Ever do a BBQ business?

My wife is helping her friend by working two days a week at her country western store. The store runs Rodeos etc. in the summer and also commissions someone to do a BBQ on rodeo nights.

Before the rodeo, you can pay $12 (if you chose)and get chicken, beans, ribs, coleslaw on a paper plate. They're not happy with the provider; drinking while serving, quality has gone down blah, blah, blah, but the vendor makes $150,000 per 8 week season of 150 covers a night.

Hmmmmm.....

I can do it. But this ties up my Friday and Saturday night. I don't need money, I want to help a friend so taking 150k from someone doing a shoddy job isn't a problem.

WWGRMD?

I volunteer to try some samples! If you don't want to do the work, but just want to help out maybe volunteer to find another vendor.

Where does the $150,000 come from?

150 "covers" (paid customers?) a week at $12 for 8weeks (one show/week) adds up to like $14,00 Even with a Pop and Beer concession I am missing how you got to $150,000

In reply to NOHOME: Had to have moved the decimal point- $12x150x2x8= $28,800 in revenue. So a $15k of profit makes sense.

For a job to make $150k, working twice a week, for 8 weeks- sign me up!

Vendor probably GROSSES $150,000 per season. For 16 nites(8 wks 2 nites per week) at $12 per plate that is 780 meals per night. that is a metric ton of work, labour and inputs. Sounds like just another E36 M3ty business model that does not pay very well. No one makes a killing vending fast food.

bearmtnmartin wrote: No one makes a killing vending fast food.

Sorry, but I STRONGLY disagree. That's like saying taxi drivers don't make a decent living.

Mini-donut stands around here RAKE in the cash at all sorts of events for instance. Food trucks make tons o dolla dolla billz.

In reply to 914Driver:

I know someone who does. He used to race around here in IL, but moved south(FL I think) several years ago. We're still friends on Facebook and I'm not sure if he's doing it part-time or full-time right now. I know he did the BBQ competitions for a while before getting serious about the business. I can get you in touch if you'd like?

HiTempguy wrote:

bearmtnmartin wrote: No one makes a killing vending fast food.

Sorry, but I STRONGLY disagree. That's like saying taxi drivers don't make a decent living. Mini-donut stands around here RAKE in the cash at all sorts of events for instance. Food trucks make tons o dolla dolla billz.

Yeah, food vendors at fairs make a killing. The $6 baked potato guy at the Big E fair in CT with the endless massive line is doing just fine. MAYBE $2 of raw material.

$28k for 8 weeks of work is a nice sum of money, IMHO.

914Driver wrote: Before the rodeo, you can pay $12 (if you chose)and get chicken, beans, ribs, coleslaw on a paper plate. They're not happy with the provider; drinking while serving, quality has gone down blah, blah, blah, but the vendor makes $150,000 per 8 week season of 150 covers a night.

$12 a plate, 150 plates (covers) a night, 8 weeks, 7 days a week. That's $100,800 total sales. Not profit, just sales. No vendor is making $150k based on those numbers.

It's doesn't just tie up your Friday and Saturday nights. Lots of hours throughout the week preparing the food for cooking. As well procuring the food, supplies, repairs, workers, paperwork, etc.

Cooking a rack of ribs on your backyard grill is vastly different than working a vendor stand. What was fun often times becomes a relentless grind that crushes any pleasure you had in cooking out of your life. Some thrive in this environment, but it's very few.

Many have said it, but let me say it again. I worked doing catering/cooking on weekends at an outdoor venue all through college. Made some good money, yes, but I also worked my ass off. I was also just an minion that showed up to cook and take care of guests. The owners worked 7-days a week through summer and were stressed to the max. The coordination never ended.

Just cooking and serving guests would net me 20 hour days some weekends. Showing up at 6am to cook (BBQ) and working until 2am to close the joint. I would never want to do that as an adult with a family.

I have owned a food service. Past tense- I would never do it again.

For those of you who think they are making a killing- fat chance.

Yeah, the profits are good at events. Unfortunately, you can't do events all week. You can't even do them every weekend.

But, in order to do events well, you have to keep a staff trained, and ready, and available. You have to pay them to do nothing between the events, or else they will move on to a real job.

A friend has a cool antique ice cream truck- perfect for events. Sure, he sometimes has $1000 days. But he doesn't make decent money overall.

Running a successful food service business is a LOT different than being able to throw some ribs on the Barbie.

Heck, health department rules alone can kill virtually any mobile food business. Our local rules require 4 separate sinks onboard, sanitation, daily return to a home base (which must be a certified commercial kitchen) for cleaning, and for the cooking/ prep area to be completely separated from the outside by screening (think about that- how do you hand the product to a customer through a screen??)

If you are serious, the first two steps:

1- check your numbers. As others have noted, your math is weird.

2- check with your local health department and know their rules before you assume anything.

Good luck!