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Old 07-19-2019, 08:59 PM   #6
BigDaveBBQ
Knows what a fatty is.
 
Join Date: 06-25-19
Location: Northern California
Name/Nickname : Dave
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InThePitBBQ View Post
What it all boils down to just about anywhere, and especially in a state that is extra burdensome with compliancy and taxation is that catering legally without cutting any corners makes it almost impossible to earn a living wage.

The same old story plays out when someone pay's the dues and does it all 100% legit, there is a pile of people doing it illegally in their market and they are the ones really making money along with the big legal hitters that do enough volume you can't compete with them.

In our business we now limit the scope of mobile operations to large regional event's with a fair level playing field of vendors and big ticket private bookings. There's far more profit in it and little to no competition from the bottom feeders.

There's money in the business if you can find that niche that pays you and your employee's a living wage.

And a compliant mobile operation is not always effective these days it's really getting expensive to run the roads and cook BBQ I'm switching everything over to mobile porch trailer commissary's at the end of this year for the big regional events we do and each one of those rigs with a certified cooker and tow vehicle is going to top 100K.

You cannot wake up at the first of every month and have a more profitable situation than a small sq' low overhead brick and mortar with the absolute basics and retail take out with maybe a few tables out front.

Add a good stick burner visible in the frontage rolling smoke on every car that passes and sit back and count your money it's the most cost effective advertising in the business.

I watch people in this business fail again and again and again because they don't learn from their mistakes and someone else get's shafted on investment capitol every time they fail on brick and mortar full service restaurant's.

You know what people love more than really good BBQ? They love to take it home and eat it old school in their favorite chair with a roll of paper towels and a few cold beers to wash it all down.

The success to failure rates of small take out joints to full service restaurants and mobile operations speaks for itself, it's worth looking at if you can make the real estate end of it work in California to get started and make money before expanding operations to catering.
Hey Bob,

Thanks for replying. I agree with you 100 percent. I see people online that make their Instagram posts and facebook posts asking people to get their orders in and they will sell 100 -200 lunches in about 2 hours. All illegally using social media, cooking in their back yard, and doing cash only. It only takes one person especially in this state to get sue happy and take you for everything you got.

I originally priced out a trailer combo and just in the last day or so I realized that the smoker trailer porch is also so protected in California. You cannot purchase an open porch trailer unless it is fully enclosed. meaning the doors have to be on the inside of the trailer and the smoker be a Southern Pride or an Ole Hickory. If you do have an open porch trailer it can be only used for day events which means the same restrictions as a catering or Cook for hire. All food has to be bought and cooked in the same day unless all food is stored at a commissary prior to cooking. Also the trailer must be returned each and every day to your commissary and stored in the same place. The laws go on and on.

There are way more opportunities if I purchase a trailer smoker combo as far as places as I can serve...…… But the red tape. It all just has a list of pros and cons. As I mentioned I know the costs of brick and mortars as I opened over a dozen restaurants and having a mobile one beats the heck out of a stationary one any day.
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