At FFB Bank there’s 3 major events we look forward to every year – our staff gala, tailgate season, and the FFB BBQ Cook-Off! This year, the competition truly heated up with new competitors and a new twist. Not only was our staff hungry for a chance to wear our FFB BBQ championship belt, but our customers were able to get in on the action for the first time ever! With the smell of ribs in the air and a 500-person Friends & Family BBQ to end the night, the 2024 BBQ was definitely one to remember! Read on to get the inside scoop and learn how you can be a part of this event next year. . .

The Competition

For one day each year, the staff at FFB Bank put their game faces on and compete against one another for the chance to be crowned BBQ Champion. Every year we see our teams of chefs and sous chefs raising the steaks by arriving earlier, making their set-ups bigger and better, and creating even tastier ribs than the year before. So of course, 2024 was no exception!

After days of recipe preparation, our teams of chefs and sous chefs arrived as early as 5 AM with their grills in tow to start cooking for our panel of judges. While we saw five returning favorites – including our undefeated, 3-time champion – we also welcomed quite a few newcomers, including teams of new employees and teams of customers!

Of course, everyone gave their ribs plenty of heart – and seasoning – but only one team could come out on top. In the end, it was FFB Bank’s very own SBA team who finally dethroned the champion to become the new FFB Bank grill masters!

 

 

Special thanks to our judges, Sheila Kramps-Frowsing, Jared Martin, Mike Shirinian, and Chef Vatche, as well as our competing customers, Turnkey Energy, Patriot Hygienics, and Aram’s Auto!

 

The Friends & Family BBQ

In addition to the staff BBQ competition, we also started a new tradition last year – the Friends & Family BBQ. This is an evening event that takes place following the rib cook-off which staff, customers, and their special guests are welcome to attend!

This year, we welcomed back Westwoods BBQ & Spice Co. as well as Ampersand Ice Cream, who provided our guests with delicious BBQ staples and some tasty desserts. Plus, we invited Barmasters LLC. to help keep the guests cool with an open bar and local musician John Pemberton, who kept the party going with live music!

However, we were most excited to see this event double in size from 2023 to 2024! For this year’s Friends & Family BBQ, we received over 500 RSVPs and had a full tent! It is truly wonderful to know that our customers and staff love this new tradition as much as we do, and we hope to see everyone come back again next year.

 

 

How to Join

On that note, we know that the question on everyone’s mind is, “How can I be a part of this?” It’s easy – all you have to do is be a customer or employee of the bank! Remember these events are not just for fun, they’re to show our appreciation for all the support that you, our customers, and our hardworking team give to the bank. Without you, FFB Bank could not be as successful as it is!

Be sure to keep an eye on your inbox for email invitations to the BBQ event when next spring rolls around! Plus, if you want to try your hand at being a chef in the rib cook-off, you can always reach out to marketing@ffb.bank to get more information on the contest rules and requirements.

We had a blast at this year’s BBQ and can’t wait for the 2025 competition! Thank you to all the competitors, judges, and customers who joined us. We hope to see you when the fun begins again next May!

 

Check out our recap video for more BBQ fun!