Meet Victor Janer | BBQ Pop Up

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victor Janer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victor, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The thought process behind my business kind of just fell into my lap. Ever since I was little I enjoyed cooking, as I got older I moved more to grilling and open flame cooking. During my teen/early 20s the best part of cooking open flame was the fact of having everyone around the fire cooking burgers and hot dogs and just having a good time. When we all got older we went our different ways and the fun started to slow down. I discovered the world of competition BBQ and the love came back, this time moved into smoked meats and smokers. After a couple of comps I was hooked, and the new love came in. The problem with this new hobby was that it is very expensive and sadly wasteful. Slowly but surely our friends and family that we kept feeding were getting tired of BBQ and it was harder to do something with the food, and the hobby was slowly going away. A friend mentioned that maybe I could sell the food. Started with coworkers, moved up to neighbors and now we are doing twice a month pop ups in different locations such as breweries and pop up events. With that, Janer Family BBQ was born. With the pandemic in full effect I wasn’t able to do competitions but I was still able to do the part I loved about it which was bring people together and the conversations about BBQ. The thought now is to save up to potentially get a smoker/trailer and do this full time.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Honestly I would consider myself a “jack of all trades”. School wasn’t really for me so I picked up many different jobs that made me get where I am at today, a lot of times working for myself. I have been in automotive, running my own shop, construction, and now even a cook. Currently I am a welder/fabricator in the aerospace field. I have been doing welding and fabrication for about 20 years now with about 12 years in the aerospace field. The ability to work with my hands, especially with metal has helped me greatly, giving me the ability to build my own smokers to my likings. One of the greatest joys I had building my own smokers was being able to have my kids involved, teaching them measuring, drilling, and even welding part of the smokers. The “Family” in Janer Family BBQ, is that, its a family affair.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Besides having them enjoy the best BBQ they’ll ever have at Janer Family BBQ, our favorite places to go is usually outdoor related. We have a great hike that we do weekly off of Fullerton Loop in Orange County. There is a water tower hike that is good for kids and if its a clear day you are able to see all of So Cal from the top. If we feel like getting fat with deserts/pastries we love taking the drive up to Solvang which is outside of Santa Barbara. Solvang is always a favorite of us cause we could take the PCH all the way up and have the ocean breeze coming through the drive. Make a quick stop in Malibu for some Neptunes Net and enjoy a burger off of the beach coast. We try to avoid tourist traps, and enjoy the more inner secrets of places around town. As of lately for night life we have started to go to more community pop up events that show case small businesses for a good time. There is usually music and great food to be had and family friendly.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Easy enough question but so hard to answer. There is so many people in my life that deserve credit for where I am at today. Although this might seem like a one man show it is far from it. Its almost to the point that I just work here, while others run the show. Top of the list would be my wife Nancy. She is my biggest critic and not afraid to hurt my feelings when my food is not there, this allows me to do better. She also lets me know when my food is good even if I think it is not. Along with her honesty, she is also the one that keeps all of us in line and makes sure our time schedules are right there. Next has to be Rosa and Lala, who help me at the pop ups taking orders, organizing, and sending orders out. My kids, who are in charge of clean up and tell me that my food is good or bad, not sure if you know this but kids are brutally honest when it comes to eating things they like. My mom is always on this list as well because if it wasn’t for her letting me play with fire as a kid I might not have ever gone this route with cooking. Our friends play a big part in our journey as well, some help with photos, like you see here, some help with business ideas and food concepts, and of course with eating our food for feedback.

Website: www.janerfamilybbq.com

Instagram: @janerfamilybbq

Image Credits
Most of these pictures came from our friend Roneia, wife Nancy, and some were from me.