Brilliant Middle Schooler Will Wait in Franklin Barbecue Line for You

Avoid the Franklin line by hiring BBQ Fast Pass, the brilliant idea thought up by Desmond, a very enterprising Austin middle school student. For a fee, he'll wake up early to wait in line for his clients and switch off when he's near the front.

Desmond started the business in March with the goal of raising money for a car. Although his exact age isn’t known, 15 year olds can receive a minor restricted driver license in Austin. He is also donating 5% of his profits to Austin Dog Rescue, because that’s where he got his dog. He works on weekends starting at 7 a.m., as seen through his Twitter, though it isn't known if this will change with summer vacation. According to child labor laws for Texas, 14 and 15 year olds aren’t allowed to work before 5 a.m. and can’t work more than eight hours a day.

I've been here @FranklinBBQline since 7:00am! I'm booked all weekend. pic.twitter.com/AP1MSAKNuU

— Desmond (@BBQFastPass) March 28, 2015

Since the BBQ Fast Pass’s website launch this week, demand for his services increased. "I'm a little overwhelemed with all of the emails," he wrote on Twitter. "Please be patient, I'm trying to get to everyone."

Eater has reached out to Desmond and Franklin with further questions; watch for a follow-up.

There are other services people can hire for line-waiters including Favor and Craigslist. For line monitoring, there’s the Franklin BBQ Line Twitter account, which posts photos of the line every morning. (Desmond must be pictured in some of those images, too.)

Last year, Eater talked to Franklin about ways the staff manages the long lines and asked barbecue lovers how long they’ve waited for Franklin and other worthy restaurants.