Why do many Q joints go so "skimpy" on their sides?

[deguerre]

And if you think about it, $9.99 is a more realistic price for four/five ribs and two half cups of sides. Now, the owner might WANT to charge more but does he NEED to... :becky: :wink:

Got ya covered. Cozy Corner - 4 bones, bread and two sides for 9.75.:thumb:

Seriously though, it seems the 3 to 4 oz portion is universal and I'd love more tater salad, slaw or beans too...the only deal on sides seems to be fries.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Got ya covered. Cozy Corner - 4 bones, bread and two sides for 9.75.:thumb:

Seriously though, it seems the 3 to 4 oz portion is universal and I'd love more tater salad, slaw or beans too...the only deal on sides seems to be fries.

Yeah you're right. The 3-4 oz seems to be the "standard".

 

[landarc]

Fries are so cheap, it is amazing. A real profit center for fast food places. In fact, my buddy out here with a burger joint has moved to frozen fries as most folks prefer them. Amazing.

 

[Gore]

Fast food places learned that very little of their cost is the actual food and were more than happy to supersize. I am much happier paying an extra 50 cents for decent size sides and am more likely to return. I HAVE been served sides in those sample tubs before, but not in quite a while. Either they don't do it as much, or subconsciously, I've avoided those places. I really don't know which. Incidentally, the sides at BBQ places are usually outstanding.

 

[Cahusky]

I am one of those people that stupidly orders a pound of brisket at a order by the pound place, knowing full well I can't eat a pound at one sitting.

Sissy.

 

[ricksegers]

I agree with this small sides issue. We have a joint here that is pretty good but they want 12.99 for two spare ribs and two very small sides. And then to add insult to injury it's 2.49 for a glass of iced tea.

 

[Mitch]

Why? $$$$$$$

 

[landarc]

Rick, it sounds like the place you are describing is just flat scrimping on everything.

 

[Meat Burner]

Profit margin. It's that simple. Really, it is.

 

[Bigmista]

I agree that the main attraction of the show is the meat. However, as a consumer I don't go to a food establishment with no care at all about the sides. It is a part of my dining experience and is part of what I pay for. But that's just me. I treat Q joints no different than I would treat any other restaurant that I’m spending my money at. I want a fair trade or about as close to one as we can get. Where I walk out of there feeling I had a good experience, got what I paid for and the owner made some money.

I completely understand that good quality Q joints (not the low in jobs) will naturally have higher prices. It's not like going into a pizza joint where you can feed an entire family for under $25. However, with those higher prices come higher expectations. I do not have any issue paying a premium for good Q. But if I'm going to pay $12.99 for a regular size rib plate then I expect to get more than what amounts to a child’s size portion of sides. Now if the place was selling it for $9.99 or less I don’t think I’d have the right to argue.

We sell a rib plate with 3 bones (4 if it's the short end) and 2 sides (they fill up the 2 smaller compartments in a 3 compartment tray) for $9.50. Same for rib tips and pulled pork. Turkey or brisket is $10. Tri-tip or links is $10.50. Nobody complains (except the people who complain about everything).

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Profit margin. It's that simple. Really, it is.

We know that. But my question is how much of a difference is it from a monetary standpoint? Can you put a number to it? Does adding two more ounces of sides to each plate reduce profit by $20K per year, $50K, or $100K or more?

 

[MilitantSquatter]

We know that. But my question is how much of a difference is it from a monetary standpoint? Can you put a number to it? Does adding two more ounces of sides to each plate reduce profit by $20K per year, $50K, or $100K or more?

I think you know this, but the total would totally depend on actual volume a place does..

Think about it... it they are giving you four ounces. and you want an extra two at the same cost, that's a 50% increase at no cost... Food costs are going up all the time, yet most establishments don't change their menu price either at the same rate.. They take losses too, unless they can cut their OPEX elsewhere

One other thing closely tied to profit, is portion control.. The cups ensure a staff is being somewhat consistent in the amount per order.

At most restaurants, so much food gets tossed in the garbage that people don't eat (especially women, children and elderly of both sexes), the business owner may just be playing the %'s figuring the return on investment for the few who want more is not worth it, as they may just pay for an extra side if they are hungry...

 

[seattlepitboss]

Unfortunately that's not always feasible. Especially when you're coming out of church, leaving a movie etc. and "the group" wants to go grab a bite to eat and the consensus of the group is BBQ.

For the most part I do my own bbq when I want Q. But in some cases as mentioned above I end eating a Q joint. And not all of them are bad. But Whether in the good ones or the bad ones I've just found that for the most part they go very skimpy on the sides.

Fair 'nuff. Then ask skeptically when you order, "So are do those sides come in those awful tiny cups?" If you want, even ask them to show you. Couple ways to go after that. You can sweet-talk your waitress to see if she'll flip you some extra ("Any way I could get a little more than that? I'm HUNGRY!") or you can roll your eyes and make a fuss about it, hoping to draw attention from other diners. Take your pick.

 

[Lake Dogs]

The counter side of profit margin in this case is opportunity cost. If the customer isn't happy, the next time they come out of church do they look at the BBQ restaurant and decide to go to the pizza restaurant instead (opportunity loss) because he felt a little ripped off. Having great tater salad is only as great as people/customers satisfaction. So, by increasing from 4oz to 6oz sides, would the customer traffic increase? 10%, 20%?

 

[lionhrt]

I agree with Vinny, When I used to work as a cook I and just learning to cook my kitchen manager put it this way " if you put an extra slice of cheese on something it only cost 10 cents (yes this was a long time ago) but if you do that on every plate and have 200 customers a day that is 20 bucks a day and if you do it 365 days a year that is over 7000 dollars and that is just one thing. That is why we portion control everything because the customers cost of the meal is set to our cost plus the labor and overhead such as the building, insurance and equipment up keep" i never did forget the way she put it the entire time I was a cook or kitchen manager

 

[SmokeOCD]

$15 dollars and satisfied is much better than $11.99 and feeling cheated. I'm just saying, as a consumer - I don't go out often, but when I do - I want a full meal. Charge what you need to, give good size portions.
Thing is, as Americans - we're conditioned for gut busting portions. That's the only way you feel you got your money's worth is if you feel like a beached whale after the meal.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I think you know this, but the total would totally depend on actual volume a place does..

Correct. That is the reason I was trying to get someone in the business to maybe (without disclosing too much of their financial laundry) use their business as example and say:

"Well, if my business did that it would roughly reduce our profit by 'X' amount per year."

As an accountant many times I look at things from a materiality standpoint. From this scenario (if I had financial numbers to look at) I would take the numbers and determine if increasing the portion size of the sides by 2 oz would make that big of a difference in profit over one calendar year compared to how many more customers would potentially come in due to getting more for their money. There are tons of ways to look at it.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

The counter side of profit margin in this case is opportunity cost. If the customer isn't happy, the next time they come out of church do they look at the BBQ restaurant and decide to go to the pizza restaurant instead (opportunity loss) because he felt a little ripped off. Having great tater salad is only as great as people/customers satisfaction. So, by increasing from 4oz to 6oz sides, would the customer traffic increase? 10%, 20%?

Exactly my line of thinking. :thumb: Are you an accountant? :becky:

 

[PorkQPine]

Usually the reason is the price point they need to stay at in order to be competitive in their market area. If their area can't handle more than $12.99 pp for a rib plate they have to cut somewhere. When you have to cut costs to remain competitive most raunts cut portion size not quality. When you start cutting quality you start losing business. Every area of the country is different in what they can charge and each city has areas where the prices vary due to the neighborhood. I hate the raunts that pile crappy food on the plate but there is a raunt in my area that puts so much food on the plate that everyone coming out after dinner has two or three bags of food to take home. Crappy food but they are busy.

 

[Wampus]

OK, I know that your OP asked the question about how much more would it cost to increase sides, and I have no idea about that. I have, however, thought about this and after reading the entire thread and all the responses of those here that run restaurants or cater (or both) I'd say that I see their side of it.

It wouldn't seem like increasing side portions would cost all that much, but as I understand it profit margins are a very important and critical thing. AND easy to eat away at.

Like Vinny and lionhrt said, a simple addition of anything, no matter how seemingly insignificant adds up and comes right off the bottom line.

AND, as Bigmista said, the thing that brings people into a good BBQ place is the BBQ, not the sides. I go for the meat. I always order fries and slaw because I prefer those 2, but I only really need/want a taste of it. I go there for the ribs. If I wanted slaw or beans, I can get that down the road at the grocery store.

Ask yourself this question.......would your decision between two BBQ places be made only on sides or would it be which one produces a better product of meat? I mean, if one place gave you a chitload of sides, but had not as good of Q, would you chose that place? I'm guessing most of us would say no. As Mista said....sides are really incidental.

I get your point buzzard, I do. But I think the answer to you're general question of how much does it really cost is......it costs too much to do it. Whatever the number is, it's too much. If not, everyone would do it, but they don't.