Business/Catering Advice

[Smoke Daddy]

I am so excited!

A recently re-located Texan asked a good buddy of mine about Texas style brisket. My buddy mentioned me and the guy said he'd pay me to cook one for him. :shock: :shock:

So I ask you...what is a competitive price to smoke meat for folks? Please include whether or not you buy the meat or have them bring it?

[Zeeman]

Let's see, as I already got a job and could'nt retire from the sale of one brisket, I would do my buddy a favor.
:idea: At my next cook I would throw on a extra brisket for my buddies buddy and charge for the cost of the brisket.
That just mite plant the seeds for for more benifical cook/event down the road. :D
z

[bigwheel]

Prob aint the ideal plan but in times past this has worked for me. Figger out how much and what they are wanting you to cook. Then you go buy it personally..using their money or yours depending on broke you are and how much you trust them. Save the receipts. Cook the meat. Charge them for whatever the meat cost plust 2 bucks a pound to cook it based on the weight of the raw meat..that be with you furnishing everything. If you got the receipts its easy to do the math on the pounds cuz the register tape will have the pounds on it. They do the serving. Simple huh?

bigwheel

[M38A1]

First, I can't believe a relocated Texan would have to have someone else cook his brisket unless he really wasn't from here....

Second, cooked briskets/fried turkey's for fund-raisers come from several sources locally. Some of the details are:

Knights of Columbus
Sells cooked briskets for $30 each. They start out between 12-15lbs. They smoke 'em all night and into the next day so I don't know the exact time on the pit. They do them in bulk.

Girl Scouts
The Girl Scouts here also do briskets for fund raisers once a year in bulk. They too are $30 each and in the 12-15lb range uncooked.

Boy Scouts
The Boy Scouts here do cajun deep fried turkey's every year in bulk as well. They sell the cooked turkey's for the magic $30 and they purchase 12-14lb birds.

All three entities supply their own meat. All the customer does is pay for a cooked brisket or turkey.

So, looks like a 12-15lb brisket or turkey runs about $30 here in Texas... Keep in mind that's based on them doing a LOT of them for fundraising events. A single might bring more $$
~m38a1

[Thom Emery]

Man sounds like cover the cost of the Brisket plus
a case of your favorite beverage

[Woodman]

Reggie, DON"T go by what they charge in Tejas! Down there, every three year old knows how to cook a brisket! :lol: :lol: Seriously, it depends on how much you like the guy! If you are already cooking something else, do it for the cost of materials! If you are doing it special, charge him by the hour. 12 hours @ $5.00/hr seems fair + materials. If you are only cooking one, that makes it EXPENSIVE! I cooked 16 briskets and 12 butts at my last gig. That defrays your cost over a wider area. I also snuck in 6 racks of ribs for me! Woody