catering = cooking on site?

T

trekmstr

Full Fledged Farker
Joined
Feb 21, 2009
Messages
245
Reaction score
36
Points
0
Location
Wausau, Wi
when you guys cater an event, do you cook on site or cook somplace else and just deliver cooked product? if you do cook onsite do you charge extra for that? thanks
 
In my county cooking onsite can be done with no permits
Off site requires a commissary kitchen
I always cook onsite ;)
 
We do both.
Typically we cook at the restaurant for small or low budget jobs. If you want us to pull a smoker to your location, that's going to cost you whether you get any food or not. You have to protect yourself from the people who are happy to watch you lose money on fuel and labor for a hatful of five dollar sandwiches.
 
If I go on site I may precook some of food depending on what they want. I really don't like spending 10 plus hours cooking on site. Anyway I do charge more to put on the dog and pony show.
 
I always cook on site, no extra charge.
I lug my Eggs around 3 days a week.

You show your skills, get people interested, maybe get some follow-up business.

I trie to do as much prepwork as possible in advance, to relieve myself of stress on the day.
 
We cook both ways, depends on what the client prefers, they usually like the Lang and the Kitchen onsite for the wow factor for their guests..:wink:
 
Depends on what the client wants, on-site definitely is more of a show: the smoke, the cookers, the break down of the meat. But it will also cost the customer more because then I have the hauling of equipment, the clean up and any insurance required by government or venue.
 
I always cater on-site. I NJ if you prepare everything at the clients' site, your considered a personal chef and do not need health inspection. Still I play if safe and use a freinds restaurant for prep after he is closed so I am actually working under his license.
 
Both, but even when onsite a lot of the work is done before getting onsite. As Handsomeswede said, a lot of the onsite is show...
 
I offer both services.

For onsite cooking, I add an onsite cooking fee of $100 plus $2 per R/T mile transportation fee. For drop off, my delivery would have been $1 per R/T mile.

My discretionary gratuity is typically higher for onsite cooking too vs. delivery.

Basically, I'm charging a $100 fee to cover the extra hassle and lost time required to hook up and tow my mobile kitchen. Everything else remains the same.
 
ThomEmery said:
In my county cooking onsite can be done with no permits
Off site requires a commissary kitchen
I always cook onsite ;)
Click to expand...

this is what i am looking in to in my county. so far all i have been told by the hd is that if all the food is bought at a store and taken right to the sight and cooked on site no permit or licence is required. but my question is do you have to have a buisness license and insurance and then do you advertise as a caterer or personal chef?
 
timmy7649 said:
this is what i am looking in to in my county. so far all i have been told by the hd is that if all the food is bought at a store and taken right to the sight and cooked on site no permit or licence is required. but my question is do you have to have a buisness license and insurance and then do you advertise as a caterer or personal chef?
Click to expand...
This is precisely how I started, and after the first gig, Icame to my senses. I provide a service based on my expertise, and anything that goes wrong is on my hands. That fact opens me up as being a target for lawsuits, whether it is my fault or not. Insurance is a start, but an LLC can protect your personal assets as well. Smokers, trailers and other cooking equipment is owned by my catering company, but my truck, the wifeys car, and my house are owned by me. This sets up limits as to how much a person can get you for.

By no means take my words for legal advice, a consultation with an attorney can help you make sound actions t protect yourself, and your patrons.
 
Serving Sauce?

I'm getting ready for my first BBQ catering job. I plan to set pulled pork up in those disposable aluminum foil trays with the sterno under them. The real question is... what do you serve the sauce in? Since I will be setting the food up on the customer's tables and leaving I'm not sure what to leave the sauce in. I make my own sauce and store it in gallon jugs. Not real handy for them to serve themselves out of.

Captain Jim
 
You can buy pumps for the jugs at just about any major discount store for a decent price. I found mine at WM in the bulk ketchup and mustard aisle.
 
If you don't need to leave gallons and gallons of sauce at the site, you can also find the smaller squirt bottles at a restaurant supply store. I'm not sure if I've seen them at Sam's or Wally World.
 
I figure for a hundred people I'll need to leave a gallon to a gallon and a half. Does that seem reasonable? I'll probably bring a couple of the larger size squeeze bottles and just leave them with the extra so they can fill them as necessary.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Question about chamber vacuum sealer bags
Replies
4
Views
666
ModelMaker
ModelMaker
S
Do you let your neighbors throw something on?
Replies
9
Views
3K
WilliamKY
WilliamKY
N
Any tips on Brisket Flat?
Replies
12
Views
927
Vision
V
B
HELP! Searching for smoker for bbq catering gig in Park City, UT
Replies
1
Views
315
CaptainQ
C
Headgear
First brisket on new Shirley not my best
Replies
18
Views
1K
Headgear
Headgear
Back
Top