Yee Haw! Tim’s Texas Bar-B-Q Granted Stay of Execution, Will Remain Open Until Jan 30

Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit!

After a difficult December during which he was given a mere 19 days' notice to vacate his restaurant, Veteran expat restauranteur Tim Hilbert finally has some holiday cheer to share: this morning he posted on WeChat: “Merry Christmas. Yesterday, we received a ‘Stay of Execution’ from the barbecue landlord, so Tim's Texas Bar-B-Q will be cooking, smoking, drinking and laughing until COB January 30.”  

The extension affords Hilbert considerable more breathing room to not only give his customers a proper sendoff, but also find a new location to carry on his F&B career.

Shortly after the initial December 14 closure announcement, Hilbert — a warmly friendly host with an earnest demeanor and a wry sense of humor — told the Beijinger: “Chumbawamba once sang: ‘I get knocked down, but I get up again.’ And that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. Texans are fighters, we’re not quitters, so I’m definitely gonna open another place.”

He sees two upshots to the unsettlingly sudden closure announcement. For one, the timing could be worse — this time of year is slow for restaurants like his, as expats swear off booze and pub grub for short-lived New Year's resolutions, and many Chinese leave Beijing to celebrate Spring Festival in their hometowns. “If this had happened during my peak seasons in fall or spring, it would’ve been the kiss of death,” Hilbert says.

Hilbert also sees another, all the more promising silver lining: his search for new digs will likely allow him to further his creativity. He has been hugely inspired by the booming food truck industry back in the U.S, a fledging F&B niche that makes more focused projects highly appealing. He says: “It’d be really exciting to have some food trucks, or takeaway taco stands or window shops. So I might try something smaller, or it could be fun to find something bigger. What it all boils down to though, is real estate.”

Until he finds the right spot for his next venture, and determines how to best serve that new neighborhood, Hilbert will be pleased to restock Tim's Texas Bar-B-Q’s food and beverage inventory to see the place through the end of next month, offering customers a few last tacos and margaritas until he’s back on his feet. Equally important to Hilbert is having more time for his staff— to work with them all a little longer, to find a new venue that will allow him to retain as many of those employees as possible, and to offer those that need to find new work a greater grace period than the initial 19 day deadline. “They treat me well and I treat them well,” he says, adding: “We’re like family.”

Photo courtesy of Tim Hilbert

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i got a fine notcho fix there been missing that for some time yummy notchs it was none of that cheep gasstation movie house mess 10 rmb more for sour cream i missed it if the lady tould me it would cost more but still i demolished that plate after i got home there was nothing left the oil on the plate past drips of salsa & sour cream