The Dolan Team Brought Love and Barbecue to Sabinal 
The last several years have been difficult economically for everyone. Between the pandemic, soaring gas prices, and ongoing inflation, Americans everywhere are tightening their belts wherever they can to minimize the impact of rising costs on their everyday life. In our industry, we’ve encountered plenty of supply chain issues and soaring material costs as roofing contractors, but residents in areas like Sabinal, TX and other towns just like it are facing tough choices every day.
The Dolan Roofing team read a recent article in the New Yorker that focused on the struggles of a barbeque restaurant, R-BBQ, and their local community amid rising costs. We wanted to help make an impact, no matter how small, for this local business and the community. So in August, we sent some of our roofing contractors out to Sabinal, TX for a very different kind of job—ordering up some barbecue and spreading the love throughout the town!
R-BBQ’s Struggles
The rising cost of, well, everything has made it more challenging than ever to keep a business running. We’ve felt this ourselves, and it’s never a fun puzzle to piece together as we try to balance setting fair prices for our customers, paying fair wages to our roofing team, and purchasing the materials we need to complete our work.
In Sabinal, TX, R-BBQ has faced staffing challenges along with tough decisions over how to overcome slim to negligible profit margins in an area where it would be tough for residents to pay more. As the New Yorker article describes, the cost of meat has risen by quite a bit compared to other food products—which is especially concerning for a barbecue restaurant.
They’ve been forced to choose the right balance between raising prices, shrinking portions, or weathering the reduced profits—all while folks in the area have become less able and willing to spend money eating out.
A Valuable Member of the Community
Restaurants like R-BBQ are vital members of the community they serve. According to the New Yorker, R-BBQ is “one of only two lunch options that are not fast-food chains.” More than just a place for good food, though, small local restaurants are typically a place for community members to get together regularly, catch up, and enjoy each other’s company.
Helping as Best We Can
As roofing contractors, we’ve managed to maintain a reasonable amount of business compared to businesses in smaller towns like Sabinal, TX. We’re grateful that we’ve been able to weather the storms of the pandemic and inflation—but we also believe that when those nearby are struggling, you should always take the time to help however you can.
Having recently completed work on several homes and a church in the Sabinal area, the article about their community made us feel a need to help out. R-BBQ may not have needed any roofing services, but they would certainly be happy to have more customers. And so, Dolan Roofing sent some of our roofing contractors to order up some tasty food and deliver it to residents throughout Sabinal, TX!
Spreading Joy—and Delicious Texas Barbecue!
It was a lot of fun delivering barbecue throughout Sabinal for a day, and the reactions from residents certainly made things worth it. We brought smiles to everyone’s faces, even those who were initially a bit suspicious of what we were up to when we knocked on their doors. One woman’s husband had passed away just a day before. She had been working on funeral arrangements when we arrived at her home, and she was completely overwhelmed with gratitude upon seeing our San Antonio team.
We truly did not expect how our efforts would affect us and those we visited. We were touched by everyone’s reactions, and we were glad to be able to make a difference, no matter how small, in a community so close to us. Our hearts go out to all of the residents of Sabinal and others just like it throughout Texas.
More Than Just Roofing Contractors—We’re Your Neighbors, Too
For us here at Dolan Roofing & Construction, being a local roofing company is about much more than just fixing and replacing a few roofs. To us, roofing is about protecting homes and business, and being a local business is about being there for the communities we serve, just as they’ve always been there for us. Our roofing contractors are proud to serve Sabinal, TX as a roofing company—but we’re also proud to call these residents our neighbors.
If you’re ever in the area, we highly recommend stopping by R-BBQ for an excellent Texas-style barbecue lunch! And if you know of communities and local businesses near you that could use your business, we encourage you to chip in however you’re able. Local restaurants and small businesses are incredibly valuable to our San Antonio communities, and they need us now more than ever.
