# Sonny's BBQ

> Sonny's BBQ is a privately held, Florida-born barbecue restaurant system with about 90 locations across the Southeastern United States. Founded in Gainesville in 1968, it combines oak-smoked meats prepared in each restaurant, certified pitmaster training, dine-in and off-premise ordering, catering, a digital rewards program, retail sauce sales, and a franchise model. Its market position is approachable, family-oriented chain barbecue, with local community programs and seasonal menu testing used to keep a long-running regional brand current.

- **Founded:** 1968
- **Headquarters:** Winter Park, United States
- **Founders:** Floyd "Sonny" Tillman (Co-founder and pitmaster), Lucille Tillman (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** Approximately 5,000 team members across the restaurant system
- **Products:** Dine-in barbecue, Takeout, drive-thru and delivery, Catering, Sonny's Rewards and mobile app, Sauces, gift cards and merchandise
- **Notable:** Grew from one Gainesville restaurant in 1968 to about 90 locations across the Southeast., Built a franchise system comprising 88 franchised and two company-operated restaurants at the end of 2025., Created a certified pitmaster program and P.I.T. Academy to formalize restaurant-level barbecue craft.

## Products & services

- **Dine-in barbecue** — Oak-smoked pork, brisket, ribs, chicken and turkey, plus sandwiches, sides, appetizers, desserts and sweet tea served in neighborhood restaurants.
- **Takeout, drive-thru and delivery** — Off-premise ordering through restaurants, online channels and third-party delivery, with availability varying by location.
- **Catering** — Pickup, delivery and staffed barbecue catering for family gatherings, offices, sporting events and other occasions.
- **Sonny's Rewards and mobile app** — A points-based loyalty program with online ordering, personalized offers, receipt upload and tiered rewards.
- **Sauces, gift cards and merchandise** — Branded barbecue sauce sold through retail and ecommerce, alongside physical and digital gift cards and in-store merchandise.
- **Restaurant franchises** — Twenty-year franchise agreements, training, operating systems, technology and marketing support for qualified operators.

## Achievements

- Grew from one Gainesville restaurant in 1968 to about 90 locations across the Southeast.
- Built a franchise system comprising 88 franchised and two company-operated restaurants at the end of 2025.
- Created a certified pitmaster program and P.I.T. Academy to formalize restaurant-level barbecue craft.
- Reports more than $1 million in annual donations supporting local community causes.
- Reports 41,000 people impacted through Random Acts of BBQ and 'Q the Kindness programs.
- Set a Guinness World Record for the largest serving of pulled pork in 2016.
- Reported 2025 average annual sales of $3,241,201 among franchised restaurants, with 45 percent meeting or exceeding that figure; results vary by restaurant.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Launched a summer menu featuring Cherry Cola BBQ Sauce and the return of barbecue bowls.
- **2026-04** — Announced a free barbecue sandwich offer for nurses during National Nurses Week.
- **2026-03** — Released a spring seasonal menu positioned around saucy, hands-on barbecue dishes.
- **2025-12** — Promoted George McAllan to president and Katie Love to chief marketing officer as part of a multi-year growth plan; also announced plans for a test kitchen.
- **2025-03** — Expanded Sweet BBQ Sauce distribution to select Sam's Club stores and nationwide delivery.
- **2025-03** — Named Elden Scott chief kindness officer to expand the Kindness Crew and community giving programs.

## Links

- Website: https://www.sonnysbbq.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sonnysbbq
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/sonnysbbq
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK2ofbkE4SslqD9QwPUU2wA
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnysbbq/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonnysbbq
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sonnysbbq

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13