What is a fair price for extra serving time?

HBMTN · 10-17-2012, 12:14 PM

Our pricing is based on one hour sering time. I have a customer wanting additional serving time and would like to know what your input on this would be? Taking into account extra labor along with the fact surely there will be additional food eaten. So for a group of say 80 people if you were to qoute it per hour of additional time, any ideas? My thoughts were $100 per hour, fair or not?

Pyle's BBQ · 10-17-2012, 02:27 PM

How many employees are going to be there? That will be your biggest cost. Are you serving buffet style?

HBMTN · 10-17-2012, 06:27 PM

Yes buffet style and there will be 2 to 3 of us working it depending on the menu choices they end up choosing.

Pyle's BBQ · 10-17-2012, 09:19 PM

So, $33 is enough to cover your costs?

HBMTN · 10-18-2012, 09:09 AM

Yes $33 would cover my cost of paying labor. Then I'm thinking at least $30 for my labor. Then I am wondering if I should slightly increase the amount of food cooked because more food may be eaten with the extended serving time? I was thinking this would put me closer to $75-$100 or are you saying I should just charge the $33 to be fair? That is what I don't know. Thanks for your input.

Hawg Father of Seoul · 10-18-2012, 10:51 AM

When I did catering, we made reasonable accommodations gratis. I would consider it a $33 investment in my business. A business that I sold at a profit.

$40 would be more than fair to you and your client.

Bbq Bubba · 10-19-2012, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HBMTN

Yes $33 would cover my cost of paying labor. Then I'm thinking at least $30 for my labor. Then I am wondering if I should slightly increase the amount of food cooked because more food may be eaten with the extended serving time? I was thinking this would put me closer to $75-$100 or are you saying I should just charge the $33 to be fair? That is what I don't know. Thanks for your input.

Serving time has nothing to do with amount of food served.

How are you charging for your servers now? Is is part of your catering cost? It should be a seperate charge already so you just add 1 more hour of labor in.

HBMTN · 10-24-2012, 07:37 PM

Bubba my pricing includes buffet service for one hour. Guests serve themselves from the buffet line, if we have the buffet open additional time I will have to pay the additional labor to people working with me and I am figuring guests may eat more food with a longer serving time so maybe I should ramp up the food amounts a little.

1Cavman · 10-25-2012, 07:09 AM

When we do caterings we charge for food per person. Labor is separate and includes prep, service and clean up. If the event is for 4 hrs that's what we bill for. I try to make sure that there is always something to eat during the event.

PorkQPine · 10-25-2012, 04:39 PM

I don't charge extra for only an hour or so, my prices are such that I can absorb that increased cost and it is value added service and why they call me instead of the competition that has charges for every little thing. It isn't the total that pisses people off it's the little charges.

Cooknhogz · 11-03-2012, 09:14 AM

Totally agree with PorkQPine. I charge one amount and if I don't have to go way out of my way theres no extra charge which equals much more Biz down the road. Just my 2 cents

10-17-2012, 12:14 PM	#1
HBMTN is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 10-16-08 Location: Virginia	What is a fair price for extra serving time? Our pricing is based on one hour sering time. I have a customer wanting additional serving time and would like to know what your input on this would be? Taking into account extra labor along with the fact surely there will be additional food eaten. So for a group of say 80 people if you were to qoute it per hour of additional time, any ideas? My thoughts were $100 per hour, fair or not?

10-17-2012, 02:27 PM	#2
Pyle's BBQ Babbling Farker Join Date: 10-25-06 Location: Madrid, IA	How many employees are going to be there? That will be your biggest cost. Are you serving buffet style? __________________ Bryan, Team: Pyle's BBQ Yoder YS640; Good-One "Trail Boss" 60T; Weber Kettle rotisserie ring; Big A$$ Rotisserie; New Braunfels offset smoker; Weber Smokey Mountain; Backyard Bombers BBQ HJM Μολὼν λαβέ

10-17-2012, 09:19 PM	#4
Pyle's BBQ Babbling Farker Join Date: 10-25-06 Location: Madrid, IA	So, $33 is enough to cover your costs? __________________ Bryan, Team: Pyle's BBQ Yoder YS640; Good-One "Trail Boss" 60T; Weber Kettle rotisserie ring; Big A$$ Rotisserie; New Braunfels offset smoker; Weber Smokey Mountain; Backyard Bombers BBQ HJM Μολὼν λαβέ

10-25-2012, 04:39 PM	#10
PorkQPine Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 12-10-07 Location: Roseville, CA	I don't charge extra for only an hour or so, my prices are such that I can absorb that increased cost and it is value added service and why they call me instead of the competition that has charges for every little thing. It isn't the total that pisses people off it's the little charges. __________________ PorkQPine

10-17-2012, 06:27 PM	#3
HBMTN is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 10-16-08 Location: Virginia	Yes buffet style and there will be 2 to 3 of us working it depending on the menu choices they end up choosing.

10-18-2012, 09:09 AM	#5
HBMTN is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 10-16-08 Location: Virginia	Yes $33 would cover my cost of paying labor. Then I'm thinking at least $30 for my labor. Then I am wondering if I should slightly increase the amount of food cooked because more food may be eaten with the extended serving time? I was thinking this would put me closer to $75-$100 or are you saying I should just charge the $33 to be fair? That is what I don't know. Thanks for your input.

10-18-2012, 10:51 AM	#6
Hawg Father of Seoul is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 09-14-10 Location: Rogers, AR	When I did catering, we made reasonable accommodations gratis. I would consider it a $33 investment in my business. A business that I sold at a profit. $40 would be more than fair to you and your client.

10-24-2012, 07:37 PM	#8
HBMTN is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 10-16-08 Location: Virginia	Bubba my pricing includes buffet service for one hour. Guests serve themselves from the buffet line, if we have the buffet open additional time I will have to pay the additional labor to people working with me and I am figuring guests may eat more food with a longer serving time so maybe I should ramp up the food amounts a little.

10-25-2012, 07:09 AM	#9
1Cavman Got Wood. Join Date: 10-17-12 Location: Vandergrift, PA	When we do caterings we charge for food per person. Labor is separate and includes prep, service and clean up. If the event is for 4 hrs that's what we bill for. I try to make sure that there is always something to eat during the event.

11-03-2012, 09:14 AM	#11
Cooknhogz On the road to being a farker Join Date: 10-28-12 Location: BBQn in NW, Pa. cuz a brothers gotta eat.	Totally agree with PorkQPine. I charge one amount and if I don't have to go way out of my way theres no extra charge which equals much more Biz down the road. Just my 2 cents