Ben Normandeau was an electrician when the pandemic hit. Bored, he picked up a Weber kettle and started smoking meat. Then he cold-called over 50 of the best barbecue joints in Texas — only Joseph at Zavala’s BBQ in Grand Prairie responded. Ben flew down, showed up at 2 in the morning, and trained. He came home, built a food truck, parked it in his mom’s driveway, and 603 BBQ was born. Now he and pitmaster Andrew Moran run one of the most talked-about barbecue spots in New England. Lines out the door every day. Sold out every day. People driving from Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut just to get in line. In this episode we cover the full journey: training in Texas, the 13-hour smoking process, what it’s like selling out daily, the craziest customer stories, the menu, their dream collaborations, and a charity dinner with Tuckaway Tavern coming April 18th. This episode is proudly sponsored by Red Arrow Diner — four locations across New Hampshire, open 24/7. redarrowdiner.com FIND 603 BBQ: • Location: 126 Hall Street, Unit A, Concord, NH • Hours: Thu–Sat, 12pm–6pm (or sold out) • Website: bbqnh.com • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/603bbq/100075863953612/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/603bbq • Phone: (603) 333-5387 BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL: Real stories. Real people. Real conversations. Carol Lawrence- Erickson is the owner of the iconic Red Arrow Diners — open 24/7 in Manchester, Londonderry, Concord, and Nashua. Each episode, she sits down with entrepreneurs, chefs, and community leaders for honest conversations about food, business, and everything in between. 📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarol 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/beyondtheplatenh 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/beyondtheplatenh/ 🔗 Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Intro & Teaser 1:35 — Welcome & Red Arrow Diner Sponsor 2:08 — Where to Find 603 BBQ 2:49 — Ben’s Journey: Electrician to BBQ 4:22 — How Andrew Got Involved (Smoke Show Roots) 6:10 — What the Families Thought 7:35 — Cold-Calling Zavala’s BBQ in Texas 9:22 — Training in Texas at 2AM 12:24 — Going Back to Texas & Opening Day 13:35 — What Joseph Taught Him: “Just Let It Ride” 15:25 — Sharing Recipes & the Brisket Class 17:29 — Andrew’s Typical Day: Life on the Smokers 21:45 — The 8-Hour Cook Just to Open at Noon 24:00 — Working in the Elements 27:38 — Walk-Through: What to Expect at 603 BBQ 29:40 — First Sold-Out Day (Day One) 31:15 — The New Ordering System & Wait Times 33:08 — The Menu: Sausages, Texas Twinkies & More 37:20 — Texas Twinkies: 75 Lbs of Jalapeños by Hand 39:00 — People Driving from All Over the Map 39:52 — Pittsburgh Guys: 9-Hour Drive Story 40:32 — Ray from Connecticut: Slept in His Car Story 42:15 — Selling Out Every Day: Stress or Motivation? 43:42 — Guy Fieri Dream & Bobby Marcotte Connection 44:48 — April 18th Charity Dinner with Tuckaway Tavern 47:09 — What’s Next for 603 BBQ 50:17 — Concord Roots: Born & Raised 51:58 — Shout Out to the Team 53:14 — Lightning Round 54:26 — Advice for Starting a Food Business 57:03 — Favorite Spots to Eat in Concord 59:01 — Dream Collaborations: Guy Fieri & Dave Portnoy 1:00:47 — Closing & Thank You
