Ex-Google Techie's Texas BBQ Restaurant Generates Millions, Yet He Forgoes Salary
A former software engineer who spent 14 years at companies including Microsoft, Google, YouTube and Cruise has left his $450,000 (Rs 4.25 crore) annual job to open a halal barbecue restaurant in Texas. Salahodeen Abdul-Kafi, 35, said he became disillusioned with the tech industry, which he felt prioritized profit over improving lives.
After leaving Silicon Valley, Abdul-Kafi took a pay cut of more than 50% to work for a religious nonprofit. Alongside that job, he began hosting dinner parties and barbecuing for friends, who praised his unique cooking style. That feedback led him to open Kafi BBQ in December 2024.
“We prepared enough barbecue to last three days, but we sold through all of it on the first day. We started cooking again that same night,” Abdul-Kafi told Business Insider. The restaurant quickly gained popularity across Texas and beyond.
In its first year, Kafi BBQ generated $2.3 million (Rs 21.7 crore) in revenue, and Abdul-Kafi projects it will reach $4 million (Rs 37.8 crore) this year. However, he has not taken any salary since opening and has been living off savings. The restaurant’s monthly expenses exceed $215,000, including $125,000 for food, $50,000 for labor, and $15,000 for rent, plus marketing costs. The initial investment was about $1 million.
Abdul-Kafi remains cautiously optimistic. While the venture may be profitable, he said it has not yet recouped the initial investment. The story highlights the risks and rewards of entrepreneurial leaps from high-paying corporate roles.
