Pricing question

3x the meat would cover rubs and sauces, as far as the fuel? It depends on how far you're driving. Don't forget about your time, wood, charcoal, and any disposable pans you may use. You should price all those items out first and then figure your cost. Good luck.

It is usually all your costs x 3.

The the others have said, 3 times the food costs is a good starting point since that will give you enough margin to account for most of the incidental costs and hopefully allow you to put some money in your pocket for your efforts. But like Flaque pointed out, every gig is different so be sure you factor in transportation costs/time, your fuel whether it's wood, propane, etc. and any other items you need to provide. You may need to adjust your rough 3x food cost pricing up a bit to account for those things so that it's worth your time.

Puckstopper said:

Ok so let me know if this sounds fair. 1 7lb brisket flat, 4 racks of st. Lois ribs, 2 6lbs butts, and 100 wings I was thinking $400.00

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Hard to say without knowing the price of the meat. And are the ribs pre-trimmed? I mean, 4 racks of ribs at $3.29/lb vs. $1.69/lb is a big difference. If they are untrimmed full spares, that could be the difference between $72 spent on ribs or $37. And if they are untrimmed and won't be using the tips, you're paying for waste, or at the very least, meat that isn't being used at the event.

If I'm looking at my prices locally and your menu, my costs would work out to be about like this (paying retail, not wholesale):

1 brisket = $25
4 racks = $44
2 butts = $21
100 wings (approximating around 12 pounds) = $22

So, that would be $112, before tax, cost. Times 3 and it's around $340. $400 would be doable as long as it wasn't really far away and I'd end up blowing $80 on gas to get there and back.

So as long as you aren't paying outrageous prices for your meat, you're probably in the ballpark. But if all of your meat is at the high end, like $5/lb brisket, $3 ribs, $2.50 butts, etc. it will add up quickly and you may find your quote a little short.