How his Facebook Live videos sparked this viral Columbus catering business

Derrick Lockhart recalls his grandparents often telling him when he was a child, “You better thank God for those groceries before you eat.”

Now, as an adult, he hears people repeating those words as they walk in Walmart, cross parking lots and exit his church.

That’s because “Thank GOD for these Groceries!” is the slogan of his viral Columbus business, Big Slim Meal Prep & Catering.

Since he founded the business in 2017, Lockhart has gained nearly 100,000 followers on Facebook and double that on Instagram. Attracting millions of views, Lockhart posts regularly about his popular smoked meats: rib tips, lamb chops and “falling off the bone” turkey legs and wings.

“People like to see pictures,” Lockhart told the Ledger-Enquirer. “People eat with their eyes.”

Big Slim Meal Prep & Catering serves all over Georgia. Lockhart said they have catered large events this year for Georgia State University, Aflac and the Columbus Lions professional indoor football team in addition to private gatherings.

When time permits, Big Slim Meal Prep & Catering hosts pop-up food truck events in Columbus. When they pull into the parking lot for a pop-up, Lockhart said, a line of up to 100 people usually is waiting.

“Sometimes it seems unreal,” he said. “But then, when I think about my faith and I know the things I prayed for, you could reach mountain tops you never thought you could reach if you just stay faithful.”

How Derrick Lockhart started Big Slim Meal Prep & Catering

Big Slim Meal Prep & Catering began on Lockhart’s back porch.

“When I was outside when I was cooking,” he said, “I was completely at peace.”

A native of Butler, Georgia, Lockhart has lived in Columbus since graduating from Columbus State University in 2002. He learned to cook as a kid by watching his older cousins, the “grill masters of the family.”

Before starting his business, Lockhart enjoyed grilling on his back porch and going live on Facebook to share what he was doing with friends. He never considered cooking for others besides his family until a woman from his church saw his food online and asked him to cook for her.

Initially, catering wasn’t in the picture for Lockhart. But the more he posted about his cooking and his meal prep journey, the more people wanted to taste his food.

“The next thing I know,” he said, “I’ve got a page full of orders.”

Lockhart spoke with the deacon at his church who also caters, gathering advice on how to start. He also took the time to learn each part of the business, such as generating invoices, customer service practices, seasoning and understanding health department certifications.

Jared Stevenson wrote on Facebook the “falling off the bone turkey legs are no joke.” Another customer, Charlotte Burton, wrote that Big Slim Meal Prep & Catering offers “wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, tasteful food. The flavor is impeccable!”

For Lockhart, every event he caters is important. Repasts are especially meaningful.

“I notice that the family, when they sit down to eat, they smile,” he said. “For that moment, it makes them a little happier.”

Growing his catering business one event at a time

Before catering, Lockhart worked in Corporate America. Everything he does for Big Slim Meal Prep & Catering doesn’t feel like work, he said, because he loves when his food makes people smile.

“There’s nothing like the freedom of doing something you love,” he said.

Big Slim Meal Prep & Catering employs 12 people to plan and run catering events. Lockhart hopes to double or triple the size of his team in the coming years, including establishing a dedicated food truck team to meet local demand.

But no matter how the business grows, Lockhart said, he will remain at the grill.

Like the deacon who gave Lockhart advice when he was starting out, Lockhart said he gives young entrepreneurs advice about starting their businesses, especially since Big Slim Meal Prep & Catering “was built from the ground up.”

“I wasn’t working in a restaurant,” he said. “It started on the back porch. We’ve just been blessed to grow from there.”

This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "How his Facebook Live videos sparked this viral Columbus catering business."