Where would one start? Catering, that is.

[Anonymous]

I am looking into borrowing a large cooker from my bro-n-law and cater a few gigs to start helping me pay for my Bandit. Where would I start and what kind of "universal" rules do I need to know about before setting off on this venture.

Also, what kind of money can one make if he or she supplied the meat and the service, or is that generally how it goes?

[1044]

First thing is call the health dept and find out the regulations. And get your sales tax number.

[Anonymous]

ROCK ON!!

I have been reading the FDA site and it seems that registration with them is free. That's good at least.

IT's gonna be my local taxes, permits, licenses that are gonna cost me out the whazoo, right?

[Anonymous]

Ooo...great article!! Check it out if this topic is of interest to you as well.

http://www.sbomag.com/articals/pitfalls.html

[C-Town Smoker]

Fatz, not to discourage you, but, my cousin got in to the BBQ catering business. Bought a big trail behind smoker and got going...in it for almost 3 years now and is going to call it quits. Said he has lost $$ every year since he started this quest.

His biggest problem was getting past the bean counters at various businesses. He was more expensive than the chain BBQ joints and rightfully so. The bigger chains provide an inferior BBQ to what he offered but ultimately it came down to the final price, in which he was $4-5 dollars a plate higher than the competition. Obviously he was running the risk of cutting profit to get the business or getting out-bid by the competitoion! What to do?!?!

So, after careful consideration and thought, he is going to pull out. He'll keep the somker and do some neighborhood Q's but not going to do it professionally anymore. And believe me, he made GREAT BBQ!! Product quality was not the problem...it's just big business pushing the little up-start out!

Just some advise as I was thinking of doing the same thing you are! :cry:

[Anonymous]

I appreciate the advice. I used to have this saying when I played in a band...

"If a billion people hear us, at least a million of them should like us. I could live off a million fans."

I definitely understand the "cons" that one can encounter. It's the "pros" that I need to know.

Why should I start a catering business? I may prove to be the most skeptical one here.

[1044]

ROCK ON!!

I have been reading the FDA site and it seems that registration with them is free. That's good at least.

IT's gonna be my local taxes, permits, licenses that are gonna cost me out the whazoo, right?

At least in Texas, a sales tax permit is free. The next thing is complying with city, county, and/or state health dept requirements. I live in the city limits. If I have a commercial kitchen here, it requires a good deal more than in the county. Plus, if you cater, you also have to meet certain state requirments.

Gov.org fees can be spendy, but that's not gonna be a great expense, at least not in Texas.

[Buckeye]

I am looking into borrowing a large cooker from my bro-n-law and cater a few gigs to start helping me pay for my Bandit. Where would I start and what kind of "universal" rules do I need to know about before setting off on this venture.

Also, what kind of money can one make if he or she supplied the meat and the service, or is that generally how it goes? Hey Fatz...I don't noe haf tha answers ya need ta heer....I'm still tryin ta figger out what it takes or which way ta tern in order ta git my lil venture off tha ground. I take it ya don't wanna "fly under tha radar', cuz yer axin how ta go bout doin' things ta "git er dun" :P ....I have axed tha same kwestyuns and talked ta, my local and state Health Dept. and there wuz SO MUCH red tape and even more bull***** that had ta take place in order ta do tha things I wunted ta do. I don't have a permit ta cater...Heer in the counties I do cater, they don't require a permit if u are doin tha cookin at tha clients house. Funny, cuz they won't allow a person ta uz their own kitchen to cook/cater food from, but u kin go ta anuther person house an cook out their kitchen :shock: . Anywho, I'm not shur zactlee whut "your" caterin encompasses, but mine fer rite now iz tha simple an hassle-free route fer now. I'd like ta find a commercial kitchen ta uz an that wood open up tha opportunities fer what an who I kin target as customers. Good luck an don't let anyone tell ya that ya can't do it or it's really difficult ta make happen....It may be...but then agin, it's still possible...go fer it...."Let yer haters be yer motivators" :wink:

[Anonymous]

ROCK ON!!

[C-Town Smoker]

I'm not hatein'....just keepin' it real! Besides, I was thinking of doing the same thing you are...just did my first college graduation party this past weekend and it went great.

Fatz, if it is something you want to do then go for it. Don't mistake my real-life example as someone saying you can't do it or something cliche like that! YOU DA MAN Cunningham! :D :D 8) 8)

[Buckeye]

C-Town... I wuzn't referrin to U "hatin"....I wuz jus tryin to let Fatz noe that there will be people (outside of this forum) who will fill his head with a lot of negative reasons, or that certain obstacles may git in his way. I feel that if anyone on this board who offers a critique or plays the devil's advocate iz doin so in good faith an spirit. I didn't take yer reply as negative. I took it as a person who wuz offerin advice ta another person an wuz xplainin' sum of tha pitfalls that sumone else xperienced. I did wunt ta let Fatz noe that it is possible to do, despite sumone else's failure. C-Town...we kool? 8)

[Anonymous]

All good here and I'm cool with everybody. :D :D

[C-Town Smoker]

Buckeye...Say word son! Kooler than kool :!: :!: :D 8)

[Dieselmh]

My suggestion is to make good friends with someone who owns a reception hall that is used for weddings. My gf's mom owns one, and her uncle does catering. She got him to make up a list of everything he offers, and what it costs. It seems that even though he may cost a little more than the chains, people don't want to do any more legwork than necessary. Since she has a list of all his foods, and what he charges, along with what dates he's available, it's much easier on the customer, and we all know that that's a good thing. He went from catering about once a month to doing it almost every weekend, sometimes two gigs a weekend since she opened the reception hall. He supplies all the food, everything. That way he knows that he's working with good ingredients and doesn't have to worry about getting bad stuff from the customer. I'll try to get ahold of one of his menus if I can. I think his prices range from around $12-18 per person, depending on the number of people and how wide of a variety they want. Some want chicken, sliced brisket, pulled or chopped brisket, sausage and ribs, along with all the fixins, and some are content with sliced brisket and sausage with fixins.

[Anonymous]

Good idea.

[Buckeye]

Buckeye...Say word son! Kooler than kool :!: :!: :D 8)



Werd....tru dat 8)