Our Mission

In 2014, Charles visited Franklin BBQ in Austin, Texas for the first time.  He immediately fell in love with their barbecue and he wanted to bring the same Texas-style barbecue back to Chicago.  After his trip, he started smoking briskets for friends, family, and any party he attended.  He would visit Franklin a few more times as well as other barbecue restaurants in Texas.  In 2016, Charles started Umamicue, a combination of his favorite taste Umami and his love for barbecue.  At the time, Umamicue was a side hustle as he had a full-time job in finance.  In the fall of 2019, Charles decided to pursue Umamicue full-time by quitting his finance job.  As the pandemic hit, Umamicue pivoted to a private meal delivery service that offered delicious comfort foods while helping people reach a healthier lifestyle.  The pandemic inspired Charles to pair the comfort foods he ate growing up with the techniques of low and slow cooking.