January 26, 2025
Local News

Huntley-based barbecue sauce company starting Kickstarter for new product line

Proceeds benefit organizations that support veterans

By MEGAN JONES
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Bottles of Steve Lulofs' Veterans Q Barbecue Sauce are displayed on a shelf at the Carpentersville Woodman's Food Market. Lulofs, of Huntley, is an Army veteran who gives the proceeds from his sales to organizations that help veterans. (H. Rick Bamman file photo – hbamman@shawmedia.com)

HUNTLEY – A local barbecue sauce company that supports veterans is launching a Kickstarter campaign on Veterans Day to fund a new line of sauces and rubs.

Steve Lulofs of Huntley is an eight-year Army combat heavy engineer veteran who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005. He founded Veterans Barbecue Inc. in 2016, and all proceeds go toward organizations that help veterans.

The Kickstarter campaign will run until Dec. 15, and Lulofs hopes to raise $5,000 to sell new products in grocery stores.

The new product line includes two barbecue sauces: Veterans Q Sweet Heat (spicy) and Veterans Q Carolina Gold (mustard), along with two new barbecue rubs: Veterans Q Beef Rub and Veterans Q Chicken and Pork Rub.

“It feels great to give back,” Lulofs said. “I’ve always done service my whole life, being in the military myself, and once I was out, I had nothing else to give back to, so this is one way to keep doing it.”

Veterans Q has supported three organizations in 2017: Huntley-based A Warriors Mind, Marengo-based Oscar Mike and St. Charles-based Operation Warrior Wishes.

Lulofs’ company started as a catering company where he was making the sauce out of his kitchen, but people kept asking whether the sauce was sold in stores, too.

Products began hitting local stores' shelves in February, and they are sold locally at Woodman's Food Market in Carpentersville, Rock N' Grill in Lake in the Hills and Sullivan's Food in Marengo.

“I would love for this to actually take off and become a nationwide barbecue sauce and rub, like Sweet Baby Ray’s,” Lulofs said. “Giving back to veterans is the most important thing, and we have a criteria for all organizations we deal with where 70 to 80 percent of their money has to go toward veterans themselves and not to line the pockets of a CEO.”

People can donate to the Kickstarter by visiting www.kickstarter.com/projects/134643580/veterans-q-barbecue-sauce-barbecue-sauce-that-give?ref=project_share.

The bottled sauce is manufactured through Dorina So-Good Inc., which is based in Union.

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