2011
After an EF5 tornado devastates Joplin, MO, pitmasters from eight states fire up their smokers, serving 120,000 meals in 13 days to families and first responders.
Milestone: Operation BBQ Relief is founded.
In 2011, after an EF5 tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri, a group of competitive pitmasters from eight states answered the call the only way they knew how—by firing up their smokers.
For 13 straight days, they fed their pits, slept in their trucks, and served 120,000 hot meals to families and first responders. It wasn’t just about BBQ. It was about bringing comfort, dignity, and hope when everything else was lost.
That spirit of service and compassion lives on in every meal we serve today.
After an EF5 tornado devastates Joplin, MO, pitmasters from eight states fire up their smokers, serving 120,000 meals in 13 days to families and first responders.
Milestone: Operation BBQ Relief is founded.
From the Midwest to the East Coast, OBR answers the call after 6 tornadoes, 3 hurricanes, and a wildfire. Volunteers carry out 10 deployments across 10 states—AL, IL, IN, KS, MI, TX, CO, LA, MS, and NY/NJ— serving more than 181,900 meals to families and first responders.
In 2013, OBR responds to 2 tornadoes in Georgia and Oklahoma, an explosion in Texas, and flooding in Colorado. Volunteers carry out 4 deployments across 4 states, serving more than 175,150 meals to families and first responders.
OBR responds to 6 tornadoes with 6 deployments across 4 states—NE, IL, AR, and MS— serving 73,885 meals.
Milestone: OBR crosses the 500,000 meal mark since its founding.
OBR responds to 4 tornadoes, 4 floods, a train derailment, and 2 additional floods, carrying out 7 deployments across 5 states—IL, PA, TX, SC, and MS— and serving 89,433 meals to families and first responders.
OBR responds to 4 floods, a tornado, a hurricane, and a fire, with 7 deployments across 6 states—MO, LA, WV, KS, NC, and TN— serving more than 536,874 meals.
Milestone: OBR crosses the 1 million meal mark since its founding.
OBR responds to 3 tornadoes, 2 hurricanes, 2 fires, and a flood, carrying out 8 deployments across 6 states—MO, KS, WI, TX, FL, and CA— and serving more than 569,450 meals to families and first responders.
OBR responds to 3 tornadoes, 2 hurricanes, 2 wildfires, 2 floods, and a fire, completing 10 deployments across 9 states and serving more than 1,166,053 meals.
Milestone: OBR surpasses 2 million meals served since founding—actually reaching 2.9 million by the end of the year.
OBR responds to 5 tornadoes, 3 floods, a fire, and a hurricane, completing 10 deployments across 8 states and serving 140,008 meals.
Milestones: OBR launches its first international deployment to the Bahamas and surpasses 3 million meals served since its founding.
The COVID-19 pandemic brings unprecedented need, and OBR launches Operation Restaurant Relief™, partnering with 27 restaurants across 8 states to keep kitchens open, put staff back to work, and serve more than 4.7 million meals. OBR also responds to 3 tornadoes, 5 hurricanes, and a fire, completing 15 deployments across 16 states and serving a total of 5,420,830 meals.
Milestone: Operation Restaurant Relief™ is born, and OBR surpasses 8 million meals served since its founding.
OBR responds to winter storms in Texas, 2 tornadoes, a hurricane, an explosion, a flood, and a California wildfire, along with 2 Operation Restaurant Relief™ activations. Across 10 deployments in 8 states, volunteers serve more than 532,805 meals.
Milestone: OBR surpasses 9 million meals served since its founding.
OBR responds to Hurricane Ian, 2 tornadoes, flooding in Kentucky and Missouri, and a Tennessee wildfire, completing 8 deployments across 6 states. Volunteers serve more than 1,002,195 meals, including 865,603 meals for Hurricane Ian alone.
Milestone: OBR surpasses 10 million meals served since its founding.
OBR responds to 9 tornadoes, 3 hurricanes, and the devastating Maui wildfire, completing 11 deployments across 9 states, including Hawaii. Volunteers serve more than 399,630 meals to families and first responders.
OBR responds to 6 hurricanes, 4 tornadoes, 2 floods, and a fire, completing 14 deployments across 13 states. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, volunteers serve more than 1.3 million meals in just 34 days across 5 states—one of the most intense back-to-back natural disaster responses in OBR history. Altogether, OBR provides 1,519,831 meals this year.
Milestone: OBR hits 11.9 million meals served since its founding.
