Bill Miller Bar-B-Q is a

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

-headquartered restaurant chain that focuses on

barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke t ...

food, accompanying side dishes (such as

potato salad Potato salad is a salad dish made from boiled potatoes, usually containing a dressing and a variety of other ingredients such as boiled eggs and raw vegetables. In the United States, it is generally considered a side dish and usually accompanie ...

and

coleslaw Coleslaw (from the Dutch term ''koolsla'' meaning 'cabbage salad'), also known as cole slaw, or simply as slaw, is a side dish consisting primarily of finely shredded raw cabbage with a salad dressing or condiment, commonly either vinaigrette ...

), and baked goods. The restaurant started as a poultry and egg business in 1950 from a $500 loan. Founder Bill Miller later expanded the business into a

fried chicken Fried chicken, also known as Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or ...

take-out restaurant in 1953 and later shifted into a barbecue restaurant. 76 Bill Miller Bar-B-Q restaurants cover the San Antonio,

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, and Corpus Christi markets.

History

William T. "Bill" Miller and Ila Faye Miller co-founded a poultry and egg delivery business in 1950 from a $500 loan. The restaurant was officially founded in 1953 when they expanded the business into a

take-out restaurant. The menu eventually incorporated

hamburgers A hamburger, or simply burger, is a food consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or ...

, and then shifted into a barbecue restaurant. The second restaurant opened in February 1963. Bill Miller Bar-B-Q was a family business. Faye Miller served as a cashier and hostess while raising their four children. The children were raised learning the operations of the business. They later worked in the restaurant during the summers and on weekends. When Miller planned a vacation to Europe between Balous Miller's junior and senior years of college, Balous ran the restaurant business that summer and then decided to make Bill Miller Bar-B-Q his career rather than going to teaching school. Miller semi-retired upon Balous' graduation in May 1966. As his brothers, John and Douglas received their degrees, they joined him in the restaurant business. The three brothers and their brother-in-law, Louis Vance, have worked together for over thirty years. In 1992, Miller bought the Fiesta Plaza, a failed mall, and planned to donate it to the

University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a public research university in San Antonio, Texas. With over 34,000 students across its four campuses spanning 758 acres, UTSA is the largest university in San Antonio and the eighth-largest by ...

. The Fiesta Plaza is now the Downtown Campus of UTSA. In 1994, the street on which the first restaurant -shop- was located was renamed from Offer Street to Bill Miller Lane. Ila Faye died in 2008. In 2009 the company reduced its employee health care costs by 40% after it ended its PPO program and formed partnerships with area health providers. Therefore, medical providers receive reimbursement on a cost-plus basis.

Business model

In the early 1950s, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q was one of the first to offer quality food-to-go in five minutes, something almost unheard of at the time. Its concept of serving barbecued meats and fresh pies and breads on a daily basis from a central commissary was unique to its industry.. Miller designed the original barbecue pits he used in the 1950s and the large industrial sized ones used today, which can cook up to 2,500 pounds of brisket at one time in 18 to 20 hours. The central office of Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, is located in downtown San Antonio adjacent to the

San Antonio Police Department The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of San Antonio, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are at South Santa Rosa district. SAPD is one of the largest munic ...

's former headquarters. The plant is built according to the U.S. Federal Government's meat-packing guidelines and is inspected routinely by the City of San Antonio and the State of Texas. Bill Miller Bar-B-Q owns all its own real estate and buildings and operates its own distribution center.

References

External links

Official websiteInterview with Balous Miller, March 23, 1995, University of Texas at San Antonio: Institute of Texan Cultures: Oral History Collections, UA 15.01, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.
{{San Antonio Restaurants in San Antonio Regional restaurant chains in the United States Barbecue restaurants in the United States Restaurants established in 1953 1953 establishments in Texas

History

Business model

See also

References

External links