Couple of thoughts. "Pulled Pork Sandwich" is not a unit of measurement. Are the sandwiches on 4 inch hamburger buns, 5 inch hamburger buns, or French Rolls?
How much meat goes on each sandwich?
I have cooked at events for local charities that I would like to help support. I priced the food I was selling lower than normal, and it has always come back to bite me in the backside. Whatever price that you sell the sandwiches for will be setting a precedence for what your pulled pork sandwiches are worth. If one of the soccer parents decides to have a company picnic with pulled pork sandwichs---and you quote a higher price than you are selling for at the soccer games----things will get ugly.
Are there other food vendors there? What are they selling? If you sell too cheap then other vendors get agravated, and other problems come up.
Prices have been rising in the past few years and people are conditioned to pay fair amounts. I am sometimes still "Stuck in the old days" because I do not want to overcharge. For a reality check walk into a McDonalds and see what you get for 5 dollars.
I think that your 90 cent cost figure probably applies only to the meat, bread, and sauce. There is vehicle expenses, BBQ fuel expenses, BBQ pit cost and maintenance, etc. These costs happen even if you have donated labor. If the event organizers are keeping $1.00 per sandwich that is a "cost" also. Is hot food taxable in your area? Are you going to be paying the State for taxable amounts?
I did this last weekend, for her tournament. I thought it would be a one time deal, but now they want me back for other tourneys.
Here is what I have come up with.
Pork: $1.08/lb uncooked, with a 40% loss to the finshed product it now costs $1.80/lb, I do 1/4 servings..( I used a scale last time for the first 150 samies to get a pretty good idea of what a quarter lb is) so meat is $.45 / samme
BUN: 1.62 / dozen $.135 each
Rub: Plowboys rub $.116 each
Sauce: $9/gallon $.07 per one ouce serving
fuel; $8 bag of Royal Oak thats all the BWS took for the whole cook $.026 each
trays $.04 each
free ice and electricity from the concession stand, location is about 2 miles from my home.
Thats $.84
I figure the remaining $.06 will cover the pickles, wax paper, foil and soap to wash the pans. What else am I missing?
I also, did 1/4 burgers and my cost was even lower on those, ketchup is dirt cheap. . In the concession stand they sell hot dogs and pizza slices for $2. I am the only food vendor out there.
When the day is almost done, I sell what I have left for $7 /lb, so I don't have to take it home. I don't split this money.
I would like to charge a litte more, we ran a package deal of sammie/burger 1oz bag of chips and a pop for $5.00. Most of all I made some good contacts in the community and will have other gigs because of this.
