die," he says. "And I don’t hurt on Monday mornings."
Bubba’s-Q Sauces, Inc.
800 Sharon Drive
Westlake, Ohio 44145
PH: (440) 871-0160
FAX: (440) 871-0167