Speaking of, I need help. Anybody have a large smoker, is willing to travel, and wants to make some money in a couple of weeks?
June 21st and 22nd I've already got orders for a few hundred people and this lady has called the restaurant begging us to do a graduation party for 200 that same weekend. I've already told her we can't do it, but she is persistent. She's already ordered 40 quarts of mac and cheese, but she's begging for pork.
So, if you have a decent sized smoker and would be willing to hang out cooking meat on the 21st and 22nd, I'd pay you as a temp employee. Plus you could spend a couple days learning about running a bbq joint by being an integral part of it.
If this might work, let me know. If nobody can help, no biggie and I'll just turn down the rest of the orders and it won't be the end of the world.
EDIT: While I was sitting here typing this, somebody came in asking me to do a party for 150 on the 21st. Holy fark.
Turning away money sucks.
I've been wondering why you haven't put the formal invitation out yet.
Soooo....many guys wanting to do the same thing as you. Why not offer a total package? Say a two week intensive hands on training course on starting your own bbq restaurant (With a geography based non compete clause) for $5,000? IE, they pay you instead of you pay them.
Most of us are decent cooks, but we could all step up our game. If you had someone talking to you about all the potential pitfalls starting out, $5,000 would be a very small price to pay.