Sometimes the smallest things can give you the biggest ideas. Jacco Handgraaf hadn’t planned to create a grill; he was just looking for spray paint for his bike. However, when he stumbled upon barbecue spray paint, the wheels began turning. Then later, when he was looking for a screwdriver and came upon his grandfather’s old metal toolbox, something clicked in his mind: what if he were to make a miniature, portable grill?
Thus, the Brantwerck Grill was conceived. Jacco believes it would be a great tool for friends who want to have a bit of barbecue wherever they are hanging out – the park, the beach, a sporting event – without lugging around a full-size grill or other equipment.
I chatted with Jacco about the support and collaboration that’s gone into this project, the effort it took to prepare for his Kickstarter campaign, and more.
What would you say is your dream job? Has this changed since you were struck with the idea for the Brantwerck grill?
I have never been able to figure out my dream job. My parents raised me to work with my hands, but I also had to get a University Degree. That’s why I was always looking for something where I could use both, but I was never able to find such a job until I created my barbecue. Step by step it hit me that by pursuing this project I could use both and so it became my dream. I’ve never been more dedicated to anything than this project and I will do anything within my power to make it succeed.
Why did you decide to pursue the idea of including two small ovens in your design?
This idea came to me the same way the entire idea of the barbecue did. It just hit me. Here in Holland they sell little mini pizzas in the grocery store. While doing groceries to test the barbecue for the first time my eye fell on these pizzas, and so I decided to see if it would work. And it did! Well! Once the pizzas worked, the rest came naturally.
What have been your favorite foods or meals to prepare with your grill?
At least for me, it’s not so much about the food right now but what I can do with different kinds of foods on the barbecue. There are so many options, and I believe some are still to be discovered.
But if I had to choose, definitely the pizzas. Not just because they’re tasty, but it’s so much fun to look at the people’s faces when you start making them. They somehow can’t believe it and they start smiling incessantly.
And burgers and large steaks. In the original barbecue, there was no option for large steaks. That’s why I came up with two rack holders to lift the middle grill up a level and make one large grill. When using both upper trays as ovens or grilling areas, the burgers fit perfectly on the middle grill, as if it was supposed to be that way.
And last, the girls seem to love a tin foil salmon package from the oven. Just add raw salmon, some fresh chives, and a squeeze of lime and you’re good to go.
How supportive have your friends and family been about this business pursuit?
Incredibly supportive. Seven years ago my father died, and ever since I’ve been a bit lost to say the least. However, all the amazing people around me kept believing in me, and when I moved back in with my mother last year she was happy to have me. Even when the entire house was upside down because I was building stuff, she was very supportive. And then along came the barbecue. I wouldn’t even have started on this project if it wasn’t for all the amazing reactions and support I have gotten from my surroundings. For every question or problem I came across, they were always more then happy to help me out. I put a lot of time and effort into surrounding myself with the right people from the different disciplines needed. So being able to launch this project is every bit as much their accomplishment as it is mine; I couldn’t have done it without them.
How long did the preparation for launching your campaign take – recording video, contacting necessary factories and sponsorship partners, writing up the text, and so on?
This is a bit of a complicated question because several timelines have to be considered, but all things combined it took me 4 months. I actively started in October, and we shot the video in November. I had a great video expert who shot and mounted the video. Another friend acted as a campaign specialist and second reader while I wrote the texts. I thought up the name and the logo with this art designer I know, and last but not least, my girlfriend made a lot of the visuals you see on Kickstarter.
During all that, I started looking for factories in Europe that could make my barbecue so that it would be affordable. Unfortunately I struck out on many occasion and had to look towards China for production. There, with the help of some Dutch friends in China, I was able to find a good factory that produces products for the German market mostly. However, the startup costs are very high, because to get the necessary certificates new molds are needed. They make up 50% of our funding goal.
I was actually ready to launch in January, but then we found out that we couldn’t run a Kickstarter campaign form Holland. To move to the United Kingdom took me another month and a half in paperwork.
Your Kickstarter page is one of the most thorough and well-prepared that I have seen. What would you say are the biggest mistakes people make when hosting a campaign that you tried to avoid?
Right now, my first answer would be: set a reasonable goal. A lot of people flinch when they see that I have such a high funding goal, as if they have to make it happen on their own. However, many hands make light work. That’s why we made the T-shirts, for example. If I’m able to convince 3,000 people worldwide to get my T-shirt, I’m good to go.
That’s another tip: have fun rewards. Make it so that people feel that they will get something good out of supporting you and your project. And make it personal. Everybody that supports my campaign gets a personal thank-you note in the form of a tailor-made Coal Bag for the barbecue.
It’s also very important to be clear and open about everything you’re doing and going to do. For example, I’ve shown everything I’m about to do and all the costs I’m about to encounter. This first round, every penny goes towards creating and starting the project. The way you show yourself and your project on Kickstarter reflects the way you handle everything else!
And last but most important: have a video. If you’re just showing pictures and text, it’s that much harder for people to relate to your project. Video makes it more engaging.
In response to your anecdote about grilling in the park, did you receive any preorders for your grill before the Kickstarter campaign even started?
Yes. Several. However, I knew that if I wanted to make this work, I couldn’t go about giving everybody my own handcrafted barbecues. A company would have picked up on that, and then by the time I had made three or four barbecues another company would have had a production line ready. So I chose to keep it quiet. And now, when everything’s ready to go and I have my own production line in place, I’m showing it to the world. That’s why I chose Kickstarter instead of another crowdfunding platform, because of its tremendous global reach. I’m hoping that this way a lot of people will pick up on the project and that they will remember Brantwerck when they see the barbecue anywhere.
How do you plan to deliver your grills and various pledge rewards to backers in other countries?
At first I was planning on just delivering within Europe. This because of the high individual transportation costs. But although my initial focus was on the Netherlands and Europe, I got a lot of positive feedback from the US.
That’s when I heard from a friend that I should go talk to FedEx. They were so enthusiastic about my project that they decided to help me deliver my barbecue globally! I had a tough first two weeks explaining Kickstarter back here in the Netherlands, but with the help from FedEx I hope I can turn things around and expand my project globally!
What is your backup plan if you do not manage to reach your impressive Kickstarter campaign goal?
Talk to my bank, which I sincerely don’t want to do. Or talk to investors. Whatever the scenario, I’m determined to go forward. It would be a complete waste of time, effort, and money if this project didn’t see the light of day. But most importantly, I feel like I would be letting down all the people that supported me along the way. So I’m hoping that by seeing my Kickstarter project, a lot of people globally will like it, believe in it, and will support me with whatever amount they feel they can miss. This is both the most amazing and terrifying thing I have ever done, but at least I feel I’m on the right track!
If you feel inspired to support him, head over to his Kickstarter campaign! For every level of funding, there are different rewards you could earn, such as the “This is not a toolbox” t-shirt, wooden tools that double as barbecuing utensils, and the original Brantwerck grill!
Please note: Pledge levels are in £ (pound) amounts, not $ (dollar) amounts.
Jacco can be found elsewhere on the web at his website or Facebook page.
