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Primal Cue Feature – Sun Prairie Star

Saturday, 18 July 2020 by admin
barbeque catering madison wisconsin primal cue

Original Link – Sun Prairie Star

Two barbecue lovers have combined their talent and skills to launch Sun Prairie-based Primal Cue.

Already with one year under their belt, Primal Cue owners Andrew Bajakian and Brandon Bay are starting this mobile food season off strong after winter hibernation and the COVID-19 pandemic safer-at-home delay.

The guys are primed for the Primal Cue pop-up event on Saturday, July 18 from 4-6 p.m. at the Pavilion at Angell Park. Those hungry for barbecue need to pre-order by July 15 on Primal Cue’s Facebook page. The star of the show at Saturday’s event will be chopped pork with a Carolina-style barbecue sauce.

Focusing on the basics, Bajakian and Bay use wood, fire and smoke to turn meats into pure pleasure, devoting 18-24 hours to tending the fires to get superb flavors. Gas or charcoal assisted smoking isn’t even on their radar—-that’s why they call their business Primal Cue—turning back to the tried-and-true basics.

“Brandon and I are pretty proud of the way we have brought barbecue back to its traditions,” Bajakian said.

While stationed in the United States Army bases down south, Bajakian fell in love with barbecue. For Bay, barbecue was a family tradition, learning to smoke turkeys for Thanksgiving with his dad.

“He told me to don’t stop learning and think you are the best,” Bay remembers of his first mentor of barbecue. “He taught me to just absorb new information and use it to my advantage.”

Bajakian turned to a career in food service after he left the Army and used his GI Bill to get a degree at MATC in culinary arts and small business entrepreneurship. Bay, with many years working at restaurants, was an instructor at MATC culinary department when he met Bajakian.

The duo ended up working at the same restaurant, and during a particularly hard shift decided to strike on their own.

“Out of frustration that night, we said let’s go for it,” Bajakian said of the motivation to build a business plan and start Primal Cue.

They honed in on the Primal Cue rig in the spring of 2019, purchasing it from a custom builder in Kentucky and pretty soon were out in the Sun Prairie/Madison area doing catering and pop-up events. Right away they got some great reviews from customers at one of their first tryouts at Beans n Cream in Sun Prairie.

“We thought we would just dip our toes in the water the first year, but with the customers’ response, they pushed us headlong into the pool,” Bajakian said.

Primal Cue also caters, but with COVID-19 restrictions in place, it’s now set up for drop-off, no-contact delivery. Smoked pulled pork, chicken and brisket are all on the menu, along with sides of barbecue baked beans, creamy coleslaw, potato salad, Primal corn and cornbread.

Sauces include traditional sweet barbecue sauce, mustard-based barbecue sauce, and vinegar base—a trio that reflects regional favorites around the United States. Primal Cue also just started making its dry rub seasoning available for sale, something that was a hit for Father’s Day gifts.

The plan is to eventually open a brick-and-mortar Primal Cue restaurant but Bay and Bajakian are content right now to stay mobile. They want to partner with other businesses and organizations for food events in the future.

At Saturday’s event, Bajakian and Bay welcome people to stay awhile and ask them about their barbecue (they will be wearing face masks and keeping six-feet distancing social distance, of course), especially customers who have never tried Primal Cue.

“Just give a shot,” Bay said. “If you think that you have had great barbecue in the Madison area, come out and try us, we may change your mind.”

More info on Primal Cue at www.primalcue.com, Facebook, or by calling (608) 709-9277. Primal Cue’s no-contact pop-up event is Saturday, July 18 from 4-6 p.m. at Angell Park Pavilion. Pre-orders cut-off is Wednesday, July 15.

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PRIMAL CUE QUICK LINKS

About Us
Nomad Menu
Communal Catering
Hearth Catering
Contact Primal Cue
**Catering Info & Terms

PRIMAL CUE

Sun Prairie, WI 53590
P. (608) 709-9277
E. primalcue@gmail.com

Connect with us!

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Andrew “Grill Sergeant” Bajakian

Andrew is a United States Army Veteran that spent most of his time in service in the south. This is where Andrew fell in love with barbecue, as well as his wife Courtney. Shortly after exiting the Army Andrew and Courtney moved to Madison, Wisconsin to be close to family, and this is when Andrew decided to make a career change into the food service industry and began dreaming of one day owning his own business. He used his GI Bill to go back to school and obtained a double degree in Culinary Arts and Small Business Entrepreneurship from Madison College. While in school he entered and won first place in a business plan competition that laid the foundations for Primal Cue. Since graduating Andrew has gained experience in multiple Madison area restaurants and grew his family with Courtney with the birth of their son Archer. The Primal Cue rig was purchased from a custom builder in Kentucky in spring 2019 and the dream of owning a business became a reality.

Brandon “Tex” Bay

Brandon, “Tex”, Bay is co-owner of Primal Cue and no stranger to the flame. It’s safe to say smoke runs in his veins and flavor combinations dance in his dreams. It’s been that way his entire life.

Brandon first started his love of BBQ before reaching middle school and barely able to read a recipe card. At the age of 7, he can recall learning how to smoke turkeys on a PK King Cast Iron Grill with his dad at the hub for Thanksgiving. Under Papa Bay’s wise guidance, Brandon raised his BBQ game, smoking brisket next. “If you can smoke a brisket to perfection you can smoke any protein properly” he was told.

As the youngest of 3 kids (and the only boy), Brandon continued to grow his craft while also expanding his skills in the kitchen. At the young age of 14, he started working in the back of the house in a local restaurant. Little did he know this would be the start to his 30 plus year career in the industry (so far). You name it, Brandon has done it – bus boy and dishes, all levels of kitchen staff, waitstaff, bartender, management, owner, catering and consulting. And each of those roles has given Brandon the ability to see the entire picture. From the taste of the food to the way it’s presented and how his guests feel throughout their entire experience is top priority to him. Nothing falls through the cracks and this is apparent via each relationship he has shaped through his work. His sisters will tell you he got his personality from them.

Most recently, Brandon taught courses in the Culinary Department of Madison College in Menu Development, Cost Control and Advance Skills in the Kitchen. He is currently the Foodservice Manager at Select Specialty Hospital.

Brandon is just as blessed at home as he is with his skills in the kitchen. He has been married to the love of his life, Karen, for 16 years. They have two beautiful children, as well as Wrangler (their 4 paw kiddo). Brandon is an avid woodworker and craftsman building tables, furniture and home décor pieces that will be family treasures for generations to come. It seems his true talents come from this world’s most raw materials…wood.

41 years later, Brandon still owns that PK King Cast Iron Grill. There isn’t a time he cooks with wood on an open fire and cast iron that he doesn’t think of learning from his father. And now, he can pass all of this knowledge on to his own son, Charlie. Knowledge, tradition and passion. These are values Brandon is happy to bring to Primal Cue.

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