2000 person pickle

[hossrocks]

I'm in a pickle of sorts and I need some advice. I have been offered a bike rally/ country concert. They are distributing 3000 tickets. We are planning for 2000 to show. I will be the only vendor on site. I plan to serve my usual vending menu Brisket and pulled pork sammies, hot links, dogs and burgers. We will be open for biz from 4pm-10pm with a captive audience.
Thus far I have one 16ft vending trailer to serve from. My thought is to set up a couple of satalite grills with warmers.
Has anybody tacken on anything like this?

[Chuckwagonbbqco]

if you are serving 2000 people over a 6 hour period, that averages out to approx 330 people per hour, or 5 1/2 people per minute, or 1 customer every 11 seconds.

Most trailers are limited in size, and have only one or 2 serving windows. Trailers are awesome but become bottlenecks due to their size and working area. I think it would be almost impossible to serve that amount of people out of a trailer alone. If 2 more stations could be set up to serve from---it would lighten the load on the trailer.

Things kinda depend on what your local Health Dept requires, or if they will even check to see what you are doing.

That amount of meat is going to require quite a bit of holding area also. Brisket and pulled pork can be cooked in advance----but vending is a guessing game and you can either run out, or take home hundreds of pounds of cooked meat and no money.

When vending large events I like to cook tri tip. I like brisket better than tri tip, but tri tip cooks quicker and can save you if meat supplies start geting depleted.
Vending is vending, catering is catering and competition bbq is competition bbq. I cook differently for each purpose.

When vending I usually use an open Santa Maria style pit---I know that it is not smoking, however an open grill will outsell a closed smoker every time. People buy with their eyes----an open pit will draw a crowd faster than a closed smoker. At many vending events I cook in a large smoker, but still keep an open pit going with meat on it for people to see.

I would suggest figuring out how to use what equipment that you have to be able to serve the optimimum amount of people in the shortest time. If you are able to do so, I would set up a seperate condiment table to let people make their own sandwiches --and just mass produce plain sandwiches. Good luck--if I was closer I'd give you a hand.----------Leonard

[jbrink01]

I do 1200 people every fall at an event. I set up 2, 2 sided buffet lines and it takes 40 minutes to get them through. I did 1600 at a different event last year and it was pulled pork and sides ONLY, for everyone. You will work your arse off.

I would take Pulled Pork for 1200 (300#'s) and Brats for 1000, 3 sides and go. You can buy a Johnsonville Pre-Cooked brat called a Sheboygan. Restaurant Depot can order them. They are very good and will heat up in 45 minutes if you run short. Start with maybe 300 brats hot and play it by ear. Heat as you need and freeze what u don't.

[smokinit]

Thats a bigin Hoss I would again see what HD will allow you to do and try to set up additional serving spots next to you to lighten the load. Good luck brother!!

[Bigdog]

Having a seperate "drinks only" line can be a good thing too.

[early mornin' smokin']

health department, and fire marshall are big things, see what they will let you do. If it rains are you still expected to make a good showing?

There are soooo many variables here, are people allowed to bring in food and drink, and you are the SOLE supplier for the entire venue, if so, id double think it.

Im with jbrink01, go with a lot of pulled pork, pre cooked brats can totally save your arse, sabarets only take a few minutes to warm and slap on a roll. But main thing is you have to make a show, you can have to whole hogs cooking in the smoker, but that wont help you sell burgers and drinks....ie moneymakers.

[hossrocks]

Originally Posted by early mornin' smokin'

There are soooo many variables here, are people allowed to bring in food and drink, and you are the SOLE supplier for the entire venue, if so, id double think it.

Lol, yea we will be the only game out there. No food or drink will be allowed in the concert area. We are gonna pool all our resources together and swing for the fences. Our menu will be Pulled Pork, spicy sausage, Chorizo and Burgers and Dogs. Everything minus the burgers are heat and eat.