need help with a catering gig

Thats a complicated first cook!

You asked about figuring your cost? do you mean how much of each you will need to buy? Cost is easy. Just look at the price tags at the grocery store.
Amount you need to buy is a little trickier. How many people plan on eating hot dogs and burgers? are they just for the kids? A pound of COOKED pork will make 4 average size sandwiches, but you need to allow for shrinkage of the RAW meat ( about 40% with pork). Do they get a 1/4 chicken AND a pork sandwich or do they have to choose just one? If they get both, plan only one sandwich per serving. If they have to choose one type of meat, then plan on 2 sandwiches per serving.

1/2 hamburgers sounds like alot to me. Once they see and smell that pulled pork they will forget all about the hamburgers, even the younger kids seem to like pulled pork over hamburgers.

As far as side dishes go figure 1/4 cup or 4oz per serving. You will probably end up with leftovers but its better to have alittle too much than not enough.

Good luck!

For four meats and 4 sides, I would be charging in the area of $17/person. Don't forget you have to charge for your most valuable asset. Your time!

ulikadawgs said:

I was just approached about cooking for 150 people. They want pulled pork, 1/4 chickens, hamburgers, and hot dogs. I also need to make 4 sides beans, chips, corn, and potato salad. Can anyone offer some help on how I should figure out my cost? They want about half pork and half hamburgers with some chicken and hot dogs thrown in.

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You got some good advice on the meat issue. IMO 4 sides is too many, especially for a first cater but having said that, folks are going to eat about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of sides each. I figure that 5 quarts of beans will feed about 25 people and about the same for tater salad. Chips and corn I dont have any experience with cept for corn-on-the-cob in the summer, then I plan on 2 per.
Its been said before .... better to be lookin at it than lookin for it.

So far you have gotten some great advice. The largest gig I help out with is around 250 people, 25% of which are kids. It is a freebie (no charge) put on by a broker friend of mine for clients and family, so I don't have a clue about money and profits, etc. I think this is the 10th or 11th year, here is what I have learned. Just my $.02 as we are still learnin'

The tables are set up so the serving line is on one side only. We use small and medium plates and small bowls. This makes the line move faster and controls portions & waste. Big eaters can just take two plates or make a second trip.

Sides are the first thing in the serving line. Chips, beans, tater salad & coleslaw. A selection of buns and white Texas Toast is next.

After that we have "kids food" as in a roaster of sloppy joe style ground beef and a warming roaster with grilled hot dogs. Easy, and the kids love them. Usually the little kids bail out of the line at this point.

Then we have chicken, but only drumsticks, because they are easy to cook, they stay moist in the holding tray and they have a built in handle.

Then we have a table where 2 of us are giving samples, slicing meats to order or dishing up the pulled pork for either a plate or a sandwich. A minimum of two sauces are in squeeze bottles. This table is right in front of the smoker, so we can rotate products and keep things warm. What it really does is give us time to show off a little while explaining the lo-n-slo cooking process, the wood flavor, the various meats and sauces. It gives people the warm fuzzy feeling and makes them feel special. We also remind them that we have some go-boxes if there are any leftovers. We mix drinks or have our beer in insulated mugs, so we're not openly drinking in front of the guests. We use those disposable food serving gloves and we keep the cutting boards spotless.

Sweets like cookies or brownies are at the end.

Coolers of beer and soft drinks are the last thing in line.

Garbage barrels are everywhere.

Good luck on your Barbecue!

Why did that make me hungry?

The Woodman said:

Nice site ya got there Pete! Looks like you and I are livin a dream? Woodman

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Funny thing .... I've got yours bookmarked, you're doing pretty well yourself, nice site back atcha.
Yeah I guess living the dream is right, mine is a semi retirement business. We got a really short season here May to Sept, but its really busy. Kind of like having the rest of the year off.
Just happy to have something to keep me going.
What are your goals?