Innovation

Red White & Que Smokehouse is a local BBQ restaurant started by Marine veteran Dan Misuraca and his wife, Katie, which takes pride in helping veterans find employment, provides them with free meals, and ultimately helps guide them into a better direction after their service. They hold monthly cookouts for veterans, which helps bring back the strong bonds of brotherhood they all shared back in their days serving in the military. Red White & Que is an excellent service business, and what Dan and Katie do for veterans includes another service that a big part that America has forgotten about: helping those who have protected this country for decades and have dedicated their lives to fighting danger so we can enjoy the freedom we have today. The Military Wallet, a source that focuses on the percentage of veterans that are homeless, has reported that over one in ten homeless people in America are actually veterans. Red White & Que helps provide these veterans with more opportunities that help them once again stand on their feet; with their great discipline, it is possible to create change. Prioritizing the business around veterans and keeping the close military brotherhood intact is what really makes Red White & Que special and sets them apart from the rest.

Inspiration

Dan and Katie, founders and owners of Red White & Que Smokehouse, lived in Manhattan, NY, prior to moving to Little Ferry, NJ. Their new home had a backyard, and Katie got Dan a meat smoker for a birthday gift one year. Dan's desire to smoke meats grew just as his number of smokers increased. Dan and Katie always hosted large cookout parties for friends, until one day Dan thought maybe it was time to open a restaurant. Although most of their experience was in retail, opening a restaurant just seemed to be the right thing to do. Dan and Katie found the ideal place for their new restaurant in Kearny, NJ. Red White & Que Smokehouse opened its doors in 2016. The location was perfect for Dan because he wanted a "small place that felt like home and had an open kitchen" so he could interact with customers. As Dan said, “It didn’t start as a veteran community; it grew into one.” Kearny has a great veteran community. His passion was to serve those who served the country. When they first opened the restaurant, the goal was to make a living; now, the goal is to make RW&Q the number one veteran-owned business and number one barbecue restaurant.

Dan’s barbecue skills were self-taught, much through “trial and error,” as he affirms the transition was all about discipline, but well worth it. Red White & Que has about 15 employees, many of which are combat-war veterans. Dan is motivated to help veterans by giving them employment, promoting decent work and economic growth, a UN goal. The main quality they seek when hiring is fundamentally being a good person—being empathetic and wanting to help others. The VFW and American Legion refer veterans over to Dan when looking for employment. Dan’s philosophy is that “Every veteran gets an interview." Their focus is to take care of their own. Sadly enough, when these men and women go to war to fight for the country, they become part of a brotherhood, but when they get home, they are alone. Red White and Que strives to continue that brotherhood for veterans.

In 2016 during the fourth of July edition, Fox News published a story on Red White & Que after noticing their efforts in supporting and feeding veterans. This story got the newly opened restaurant a fair amount of publicity. One reader of the story called Red White & Que and asked how they could donate a meal to a veteran, and Katie Misuraca suggested that the caller purchase a gift card for them. This conversation was heard over the phone, and other customers in the restaurant were impressed by the idea and also bought gift cards to feed veterans. This became known as the "Buy a Vet a Meal" program. These gift cards are used for feeding veterans daily and for "Give Back" cookouts which Red White & Que host at least once a month. These contributions have continued to provide meals for veterans and show no signs of slowing down. Red White & Que’s mission is to serve those who served us, by serving their highly awarded BBQ food to veterans in need, which helps fulfill the second UN Goal of "No Hunger."

Overall impact

The qualitative impact of the innovation is that it has undoubtedly created awareness for veterans who may not have regular access to a meal. On the surface, this may appear to only affect one group (U.S. veterans), but it also is a part of a larger calling to try and end hunger, even internationally. This innovation can help provide a blueprint for other restaurants to emulate this system. If other companies were to implement this with some success, it could make a tangible difference in dealing with hunger at the local level. The Buy a Vet a Meal program has impacted Red White & Que by giving it some loyal customers, particularly those with veterans in the family. The smokehouse also gains positive publicity due to its honest efforts to feed and employ its community.

Business benefit

Red White & Que's innovation towards giving back to the veteran community has been beneficial to the restaurant since it has opened in 2016. Because Red White & Que hires and feeds veterans, Dan and Katie received the support of the local VFW and American Legion. These organizations told them they would not let their business fail. This meant a lot to Dan and Katie because it gave them a good standing in the new community of Kearny and motivated them to continue their mission.

The "Buy a Vet a Meal" program has given Red White & Que loyal customers, particularly those with veterans in the family. The smokehouse also gains positive publicity due to its honest efforts to feed and employ its veterans throughout the community.

Social and environmental benefit

The short-term effects of this business are first and foremost to provide veterans with a meal. That is the first and very important step that allows the veterans to feel at hope and gives them a sense of appreciation for all the hard work they have done. In addition, Red White & Que has made a quantitative impact in the hiring of 16 individuals, from all branches of the military, encouraging economic growth and giving them hope for a fresh start. This allows the population of homeless veterans to slowly but surely decrease and over time allows these veterans to once again be able to provide for themselves. This has a sudden impact on society as it reduces the population of the homeless as well as helping to motivate and ultimately establish more businesses that prioritize not only making money but also helping veterans and the homeless in general. Society becomes a better place, and people who have been a pillar for the growth of this country are given a second opportunity to continue to do great things.

Interview

Dan Misuraca, Owner and Founder

Watch video on YouTube