Who we are
BBQ Trail Guide (“we,” “us”) runs bbqtrailguide.com, an independent trip-planning guide to barbecue based in Tennessee, USA. You can reach us at hello@bbqtrailguide.com.
What we collect and why
Newsletter (The Smoke Report)
When you sign up, we collect your email address. We use it to add you to our newsletter list, send you a welcome email with the printable Tennessee BBQ Trail map, and send the newsletter. Every email includes a one-click unsubscribe link.
Claim your spot (for owners)
If you submit a listing on /claim, we collect what you type: business name, type, address, city, website and social links, your name, role, email and phone (some are optional), your answers to the optional interview, and any photos you upload. We also record the date and your browser’s user-agent string with the submission. We use this to review and build your listing, contact you about it, and, with the permissions you grant on the form, publish your answers (edited lightly for length) and photos with your name and business name. We email you a confirmation and email ourselves a copy of the submission.
Featured listings (payments)
If you buy a Featured listing on /featured, we collect your spot’s name, city, your name and your billing email, and pass them to Stripe to create your subscription. Your card details go directly to Stripe; we never see or store them. Stripe tells us when a payment succeeds or fails and when a subscription changes or is canceled, and we receive a summary by email so we can run your listing.
Email you send us
Mail sent to hello@bbqtrailguide.com is received by our email provider and forwarded to our team’s inbox. We use it to answer you.
Visiting the site
We use Vercel Web Analytics to count page views. It reports aggregate information such as pages visited, referring site, country, and browser, device and operating-system type. Our hosting provider also keeps standard server logs (which include IP addresses) to run and secure the site.
We use Meta’s pixel for ad measurement. It tells Meta when a page on our site is viewed so we can measure our ads on Facebook and Instagram.
We also keep anonymous counts of page views and link clicks (no cookies, and no IP addresses or personal details stored) to see which spots readers use.
Service providers
We use these companies to run the site. They process information on our behalf under their own privacy terms:
| Provider | What it does for us | Data involved |
|---|---|---|
| Vercel | Hosting, web analytics, and private file storage (Vercel Blob) for claim submissions and uploaded photos | Server logs, analytics events, claim form data, photos |
| Resend | Newsletter list, sending email, receiving and forwarding mail to hello@ | Email addresses, email content, subscription status |
| Stripe | Checkout, subscription billing, and the customer billing portal | Name, email, business details, payment details (held by Stripe only) |
| Meta | Ad measurement (Meta pixel) | Page views, browser and device information |
| YouTube (Google) | Videos embedded in some guides | See “Cookies and embeds” |
Cookies and embeds
Apart from Meta’s pixel, which may set cookies or similar storage under Meta’s policies, our own pages don’t set cookies for advertising or tracking, and Vercel Web Analytics works without cookies. Some guides embed YouTube videos using YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode (youtube-nocookie.com); once you play a video, YouTube may set cookies or similar storage under Google’s policies. Stripe sets its own cookies on its checkout and billing pages for fraud prevention and to process payments.
How we share information
We don’t sell or rent your personal information, and we don’t share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We share it only with the service providers above, with your direction (for example, publishing listing content you submitted), or when required by law or to protect our rights and users.
Uploaded photos and claim submissions are stored in private file storage (a private Vercel Blob store). They have no public web address; only our team can open them, through sign-in protected tools or links that expire after 30 days. We only publish what you’ve approved for your listing.
How long we keep it
- Newsletter: while you’re subscribed. If you unsubscribe, we keep your address marked as unsubscribed so we don’t email you again, unless you ask us to delete it.
- Claim submissions and photos: while we’re building or running your listing, or until you ask us to delete them. If you withdraw photo permission, we remove the photos within 14 days.
- Payments: Stripe keeps billing records as required for tax, accounting and fraud prevention. We keep the email notices we receive about your subscription for our business records.
- Email you send us: as long as needed to answer you and keep a record of our conversation.
Your choices and rights
- Unsubscribe anytime with the link in any newsletter email, or by replying to any email from us.
- Access, correct or delete information we hold about you by emailing hello@bbqtrailguide.com. We may need to confirm it’s you before acting, and we may keep information we’re legally required to keep (such as payment records).
- Cancel a Featured subscription anytime through the Stripe billing portal linked from your confirmation page, or by emailing us.
California and other US state residents
Depending on where you live, state privacy laws (including the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended) may give you the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it, to access a copy, to correct it, to delete it, and to opt out of its sale or sharing. This policy describes the categories we collect (identifiers like name and email; commercial information about Featured purchases; internet activity such as page views; and any content and photos you send us) and why. We do not sell or share personal information as those laws define it. To make a request, email hello@bbqtrailguide.com; you may use an authorized agent. We won’t treat you differently for exercising these rights.
Children
This site is meant for adults planning barbecue trips and for business owners. It isn’t directed to children under 13, and we don’t knowingly collect their personal information. If you believe a child has given us information, email us and we’ll delete it.
Security
We use reputable providers, encrypted connections (HTTPS), and we keep payment details with Stripe rather than on our systems. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, so we can’t guarantee absolute security.
Where we operate
We’re based in the United States and the site is intended for a US audience. Our providers process information in the US and may process it in other countries.
Changes
If we change this policy, we’ll update this page and the “Last updated” date. If a change is significant, we’ll give notice on the site or by email.
Contact
Questions or requests: hello@bbqtrailguide.com. See also our Terms of Use.