Quote:
Originally Posted by SmoothBoarBBQ
I just spent the last 3 years running my own BBQ food trailer and decided to close the doors yesterday. It's a fun ride but it's an insane amount of work, and since it's food related you're dealing with the government constantly. I'm not sure how taxes work in Canada but out here the government siphons off money continuously and constantly making it quite a challenge to turn a reasonable profit. Covid hit hard as well and it's pretty hard going month over month without making a single dime. Gas prices are soaring, food costs are soaring, energy costs are soaring, and it all adds up when you start doing your profit/loss sheets.
I was exactly where you are a few years ago and it was tough to get through all these hurdles. You've asked some very basic questions so I'll try and answer them as I can with my experience.
1. Before you buy a smoker you need to talk with the local government and figure out what kind of smokers they will allow you to use. I'm not exactly sure how it is in Canada but here in the US different cities and states will have different regulations. In some states an offset smoker is fine, but in other states they want you to have a fully stainless steel smoker which can run well into the $20K range. You also need to consider if running an offset is feasible if you don't already know what your wood supply situation is going to be. Can you get wood year round, and if so what are the costs? You can assume they will go up as the energy prices go up over the next few years. I started with a couple of offsets and after a year with no sleep I transitioned to a large insulated cabinet smoker. I got more sleep but I was spending more money as charcoal costs more than wood in my area.
2. Food truck vs restaurant : Are restaurants a good idea right now with Covid? I was just at a BBQ competition and we had a very well established BBQ chef who already had the wheels in motion with his restaurant when Covid started. He pushed through anyways and opened back in July... he's working his ass off to essentially break even as he still isn't allowed to open to 100% capacity. He's also not allowed to open his bar so more than 50% of his restaurant is "out of order." Food trucks are generally doing better with Covid restrictions so that might be the way to go. Food truck versus food trailer is something you'll want to look into as well.
3. Starting quantity is completely irrelevant at this point since you don't even know what kind of smoker you want / need / will be allowed to use.
4. Figure out the firewood versus charcoal situation before you spend a single dime on a smoker.
I'm not sure what kind of money you have on hand but if you will need to borrow any money to get started then you'll likely need a fully comprehensive business plan. There are quite a few different websites online (both free and premium) which will walk you through the process of setting up a business plan. Doing this plan will help you answer MOST of the questions brought up by @airdale. It will also force you to do your market research, setup a projected profit / loss sheet, a break-even-analysis, and from there you can kind of see whether or not your plan has the potential to be viable.
Good luck moving forward. I know it's exciting to think about opening a BBQ business, but it's still a business and you need to treat it like a business. It's not going to be cheap or easy, so doing the legwork and research before you spend your money is a must.
|
I'm sorry to hear you're closing up shop, and I hope your next stop is fulfilling. I've truly enjoyed following along your journey the last few years, and love the fact that you always take time to reply or give advice to others. I've personally learned from your efforts - you're a true Brethren and I wish you well.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
