Overview of He changed outdoor cooking forever — then took over Weber
In this Decoder episode from The Verge, Eli Patel speaks with Roger Dahle, CEO of Weber Blackstone, about how Blackstone grew from a viral griddle startup into the company that acquired and then effectively combined with Weber. The conversation focuses on dealmaking, FTC review, restructuring a legacy brand, manufacturing amid tariffs, and how outdoor cooking is changing through product design, pricing pressure, social media, and connected devices.
How Blackstone Ended Up Owning Weber
- Blackstone started in 2008 and exploded during the pandemic, especially as smashburgers and griddle content went viral on TikTok.
- Dahle explains that the path to Weber came through:
- securing a manufacturing partner in Taiwan/China,
- selling equity to a private equity backer,
- nearly going public via SPAC,
- and eventually reconnecting with Byron Trott’s BDT, which had owned Weber for years.
- What began as a possible acquisition flipped into a merger-like combination of the two brands under one company.
- The FTC review delayed the transaction until May 2025, mostly because the deal got stuck during the transition between administrations and the agency wasn’t fully staffed yet.
Weber vs. Blackstone: Two Brands, Two Different Philosophies
Dahle repeatedly contrasts the two businesses:
Weber
- Premium, more “craft” oriented.
- Suited for slower, more deliberate cooking.
- Has a legacy brand identity and iconic products like the kettle grill.
- Historically more process-heavy, siloed, and structured.
Blackstone
- Fast, fun, easy, and variety-driven.
- Built for speed to market and rapid product iteration.
- More entrepreneurial and less rigid organizationally.
- Strongly tied to social media discovery and accessory-driven repeat purchases.
His goal is not to erase either brand, but to give each a clear role in the market.
Integration and Culture Change
- Dahle says the biggest challenge is not the merger paperwork, but changing how the combined company works day to day.
- He describes Weber as a traditional, siloed organization where employees were careful not to step outside their role.
- Blackstone’s culture is more hands-on and pragmatic: if you see trash on the ground, you pick it up.
- He brought in a consulting firm to help manage integration and spent the early months learning before making major changes.
- A major focus has been consolidating leadership, especially the C-suite, while keeping both brands distinct.
- The company now operates as one company with two brands, using “centers of excellence” for things like R&D and operations.
Product Strategy: Shared R&D, Different Market Roles
- One of Dahle’s first priorities was merging the two companies’ R&D efforts.
- Blackstone and Weber now share a single R&D organization, but teams are assigned by product category.
- The model is closer to how automakers share platforms across brands:
- common engineering and development,
- different brand execution and pricing,
- different customer expectations.
- He says Weber can continue offering premium griddles like the Slate, while Blackstone stays focused on the more accessible segment.
- He also emphasizes that the product roadmap is still consumer-driven, especially through feedback from real usage on YouTube and TikTok.
Manufacturing, Tariffs, and Supply Chain Pressure
- Dahle spends a lot of time discussing the effects of tariffs, steel prices, and the global supply chain.
- Much of Blackstone’s production has moved from China to Southeast Asia, though that transition was difficult.
- Weber still manufactures many kettles in Huntley, Illinois, and also makes products in Poland.
- He argues that tariffs have made U.S. manufacturing somewhat more attractive, but the real goal is supply chain control and profitability.
- Price sensitivity is a major issue:
- Consumers are trading down to lower-priced products,
- and some are moving all the way from griddles to charcoal grills.
- He sees this as a sign of household budget pressure, not just fuel-cost behavior.
Marketing: Word of Mouth Still Matters Most
- Even though Blackstone has embraced social media and creator content, Dahle says the biggest driver of new customers is still word of mouth.
- He’s skeptical of paid influencer marketing:
- He believes audiences can spot inauthentic sponsorships immediately.
- He prefers authentic creators who already love the product.
- Blackstone still uses social and TV, but the spend is now closer to 50/50 compared with being almost entirely traditional TV in earlier years.
- Weber is also being pushed back into traditional brand marketing to rebuild awareness.
Accessories Are a Major Part of the Business
- A recurring theme is that accessories are not just add-ons — they are a major revenue engine.
- Dahle says people may delay buying a full grill or griddle, but they may still buy:
- spatulas,
- melting domes,
- cleaning kits,
- restoration kits,
- and other accessories.
- Product development in accessories is based heavily on observing how customers actually use the products.
- He says many ideas come directly from TikTok and YouTube, where users improvise and modify gear.
Connected Cooking and Smart Devices
- Weber’s connected thermometer business has not been heavily affected by chip shortages because it is still relatively small.
- Dahle says connected tech matters most for long-cook categories like pellet grills and smoking.
- He also notes that Weber’s acquisition of June Ovens brought in technology that could power more advanced electronics in high-end grills.
- For gas grills, the most useful tech is an accurate, app-connected thermometer.
- He sees room for more “smart” features in Weber’s premium line, but not necessarily in Blackstone’s fast-cook griddles.
Key Takeaways
- The merger is really a brand-and-culture integration story, not just a financial one.
- Blackstone and Weber serve different jobs in the market: Blackstone is accessible and fast; Weber is premium and craft-oriented.
- Tariffs, inflation, and retail price sensitivity are reshaping what consumers buy.
- Authenticity matters more than polished influencer campaigns in Dahle’s view.
- The company’s future depends on speed, product innovation, and disciplined brand positioning, while preserving the strengths of both legacy and disruptive businesses.
Notable Insights
- “One company with two awesome brands” is the guiding structure.
- Dahle believes culture comes from shared purpose and excitement, but structure determines how work actually gets done.
- He sees the Weber-Blackstone combination as a rare opportunity to pair a legacy icon with a disruptive innovator.
- He’s still focused on product, but says he’ll spend even more time there once integration work is finished.