caterer needed for Bryan/College Satation Area

Smokin J's PIts · Jun 22, 2015

Reaching out to my Brethren on this one, I need to find a caterer in the Bryan/College Station area, or one who would come here for a Safety Luncheon we are hosting. It would be for about 150 people, now here is the kicker that I am having trouble with, we have recently changed our policy, we used to pay for services in cash, but have now changed to cutting a Purchase Order, and that is cutting out almost every place that I know of in our area, or the ones who are willing to accept a P.O. are way too high. If anyone has any feedback please let me know, the luncheon will be mid-July.

bizznessman · Jun 22, 2015

Is there a reason for requiring the acceptance of a P.O.? To get the "little guy's" pricing you may need to make an exception to your policy.

I believe you are experiencing the difference between the "little guys" and the "big boys". The "little guy" is much more dependent on cash flow than the "big boys". The "big boys" are figuring in the cost of delayed cash flow as an EXTRA overhead expense and charging accordingly. (and there could be other reasons they are higher due to their operational size)

i.e. you would be paying a premium that covers the cost of covering the amount of time their monies are covering the expenses of waiting for actual payment. Their assets are tied up for a longer period of time causing finance costs (albeit they may just be their own rather than a bridge loan with interest, etc).

We do not accept P.O.'s for this very reason. We tried a few at the very beginning and found it was not unusual to wait 30-60-90 days for actual payment due to "red tape" and payment cycles on their end. This diminished our margin to the point that it was not worth doing the event(s).

Smokin J's PIts · Jun 22, 2015

I agree with you 100%, it is going to be very difficult to find someone who is willing to basically give a service and wait 30 days to get paid. I have argued this point many of times but our management wont allow it, there is just no way around it, but at the same time they wont approve 2300 to feed 140 employees roughly 16.50/head, so unfortunately I am the one who is caught between a rock and a hard place in trying to figure this out.

Bamabuzzard · Jun 22, 2015

How long will the caterer have to wait to be paid? If it's going to be thirty days or more you can just about scratch off any smaller business doing that.

Smokin J's PIts · Jun 22, 2015

Our PO are payable in 30, or what they call a net 30, and I can say that we are good about paying on time, occasionally if all the paperwork goes thru quicker, I have even seen our vendors get paid in as little as 10 days. I have found two that are willing to do it but they are not official caterers, and I am sure they have no business license and such, which we would require, I can get the insurance requirements lifted to enter our yard but that’s about as far as I can go.

bizznessman · Jun 22, 2015

Unfortunately it sounds like your "management" does not want a catered BBQ event. :sad:

And, IMHO, $16.50/person is NOT out of line. It also sounds like "management" does not understand what it costs to cater an event like this and is wanting something for nothing basically.

I feel for ya Brother, there is not much room between that rock and that hard place for you. :wink:

Smokin J's PIts · Jun 22, 2015

Believe it or not the price per head in our area runs between 8.5 and 12 depending on what you get, typically we get brisket, chicken, and sausage, two sides and tea for around 10/head, now that’s also paying cash. Unfortunately I work in the oil industry and 6 months ago they wouldn’t have batted an eye for 16.5 a head but now they are being very frugal, I may just break down and buy hamburgers and cook them myself, that’s starting to look like the only way this can be done.

Bamabuzzard · Jun 22, 2015

Smokin J's PIts said:
Believe it or not the price per head in our area runs between 8.5 and 12 depending on what you get, typically we get brisket, chicken, and sausage, two sides and tea for around 10/head, now that’s also paying cash. Unfortunately I work in the oil industry and 6 months ago they wouldn’t have batted an eye for 16.5 a head but now they are being very frugal, I may just break down and buy hamburgers and cook them myself, that’s starting to look like the only way this can be done.

Those are outstanding prices. Is it a buffet style setup or do you only get one time through with a choice of meats?

Smokin J's PIts · Jun 22, 2015

One time thru, you choose two meats, but the place we have been using always has left overs and about 1/2 get a second round, and I still have at least two hotel size pans of brisket and usually 3 or 4 pans of chicken quarters plus a little bit of sides left once the dust settles, and generally I send the left overs to our local women's shelter, I have a good contact there and she will almost always meet me here to pick up what our guys don't devour, and they are very gracious and deep down inside it gives me that warm fuzzy feeling to do a little good when I can.

Brett_daddy_bbq · Jul 4, 2015

Hey get with me at Brett_daddys_bbq@yahoo.com

caterer needed for Bryan/College Satation Area

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