Catering start up advice

[La Chupacabra]

Hey all! Im looking to start a small catering gig. Ive done plenty of small things at my house and at my friends house, but nothing like i plan to. So, if i were to do a party for 200 people with brisket, butt, ribs, chix and sides. How do i do this haha. Do i set up onsite the day before and arrive at 200am to start my cook? I am purchasing a 24x84 offset from pits by jj. So my concern is tge quality of meats if i cook ahead. Do i or dont i? I know ribs and chix i could start on site at a reasonable time. I have just never re heated bbq before. Please any advice will help. Thanks all!

[InThePitBBQ]

Originally Posted by La Chupacabra

Hey all! Im looking to start a small catering gig. Ive done plenty of small things at my house and at my friends house, but nothing like i plan to. So, if i were to do a party for 200 people with brisket, butt, ribs, chix and sides. How do i do this haha. Do i set up onsite the day before and arrive at 200am to start my cook? I am purchasing a 24x84 offset from pits by jj. So my concern is tge quality of meats if i cook ahead. Do i or dont i? I know ribs and chix i could start on site at a reasonable time. I have just never re heated bbq before. Please any advice will help. Thanks all!

Anyone running a catering service needs to have a managerial level certification from ServSafe in conjunction with insurance and the proper credentials and inspection certifications from the heath departments in the counties where you plan to do business.

Asking questions like these is a giant red flag for putting the public health at risk, you don't have a clue about what your doing and have no business at all preparing and handling food for that many people.

The fact you don't know the first thing about safe handling and re-heating is serious cause for concern here. You went and ordered an 84" pit before you could get the basics handled?

Will your health department even certify that pit without any NSF certs from the builder, have you even bothered to ask?

Take this in the spirit it's intended, you need to walk before you run there's no fast track into the catering business without meeting the legal requirement's what your trying to do is a train wreck waiting to happen.

Start with courses of instruction with ServSafe and work from there toward your goals, it's time consuming and expensive but you'll avoid some serious liabilities and wasted efforts and expense.

[LYU370]

^^^^ What he said. Have you checked with your local health department? Cooking for friends is totally different than catering.

[SmokinAussie]

^^^^ Whoa guys!

That's a bit of a rap over the knuckles for just asking a few questions!

Let's give this guy a hand nicely rather than hitting him with a baseball bat.

We want members right?
We want guys to do well right?

How about some friendly advice rather than a lecture from the Head Master. Sure there are rules he needs to follow, but lets bring interested people into the fold and educate them. Otherwise guys like these are never coming back and are just gonna go out there and screw up.

Is that what you want???

[pharp]

We do not reheat simply because we do not have the proper equipment to cool it properly and reheat it safely. I know we could do coolers with ice bath, but at that point I would rather just start sooner. Can't overstate how important the saftey/insurance/permits mentioned above are.
Good luck.

[Smoke on Badger Mountain]

I don't know what it's like in RI. But out here in CA there is one alternative to catering and that is "cook for hire" The main difference is that caterers tend to prep before hand and if you do that, you need to have a certified commissary to do your work in. Not every county in my state does it, but in mine its ok. When I do a gig as a cook for hire per the regs all of the food must be prepared on-site or purchased in a prepackaged container from a store. So let's say you want to cook cornbread, can't do it the day before, you must do it on site, you want beans? then on-site. There is no reheating, pre dicing or any off site prep. So if I want to do brisket I'm rolling in at the wee hours of the morning. But a more reasonable offering for me is Tri-Tip and chicken quarters with bbq beans, ;potato salad, cornbread and a green salad. very doable for 200 ppl with a morning start and a 5pm serve. But I will also buy my potato salad pre made.

To be clear I do have a servsafe cert, I use a couple of helpers and I don't sell plates. I hire out for an event. I have also been at this game for a while and did all my research. Having read your post I don't want to discourage you from pursuing this. But I believe you may want to do a bit more research on local rules and regulations, and maybe do a few big cooks for free just for the experience. But that is just my two cents. Do it right, and best of luck to you!

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Some harsh responses here but I think they are pretty spot on. Anything to do with food handling is heavily regulated, and rightfully so.

First step : ServSafe Managers course.
https://www.servsafe.com/ss/search/trainingsearch.aspx

Use that website and find a course...I would strenuously suggest that you take the "in-house" course rather than something online. You will also want to take the "class and exam" so that you're certified once you complete the test. This course will answer quite a few of your questions.

You'll need to contact your local health department (or Environmental Health) to figure out the things you'll need. MOST places aren't going to allow you to roll up with a large offset smoker and use that for your cooking. You'll need to do your cooking at a commissary or commercial kitchen, place all the food in proper hot holding equipment, and then transfer everything to the site.

I believe some places also require you to have a license for catering, so you'll need to look into that, and also the appropriate insurances required by your state. I'm running a small BBQ food truck and I'm using FLIP (Food Liability Insurance Program) and they seem to have reasonable rates and solid coverage.

Good luck buddy as it's a ton of work and the start-up costs are going to be aggressive. You'll need a ton of NSF or UL equipment to get up and running...any equipment which has met those certifications is going to cost you more than it should.

As for your smoker I will also say "good luck" because your city, county, or state may or may not allow you to use it for serving food to the public. I don't believe that "Pits by JJ" builds NSF or UL listed equipment, so MOST health departments won't allow you to use it. Also you'll need to have a way to protect your smoker from the bugs so you'll need to have a tent (or similar) which is bug-screened on all 4 sides. This is horrible for airflow but most Health Departments don't care...they can be unbelievably asinine when it comes to BBQ and smokers.

As an example of the asinine silliness which occurs here in North Carolina the state had to pass a bill to allow people to actually use a BBQ / Smoker to serve food to the public. Unfortunately they stated in that bill that the gill/ smoker had to be made of stainless steel. So basically narrows down your choices to NSF or UL listed smokers and those are few and far between, and quite expensive. Thing Ole Hickory, Southern Pride, Fast Eddy's Cook Shack, etc..

Just trying to make you aware that you need to do some serious research before you buy a large smoker and hope to legally use it for catering. I know there are people who use loopholes to operate outside the health department, but I wouldn't recommend going that route. If someone claims you've made them sick you're pretty much screwed, and unless you've got an LLC or similar you can lose everything you own. Food safety is no joke because silly mistakes can make people seriously sick. And this is especially so when you're dealing with sick, young, and elderly people.

[Nuco59]

Makes you wonder how enough of our ancestors survived to bring us into this world of over regulation and over taxation. Bureaucrats and Lawyers- where would we be without them?

I imagine that just about everyone of us has been told "That's fine bbq- you should go into business". It's fun to daydream about setting up your own business but reality has a way of getting in the way sometimes.

You've gotten some tough love advice from people who've "been there, done that".

Follow your dreams- but having your ducks in a line might serve you better than just jumping into your venture.

Good luck, boss.

[ynotfehc]

The reason for blunt responses was because those of us that do this legally have put a lot of time, money, blood, sweat, tears, time and money into our businesses.
So onto your question...most people of places will not allow you to setup the day before and start cooking at 2am. Think about locations! A public park, hours are 8am-10pm. Event Center/Barn/arboretum: other groups/events booked, property is secured probably with gates to their open hours. Someone's backyard: if its my wedding or family reunion, I have 100 things that need to be done, at 2am your going to wake me, my bride/wife or our dogs up and anyone else who may have flown into to town staying in the house, NO THANKS!
You have to figure out how to cook elsewhere, and arrive 1-2hrs before dinner time for set up.

[Bigbears BBQ]

I have never catered before so I have no personal knowledge but I have heard it mentioned before that it would be a good idea to get a partime job with a catering company to gain some experience without losing your shirt.

[ModelMaker]

It's nice that all have pointed out the legalities involved with catering, but all that matters little to fact of can you make delicious tasting, great looking food for 200?
This ain't throwing a few burgers on the barbie.
Ed

[IamMadMan]

Originally Posted by SmokinAussie

^^^^ Whoa guys!

That's a bit of a rap over the knuckles for just asking a few questions!

Let's give this guy a hand nicely rather than hitting him with a baseball bat.

We want members right?
We want guys to do well right?

How about some friendly advice rather than a lecture from the Head Master. Sure there are rules he needs to follow, but lets bring interested people into the fold and educate them. Otherwise guys like these are never coming back and are just gonna go out there and screw up.

Is that what you want???

SmokinAussie,


I agree with what you are saying, but I also think the answer was not meant to scare members away. I agree with you the response was probably brash, but here in the US we live in a lawsuit happy society.


I think that InThePitBBQ was trying to say that no one should engage in the food business without being registered as a legitimate business. Without being incorporated (or legally registered as a LLC) you and all of your assets owned by you and your family are up for grabs in a lawsuit against you.



I think everyone is just trying to protect La Chupacabra from making a poor decision. We have to look at the message, maybe the response was posted in urgency and carried what was perceived as a harsh tone. Not all of us are good public speakers, or able to convey our thoughts in eloquent wording.



I Think he was also trying to convey that if you are planning on selling food or catering an event, even for a friend you should be aware of the laws and the risks involved. By ignoring these and not investigating the legal requirements for any event, you are putting yourself at a great risk. Ignorance of the laws and regulations are not a defense, in fact it will just help to build a stronger case against you if something should go wrong. More importantly, something doesn't actually have to go wrong, one only needs to claim they got ill from your food.


Bottom line is that one should be operating within State, Local, and Health Department regulations, have a business license, a food handlers permit, and preparing the food in a health department approved and inspected commercial kitchen. Without these qualifications and being fully covered with insurance, you are taking a huge huge risk both personally and financially.


Incorporating separates you and your personal assets from those of the recognized corporate entity. In a lawsuit they can sue the corporation but cannot come after you unless you blatantly caused harm as an individual.


It might be difficult to prove with a single case, but what if someone who handles the food in the chain accidentally contaminates something. You will have more than one case from the event. Then you have an unlicensed food handler, who is not using a state approved and inspected kitchen, and who has failed to get all the required permits, certifications, licenses, and local inspections.

It's not just the fines and penalties from the state and local authorities for operating illegally, but when you have a civil suit filed the tables turn. Just the fact that you ignored all the required permits, licenses, certifications, and inspections are stacked against you. Couple that with many states who do not elect judges, but rather politically appoint them; then you can have an inexperienced judge in law who has their own interpretation or opinion of the law to deal with. Some of these appointed judges do not fully know the law and will make decisions based on their personal opinions.

As stated above the extreme fines and penalties imposed by the state, county, and local authorities can't be argued in a court of law, ignorance of them just isn't a feasible defense. These can be exorbitant, even if they can't prove the case. This is why many corporations find it easier just to settle out of court than run the legal gamut.

You also have many corporations that have tried to fight a case of stupidity in court and have lost millions trying to win. Look at the case of a patron who ordered hot coffee and drank it while operating a motor vehicle on a bumpy road. Consequently they spilled hot coffee on themselves as a direct result of their own personal action. Yet a good lawyer put the blame on the corporation, and they successfully sued for over a million dollars. Common sense does not prevail in a litigious society.

Our intent is not to discourage anyone, but to point out the possible ramifications of this type of event without the proper "coverage", "licenses", "certifications" and "permits".

Even legally operating caterer's get sued. Below is a case where the caterer only cooked a small portion of the food, friends provided the rest. Bottom line is that no one could prove where the food poisoning came from, so because the cater didn't have control over the food, they were successfully sued. Bottom line is that if you are not completely legal and follow the regulations, you have put yourself at great financial risk. You will also become well know in the surrounding communities for your food, but for the wrong reasons.


http://wcti12.com/news/nation-world/...ption-got-sick

https://www.syracuse.com/news/index....ently_ill.html



.

[Jason TQ]

Do your full research or else it might cost 3x or more as much to get legal after you bought a bunch of stuff and did a bunch of things that weren't in-line with following the correct process. Spending money again after the fact will hurt quickly.

We can talk quantities, processes etc and that is easy, but it would suck if you started with no advice and then this dream dies a quick, expensive death

[Cook]

Originally Posted by SmoothBoarBBQ

Some harsh responses here but I think they are pretty spot on. Anything to do with food handling is heavily regulated, and rightfully so.

First step : ServSafe Managers course.
https://www.servsafe.com/ss/search/trainingsearch.aspx

Use that website and find a course...I would strenuously suggest that you take the "in-house" course rather than something online. You will also want to take the "class and exam" so that you're certified once you complete the test. This course will answer quite a few of your questions.

You'll need to contact your local health department (or Environmental Health) to figure out the things you'll need. MOST places aren't going to allow you to roll up with a large offset smoker and use that for your cooking. You'll need to do your cooking at a commissary or commercial kitchen, place all the food in proper hot holding equipment, and then transfer everything to the site.

I believe some places also require you to have a license for catering, so you'll need to look into that, and also the appropriate insurances required by your state. I'm running a small BBQ food truck and I'm using FLIP (Food Liability Insurance Program) and they seem to have reasonable rates and solid coverage.

Good luck buddy as it's a ton of work and the start-up costs are going to be aggressive. You'll need a ton of NSF or UL equipment to get up and running...any equipment which has met those certifications is going to cost you more than it should.

As for your smoker I will also say "good luck" because your city, county, or state may or may not allow you to use it for serving food to the public. I don't believe that "Pits by JJ" builds NSF or UL listed equipment, so MOST health departments won't allow you to use it. Also you'll need to have a way to protect your smoker from the bugs so you'll need to have a tent (or similar) which is bug-screened on all 4 sides. This is horrible for airflow but most Health Departments don't care...they can be unbelievably asinine when it comes to BBQ and smokers.

As an example of the asinine silliness which occurs here in North Carolina the state had to pass a bill to allow people to actually use a BBQ / Smoker to serve food to the public. Unfortunately they stated in that bill that the gill/ smoker had to be made of stainless steel. So basically narrows down your choices to NSF or UL listed smokers and those are few and far between, and quite expensive. Thing Ole Hickory, Southern Pride, Fast Eddy's Cook Shack, etc..

Just trying to make you aware that you need to do some serious research before you buy a large smoker and hope to legally use it for catering. I know there are people who use loopholes to operate outside the health department, but I wouldn't recommend going that route. If someone claims you've made them sick you're pretty much screwed, and unless you've got an LLC or similar you can lose everything you own. Food safety is no joke because silly mistakes can make people seriously sick. And this is especially so when you're dealing with sick, young, and elderly people.

Which law are you referring to? The only one I can think of is the "Grill Bill", but that doesn't encompass smokers per se. Your smoker doesn't have to have an ANSI rating, but it will certainly need a variance if it isn't.

[W.I.T.W.A.G?]

I think it's awesome that you're excited to start a new venture just make sure you do it right. After you start the conversation with your local health department try to talk to other catering companies or bbq guys that are in your area. Its really difficult to jump in not knowing anything and be successful. cooking for 200 people is easy enough IF you plan it out right.
An opportunity with no plan is a failure, a failure is an opportunity to plan better next time.