MMMM.. BRISKET..
The BBQ BRETHREN FORUMS.  



Our Homepage Donation to Forum Overhead Welocme Merchandise Associations Purchase Subscription Amazon Affiliate
Go Back   The BBQ BRETHREN FORUMS. > Discussion Area > Catering, Food Handling and Awareness > Catering, Vending and Cooking For The Masses.

Notices

Catering, Vending and Cooking For The Masses. this forum is OnTopic. A resource to help with catering, vending and just cooking for large parties. Topics to include Getting Started, Ethics, Marketing, Catering resources, Formulas and recipes for cooking for large groups.


Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 11-02-2008, 02:24 AM   #1
hossrocks
On the road to being a farker
 
Join Date: 09-26-06
Location: Kuna, Idaho
Default Buying for Vending Events

I need help figuring out how to calculate out how many people we will actually serve at any given event. I've read that there is a formula. I have ice carnival that is expecting around 20k people. Thanks for any help.
hossrocks is offline   Reply With Quote


Old 11-02-2008, 03:41 PM   #2
Bigmista
somebody shut me the fark up.
 
Bigmista's Avatar
 
Join Date: 05-24-04
Location: Long Beach, CA
Default

What are you serving and what size?
__________________
Wait! Bigmista wrote a cookbook?


Rec Tec RT-700 Bull
Pitmaker Vault



Remembering Scott
Bigmista is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2008, 05:16 PM   #3
MilitantSquatter
Moderator
 
MilitantSquatter's Avatar
 
Join Date: 09-17-05
Location: Mooresville, NC
Default

Are you the only vendor ? If not, how many others will be there ?
__________________
XL BGE (#2) & Performer Platinum

Former owner: Jambo Backyard, Klose BYC, Lonestar Vertical offset w/ Insulated Firebox, Medium Spicewine, Pitts & Spitts, XL BGE (#1) & (2) Medium BGE's, 22" WSM & (2) 18" WSM's, 18" & 22" Weber Kettles
MilitantSquatter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2008, 05:35 PM   #4
hossrocks
On the road to being a farker
 
Join Date: 09-26-06
Location: Kuna, Idaho
Default

From what I know there will be around a dozen food vendors for the event. I'll be serving pulled pork, brisket and chicken sammies and ribs. They have told me I will be the only BBQ vendor but a freind of mine did the event a couple of years agon and they told him the same thing and there was another BBQ vendor as well. So I'm expecting some compitition on site.
__________________
Hoss
[B]Big Daddy's BBQ[/B]
[B]Concessions and Catering[/B]
[B]Kuna, ID[/B]
[URL="http://www.bigdaddysbbqonline.com"]www.bigdaddysbbqonline.com[/URL]
Louisiana Grill - Whole Hog
Traeger 150
30x72 Reverse Flow Offset
16ft Wells Cargo Mobile Kitchen
12ft Full service Mobile Kitchen
hossrocks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2008, 01:13 AM   #5
Chuckwagonbbqco
is one Smokin' Farker
 
Join Date: 10-19-07
Location: Oroville, CA
Default

Promoters always lie. Promoters also overestimate the size of the crowd. Many events collect a percentage of gross sales from food vendors. Ask the event promoters to see the figures from the previous year. Large sums of money can be made at vending events-----but large amounts can also be lost. Know your event.
Chuckwagonbbqco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-14-2008, 10:12 PM   #6
Uncle B
Is lookin for wood to cook with.
 
Uncle B's Avatar
 
Join Date: 10-28-08
Location: McCune, Kansas
Cool

You can be sure that there will be at least one or more BBQ venders besides you at any given festival, If you know anybody that has worked this festival I would be talking to them, asking about how many were there in the past years. Or ask some one at the local fire department, they should have a good idea of how many have attended in the past. Hope this helps.
Uncle B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-15-2008, 06:13 PM   #7
tony76248
is One Chatty Farker
 
tony76248's Avatar
 
Join Date: 09-10-06
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Default

I think in the future I will stay away from the ribs, they are labor intensive and you can charge the same amount for brisket which requires less attention when cooking, holding etc...
__________________
"Grilla in the Pits" "IMAGRILLA"

There's plenty of room for all of God's creatures.
Right next to the mashed potatoes.

Brinkmann Model 6668 Gasser
Hibachi Grill
Stumps GF223 w/ Stoker assist
ECB that wins the $
Weber One-Touch Gold 22-1/2"
#3 Komono
Large BGE w/ Stoker assist
55 gallon Drum Smoker
Wood Crate Cold smoker w/ smoke injector
No need for certification, I already know good BBQ!
tony76248 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-15-2008, 11:22 PM   #8
Michael in PA
Got Wood.
 
Join Date: 08-25-08
Location: Lansdale, PA
Default

I would plan for 400, expecting 300 providing the event is at night. I would also forget about the ribs unless you have a strong reputation; they're too hard to eat unless there is somewhere to sit down.

Questions that may impact planning:

Is that 20k in one day or over several?

Afternoon, evening or all day event?

How old is the event?

Do people have to pay to get in?

How come your friend isn't still doing the event?

What is your reputation???

A couple things to consider:

If your barbecue is good, your operation is good and you have a reputation, you will outsell most other food vendors.

You need to have a plan for properly handling extra product so that it does not become a loss or a danger.
__________________
The "Daddy" in Smoke Daddy's Barbecue
Michael in PA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2008, 01:36 AM   #9
Gowan
is Blowin Smoke!

 
Join Date: 08-08-07
Location: Cartersville, GA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael in PA View Post
If your barbecue is good, your operation is good and you have a reputation, you will outsell most other food vendors.
I don't know that that is strictly true Michael. There are so many other factors involved, it's very difficult to say.

For example, if the crowd contains lots of kids the hotdog guy is going to do well because parents don't want to spend extra money on food that the kid may not like. On hot days the ice cream and snow cone people clean up. If the weather is cold and rainy everybody will do poorly, but anyone selling hot beverages will get at least some business. Then there is location of your site...

Even once you've worked an event a couple times, the weather, competition and makeup of the crowd can fool you. Best advice I can give is to never have more food hot than you need to keep up with demand. Nothing worse than packing up a smoker full of hot, unsold meat.
Gowan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2008, 10:08 PM   #10
Michael in PA
Got Wood.
 
Join Date: 08-25-08
Location: Lansdale, PA
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by CivilWarBBQ View Post
I don't know that that is strictly true Michael.
Well, I did qualify it with three ifs and a most, plus a whole lot of questions above. At most of the events we do we are one of the top, if not the top vendor.

But your larger point that there are always a ton of variables is a very good one. Heck, our best event of the year was a total rain out this year thanks to Tropical Storm Hannah. Ruined our September.

I don't necessarily agree with the cook, chill, retherm mothod, especially for larger events. I prefer to cook what I think I will need and arrive onsite hot and be prepared to quick-chill extra product. It requires some planning, but it works very well for us. It also requires a series of opportunities to move product.
__________________
The "Daddy" in Smoke Daddy's Barbecue
Michael in PA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2008, 11:10 PM   #11
Gowan
is Blowin Smoke!

 
Join Date: 08-08-07
Location: Cartersville, GA
Default

Our preference may be affected by our weather. Ambient temperature for a typical on-site job here in Georgia is in the high 80s or above, so it's a lot more economical to hold cold meat than it is to cool down hot meat, unless you own an ice company anyway.

That does bring up another good point that most people starting out overlook - your profit is limited by the total of all your costs, not just the obvious ones like meat and labor. All those little items can add up fast!

PS - I hear you on rain; sure hate the weatherman. You can create and even execute the perfect plan but if come the day of an outdoor vending event the weather is lousy you're gonna lose money, period.
Gowan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Need help - Catering/Events Buckscent Catering, Food Handling and Awareness 5 07-12-2010 11:26 AM
Need help - Catering/Events Buckscent Q-talk 0 07-10-2010 05:02 PM

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


Forum Custom Search: Enter your Search text below. GOOGLE will search ONLY the BBQ Brethren Forum.
Custom search MAY not work(no display box) in some configurations of Internet Explorer. Please use compliant version of Firefox or Chrome.







All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:08 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
2003 -2012 © BBQ-Brethren Inc. All rights reserved. All Content and Flaming Pig Logo are registered and protected under U.S and International Copyright and Trademarks. Content Within this Website Is Property of BBQ Brethren Inc. Reproduction or alteration is strictly prohibited.
no new posts