Pricing question for pulled pork

[Wampus]

Church retreat in town.
They've already ordered 100 lbs of pork butt from a reliable butcher in town that I'm very familiar with. They are also planning on 100 people, so the amount of meat sounds about right to me.....?

There was a guy who was going to cook for the event (a member of the church) that just told them last weekend that he's got another cook to do and so he bailed. My contact at the church just asked me last night for a price to cook the pork, pull it, serve with sauces/buns. They are handling the cost of the meat and doing pitch-ins for sides.

I guess I didn't think about plates/napkins and all, but for the purposes of this discussion, we'll assume that THEY are also providing that stuff.

All I have to do is bring cooker(s), pick up the meat, prep, cook, pull and pan it up. I also need to make sauce.


What's a recommended price/lb of pulled pork I should start with? I'm going to do the math on my grocery needs for rub and sauce, but I was just hoping to get an idea.


Any advice would be helpful. Thanks all.

[dmprantz]

I'm not really an expert in this area, but since no one else has answered yet....

A general rule of thumb I've heard is 3x your raw meat cost. With pork butt starting at $1.20/lb these days, that would be $360 and up. If they are providing the meat and you everything else, subtract $120, and do it for $240 or more. If they are providing more stuff, drop the price a little more.

Does that make sense to the seasoned pros?

dmp

EDIT: I had a brain fart on the current price and adjusted it.

[Neil]

Figure out your time X what your time is worth to you. If it was my church, I'd do it for free + the cost of the sauce and buns and fuel. If it was not my church, 16 hours for cook and pulling + 4 hours for serving and clean up X $25/hr. + $50 for sauce + cost of buns X 2.

[Ford]

if it's your church do it for free. Or give them the bills for the sauce and buns assuming you don't make your own sauce. Buns for 110 sammies are less than $10. 2 large sauce = $20. rest is "advertising".

If you want to charge for fuel, rub, smoker rental Then $100 and your time $X per hour and you pick X plus the number of hours you actually work (I'd guess 5 or 6).

[3 Rivers BBQ]

Church event...cost only, and check with tax accountant on tax write off for your service. Make sure you have some business cards available, because that is 100 possible clients.

[Wampus]

Thanks all.

This is NOT for my church, but for another church in town. I was approached by them months ago about doing a full-on "paid for" cook for them for this event. Since then, they told me that they had a member of the church who was bringing a cooker and was going to cook for them so never mind.

Just the other day, I was AGAIN approached and told that the "other guy" bailed and they now needed a quick hard price from me to cook for them.

I was planning on just charging for the hourly rate for my cook/prep/serve time, but just wanted to get a good idea from you all about a "ballpark".

Sounds like I'm right in the park.


Thanks again.


PS....this is my first true "make money" deal. The only other large cook I've done was an auction item for a fund raiser for our kids' school. Really looking forward to having about another 100 people know what I can do. Flyers and business cards for sure, y'all!

[HBMTN]

I think 70 lbs of raw pork would be fine unless you have some big eaters or expect some extra people to straggle in.

[armor]

Church event...cost only, and check with tax accountant on tax write off for your service. Make sure you have some business cards available, because that is 100 possible clients.

Your church or not do it for free, get a letter from church to enable you to write off what the cost would have been. It will pay off down the road. We don't have to attach a dollar amount to everything we do. You will meet some good people while there.

[Jacked UP BBQ]

Do not do it for free. Get paid, that is what you are in business for especially if it is not your church.

[42BBQ]

I love seeing the different opinions here. I don't think any of us can really tell Brother Wampus what to do here. I think both points are valid (at cost vs. getting paid). Wampus, you just need to do what you think is right here. Good luck, hope it all goes off without a hitch. I envy you for having the capacity to even entertain firing up 100# of butts. I'm on single UDS lol. Most important, have fun doing it, sounds like a blast.

[chambersuac]

Kempus,
1. Do you need help?
2. As a Pastor, I'd advise you to charge for your costs plus SOME for your time - and let them know you are cutting them a break because (a) they're in a bind; (b) they're a Church and you're a Christian; and (c) you want to use this as an opportunity to show what you can do in the future.
3. If you do it for free this time, you'll always be expected to. If you charge too much, you'll put a bad taste in their mouth.

[Wampus]

Again, thanks for all the help, y'all.

Dan, no....I should be fine, but thanks for the help. Like you, I'm looking at bigger & better things to call you in on the offer to help :becky:!

All, I get the deal about charge vs. no charge. Let me see if I can clarify a bit:

I did a cook as an auction item to the highest bidder this spring to help raise money for our kids' school. Through THAT cook (or putting the item up for auction, actually) I was approached by they guy involved with the church and it's upcoming event. I was approached and right away told, "We need a legitimate price. No freebies here. You tell us what you need to do the cook." THEN they had another guy. THEN (this week) I was approached again and told that they still needed a cooker & COOKER (me).

I'm still very NEW at this whole idea, so I am all about building relationships and getting my name and "rep" out there. However, I also intend to make something for my time as you all know how much WORK goes into something like this, not to mention amount of accumulated knowledge that's packed into my HUGE brain :heh:.

I was thinking of hitting them up for the costs of ingredients for the sauce(s) and rub, adding a couple of hundred (really, a bargain) for my time and ability, and then calling it a day. That will pay for the cooker that I recently bought (that will enable this to happen), and still be a good deal for them. I also plan to use this as a great "advertising", and will have flyers/cards there to pass out.

I'm not at ALL trying to stick 'em because they're in a bind, but I also don't want to set a precedence around town that I'll cook 100 lbs of pulled pork for $200.

I need to get with him on some other details too (buns, plates, napkins, etc.) this weekend. I'm sure it'll all work out and more business will come of it.


Thanks again all. Always such sage advice around here.:thumb:

[HawgHeaven]

Again, thanks for all the help, y'all.

Dan, no....I should be fine, but thanks for the help. Like you, I'm looking at bigger & better things to call you in on the offer to help :becky:!

All, I get the deal about charge vs. no charge. Let me see if I can clarify a bit:

I did a cook as an auction item to the highest bidder this spring to help raise money for our kids' school. Through THAT cook (or putting the item up for auction, actually) I was approached by they guy involved with the church and it's upcoming event. I was approached and right away told, "We need a legitimate price. No freebies here. You tell us what you need to do the cook." THEN they had another guy. THEN (this week) I was approached again and told that they still needed a cooker & COOKER (me).

I'm still very NEW at this whole idea, so I am all about building relationships and getting my name and "rep" out there. However, I also intend to make something for my time as you all know how much WORK goes into something like this, not to mention amount of accumulated knowledge that's packed into my HUGE brain :heh:.

I was thinking of hitting them up for the costs of ingredients for the sauce(s) and rub, adding a couple of hundred (really, a bargain) for my time and ability, and then calling it a day. That will pay for the cooker that I recently bought (that will enable this to happen), and still be a good deal for them. I also plan to use this as a great "advertising", and will have flyers/cards there to pass out.

I'm not at ALL trying to stick 'em because they're in a bind, but I also don't want to set a precedence around town that I'll cook 100 lbs of pulled pork for $200.

I need to get with him on some other details too (buns, plates, napkins, etc.) this weekend. I'm sure it'll all work out and more business will come of it.


Thanks again all. Always such sage advice around here.:thumb:

I understand where you are coming from, and it is a nobel thing to do. However, if you are going to persue this as a business, don't give away the farm... as was said, everyone will expect it. Be reasonable to your customers, and to you...

[bigdogphin]

Meat cost plus $3 to $4 per head, If You want to make it simple.

[Bamabuzzard]

Good advice Pastor. I had a similar experience at my church that ultimately ended in me having to confront our associate pastor and telling him in that I was not smoking meat for him for free any longer.

Great advice.


Kempus,
1. Do you need help?
2. As a Pastor, I'd advise you to charge for your costs plus SOME for your time - and let them know you are cutting them a break because (a) they're in a bind; (b) they're a Church and you're a Christian; and (c) you want to use this as an opportunity to show what you can do in the future.
3. If you do it for free this time, you'll always be expected to. If you charge too much, you'll put a bad taste in their mouth.

[jbrink01]

$10 a pound with buns and sauce. If they bought the meat, then $8.50 a pound.

[Gowan]

Take it from somebody with LOTS of experience - you can easily go broke cooking for free for all the non-profits in your community. Once you are identified as the go-to guy for free food the path to your door will be worn out by every church, scout troop, charity and community organization within 100 miles.

Yes, there is marketing value in doing some Pro Bono jobs, but you really have to pick and choose those, just like you do with your cash donations. It's a good idea to make a habit of not doing the same event for free two years in a row; you'll get more promotional mileage spreading yourself around, and folks will learn to value your services more.

[Smiter Q]

I have been a leader in my church, and although pro bono or a greatly reduced cost is noble... I advise to charge a fair price, and as others stated.. do NOT give the farm away. You stated you are early in your earning career for Q. Do not get burned out by not earning money so early in the game. Most church folks want to be fair, but they usually have to be informed about what fair is for areas they are not familiar with. I hope it is a blessed event for them and for you.