We were lucky to catch up with Bill E. Stitt recently and have shared our conversation below.
Bill E., so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
Optimistic is the ONLY option when it comes to living. My optimism comes form many members of my family who always displayed positivity and encouraged me to do and be the best in everything.
My Father was well known for encouraging others and even though we lost him a few years ago a day does not pass that I am reminded by others or events of the legacy of optimism he displayed to others and in his daily actions.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I earned my degree in Hospitality Management at Ole’ Miss in 1991 and stuck around while working at the Downtown Grill on The Square in Oxford.
I was hired by Ruby Tuesday’s Restaurants in 1993 and spent the next 20 years with the company. After five years in Memphis, I was transferred to Mobile. Over time, I became Director of Operations and helped develop the To-Go model, the Curb-Side pick-up model, and the Catering Brand. In 2011, I opened BILL-E’s dba Old 27 Grill in a small building in Fairhope.
I dropped the Old 27 Grill part of the name a few years ago, changing it to BILL-E’s Restaurant after the road became Highway 181. When we first opened, we just wanted it to be a burger joint with an order counter, but servers from my days past kept asking for jobs, so we became a semi-full-service restaurant. We started with eight tables and three bar stools. I immediately realized we needed a bigger bar, with indoor and outdoor seating.
The place is a maze of meandering nooks and crannies with additional dining areas, bars, outdoor games, music stages, and even two studios for creative folks or hosting corporate events. We also has a sophisticated curing operation for producing our famous bacon.
Bill-E’s long-term plan is to create an ideal space where we can host casual corporate business gatherings or sales meetings. We want to be more than a burger and bacon joint, It’s a perfect scenario for locals from New Orleans to Destin to come and enjoy Fairhope and get some business done.” We are well on our way to seeing this vision become a reality.
I learned how to cure bacon when My Dad wanted me to learn a trade, something I could always fall back on regardless of my college degree or chosen vocation. When I was 15 years old, my dad set up a meeting with a butcher outside of Yazoo City. The butcher said he would teach me how to make bacon the way our ancestors did before refrigeration was even a thing.
BILL-E’s started making small-batch bacon six years ago. Food suppliers kept bringing bacon for us to try for the restaurant, and I was certain we could make better bacon than what was being offered. Bacon kept coming back into my life, I started with a little square box and some old equipment adjacent to the restaurant’s kitchen so we wouldn’t interrupt the regular kitchen.
It’s an all-natural process. We produce a center of the plate, premium protein, something chefs would want as something more than just adding bacon to greens or a salad. Once we began curing our own BILL-E’s Small-Batch Bacon, we started using it for the restaurant, and things took off. BILL-E’s Small-Batch Bacon is produced, packaged, and shipped on-site in Fairhope.
We have a USDA facility to produce the bacon. The restaurant is a separate entity. We began selling our bacon to The Original Oyster House, The Grand Hotel, and other restaurants in the area. As its reputation grew, we began selling all over the world, including Canada and Guam.
Each custom bacon smoker is named after a close friend. We produce thousands of pounds of bacon each week, and we plan to keep growing in 2024. Our bacon has won numerous awards and is distributed throughout the United States through several national food brokers.
It’s the best Christmas present in the world! Get a pound of sliced, a pound of unsliced (called a slab or stick), and add in a BILL-E’s hat, and you have the perfect gift. Go to SHOP at BILL-E’s Bacon website, and look for Goldbelly. www.billesbacon.com
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
People – Look for self-motivated people and show them the opportunities for growth through the processes you have in place
Determination – Never stop trying to do your best in everything you do.
Thankful – Be Thankful and Gracious in all that you do
How would you describe your ideal client?
The ideal client for our catering business is someone looking for a convenient and quality solution for their event or customers.
The ideal bacon client is a restaurant or retail meat shop that wants to offer the best bacon in the world. Hands Down!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.billesbacon.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billessmallbatchbacon/
- Facebook: itsbill-es.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamstitt/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsbilles
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUaiev1QEnAMoTxyqSf3CyQ
