Help!! regards to selling pulled pork sandwiches.

krazylegs

Okay, boys here it is I did some Que this weekend and it was awsome, so a friend of mine who works for the County suggested that I make some sandwiches up and sell them. she followed up by saying that there is no place to get BBQ here at all. And around lunch time there is no place close to go to.

I know that I would clean house and probably sell 40 - 50 sandwiches a whack.

so my questions would be

Do I invest in a cart?

what about licenses and permits, I dont want to sneak around like the tamale ladies do.

how do I keep it hot ( I know about the ice chest thing but I need something that will remain hot, some type of heat source).

how much should I charge? I was thinking about 3.50 per sammy, and 5.00 for chips and soda

and when should I Q it, fresh pulled form a long night of smoking, Q it, pull it freeze it then take out when needed.

I know that I am missing allot here but I need you guys to come through and give me some wisdom. I know of one of the guys that has a hot dog cart and just started selling brisket. And if i heard correctly he has been selling out.

sorry this post is so long but this idea has really got my wheels spinning.

DawgPhan · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 12 May 2005 Posts: 3444

I would think about maybe having them order a "plate" once a week and do it that way.. Something like Que, slaw, bread, and beans or something and set a price...then bring it down on a pre-set date. I dont know how big of an office it is or anything, but selling 40-50 sandwiches per day could a lot of work for you or a lot to expect...If you didnt sell one day you would have a lot of waste...so if you had people sign up for plates you could get things right each time...also you could smoke the pork ahead of time and vaccum pack it..and use what you needed each time..

I think that would be a good way to go, and you could probably skirt the regs for a little while like that...now if you wanted to get one of those catering vans you would have to get all of the certs and everything..

krazylegs · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject: pork

I was thinking of that also by having a flyer made up and just take phone orders, but I though that I would sell more by going to the site.

ohman · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject: Re: pork

ohman · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject:

One other thing....be prepared for the health inspector to give you crap about smoking your own meat, Mine is ok with it but I have to have a canopy over the top of it and I know this will vary everywhere. The other thing I have going for me is I live in Texas and you know how Texans love BBQ...Good luck to you and keep us posted.

krazylegs · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject: cart

How do you keep your Q warm, do you have steam trays in your cart? are there any other options? I know how texans love BBQ, Well im from California, and in my county our inspecters have small man sindrome, and think that they are some kind of god around here. How much are you charging for your sammies? Mine will be pulled pork.

krazylegs · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject: pulled pork

Dawgphan, I know that 50 sammies is allot, but I wouldnt do it one a week, I would make two runs like on a monday and wednesday. Thus expecting to sell 25 per day, does that seem more reasonable. or am i still off base with the calculation?

roxy · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject:

krazylegs:

Up here the going rate for a half pound sammy is $6.50 and $5.00 for a third of a pound sammich. You could probably bump that up a bit if you have slaw and tater salad as well.
I have done some catering gigs when I worked at the Smoke house and what we did was prepare the meat and place it in a tray, you want the meat so it is at temp when you arrive, use a small foam bowl to portion the meat and let the folks make their own sammies. Just an idea.
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krazylegs · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject: sammies

how do you keep it at the correct temp. for any period of time. Thanks for the suggestion conserning the portions.

roxy · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject:

You will need an insulated box that the pan fits into. One of those pizza delivery things should do ya just fine I would think. Or you could spend 5 or 6 hundred for a professional warmer.
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Do not rely on a rabbits foot for luck, it did not work out too well for the rabbit...

ohman · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject: Re: sammies

krazylegs · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject: pork

Ohman, how many sammies do you sell a day, do you go out every day, and I'm sure that you already answered this but, what type of smoker are you using. Question

I myself would like to use nothing but hard wood for 2 reasons 1) I think that it is a better quality, 2) the wood that I use now (oak) is free and I could have all that I want. But, the cons would be that I would be up all night tending the fire, and getting very little rest. I have also thought about getting a Treager, but the cost of those pellets would kill my "low over head policy"

also how many ounces do you pile on per sammie? and could you discribe your cart a little more so that I could try to configure some type of warming system. such as steam tables.

Roxy, how long would those pizza things hold the heat? an estimate would be greatif it could hold for two hours or so that would do me fine. and again, thanks for all the replies, I need them.

roxy · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject:

Dont think youd get two hours from the bags, but for going from home to the place your selling at would be fine, short time only I would think.
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Chargriller Akorn
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LIAR #100
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Do not rely on a rabbits foot for luck, it did not work out too well for the rabbit...

krazylegs · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject: pork sammies

thanks for the fast post roxy that hold time is about what I had figured also. and again I thank you fellas for comin through.

Now, if I could only get alien to give me his two cents worth, and where is fat cat at, havent seen him in a while.

by the way the wife has a funny attitude now that I could make a little money on the side she is all about getting a bigger smoker. well I for one am Shocked

Steve-O · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject:

Plus you can write the smoker off along with anything else associated with BBQ (except maybe beer).

50 sandwiches is 3 butts and you will be serving them indoors? I'd be inclined to cook them on the weekend, bag them up, then reheat in a slow cooker.
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"BBQ may not be a religion in Texas, but the two institutions are closely associated."
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Alien BBQ · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject: Re: pork sammies

ohman · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject: Re: pork

ohman · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject:

The cart is not that big but I can serve alot of food from it, the grill on the back is really a griddle(it has a griddle instead of the racks) so I can use it as a steamtable too .Here is my smoker setup.

roxy · Posted: Sep 20 2005 Post subject:

Real nice looking setup Ohman, not too big but you got all you need and I think you did a great job of making it all portable. Your doing it the way they did 80 years ago and I wish ya the best of success, just remember all the little guys when you got a chain of Oh Man BBQ pits.
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Chargriller Akorn
WSM
LIAR #100
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Do not rely on a rabbits foot for luck, it did not work out too well for the rabbit...

krazylegs · Posted: Sep 21 2005 Post subject: sammies

First off let me thank you guys for helping out. Okay, I have decided to raise my price per sammie, to $5.00, because it is better and allot bigger than Mcdonalds. I'm also going to the aluminium foil thing for better ease. And as far as compition goes, there is none, I will be the only one doing this in the whole tri-county area. Allien, could you go into a little more depth on a box design, I ask, because metal and electricity are not exactly my forte'. That idea you have mentioned about the hot plate and the metal box is genious to say the least would I get a deep pan that would rest in the box that healt the already wraped sammies? But I really wouldnt know how about going about the design phase of it. And I dig the part about piling the meat on a big bun or hoagy, I want the customer to feel in their belly that there $5.00 was well invested.