Rub and Sauce- To Buy in Bulk or Not????

ssarich1 · Newbie Joined: 14 May 2009 Posts: 33

Hello smoke ringers! I lurk here often to get some insight and appreciate the knowledge. My dream to get into the BBQ business is coming to a full blown reality. However, I have a question.

I spend a lot of time making a rub and making sauce. I would like to know from your perspective does it make more sense to buy in bulk a good rub, maybe like Big Ron's? My rub is good, but it just seems to take time a good bit of money. The sauce is the same dilemia. It is good, but just curious how it has worked out for you guys. I would like to punch my ticket with my own unique sauce...etc. But as far as time and labor intensive would I be better off just purchasing?

Thanks

SoEzzy · Posted: Mar 25 2013 Post subject:

IMO you are trying to balance two impossibles on a teeter totter!

The reason you make your own, is to put your signature on the rub, the sauce, the recipe, it's about you and what you want, you sell it to your customers and hopefully it's what they want from you too!

On the other hand it takes time and money to develop, and then it takes time and effort to produce, and then can you possibly mark it up or incorporate it into the pricing on you food and make it pay!

Commercial sauce and rubs that are mass produced, can be a cost effective way, especially if for very little extra you can put a twist on it's tail. Or just buy the best tasting ones that you like, and get on with it.

From the consumers side of the coin, unless your rubs and sauces stand head and shoulders above the commercial ones, chances are 50% of your clients won't notice, 25% will notice but won't care either way, 17.5% will notice and will care, and 7.5% won't eat it if you change from what you are doing with your own touch, to fully commercial!
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ssarich1 · Newbie Joined: 14 May 2009 Posts: 33

Thanks Ezzy. If I decide to buy commercial I do not think it will be of the Kraft variety. I am not going to serve low scale becasue I want it to taste authentic. I just know that I am going to be busy with focusing on my meat and homemade sides. I will be honest and my Q taste great even without sauce becasue I will be putting a finishing sauce on the meat that is vinegar base. However, the BBQ taters and sandwiches HAVE to have a sauce and a lot of people just like sauce. I have not costed out my homemade sauce, but like you said it is a teeter totter. I just want myself and bottom line to be successful.

Geronimo · Posted: Mar 25 2013 Post subject:

For years I purchased rub by Williams Spice CO in Cleveland, TX. They have a couple different ones (pork/beef & chicken) and I was able to purchase them in 25# boxes.

I also purchased my sauce from Bourbon Q out of KY. They have 4-5 different sauces in different heat ranges. I bought 2 (a mild and a hot) in gallon sizes and the others by the smaller retail size where I could re-sell them. (bought for $3.23 and sold for $6.00)

The last couple of years I started making my own rubs and sauce and NOT ONE of my regular (I was a caterer) noticed the change or if the did, they certainly didn't say so. Shocked

I think the difference is, if you purchase a good quality commercial sauce guests will notice the quality even if they don't tell you so, if you purchase a cheap commercial sauce, people are going to notice and tell you either verbally or by stop going to your place to eat.

In the end, I enjoyed making my rubs but the sauce was time consuming just like you said.

If you sell your rubs/sauce in retail sizes, in most states you need a whole different lic/permits.
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MO Barbecue · Posted: Mar 26 2013 Post subject:

We make our own sauce and rub, nothing complex, but it gets the job done and I'm happy with the results.

My only advice is to try and distill it down to a process that can be completed by your absolute minimum employee so you don't have a wide swing in consistency. Myself and my manager are the only ones who make the rub, then the rub is in turn added to the sauce in an equal part as a few other ingredients for it.

One of the things I've learned in the short year I've been operating in BBQ is that your employees will do their best to mess up your recipes. The simpler you make it, the more consistent your product will be.

ssarich1 · Newbie Joined: 14 May 2009 Posts: 33

Thanks for the input guys. I am still up in the air. I think Bulk Rub- got some Big Ron's coming and will test this weekend, and making my own sauce. The sauce is a somewhat labor intensive, but cooked up in larger quanities should be manageble and a good bit cheaper. Thanks again for the input.

chachahutbbq · Posted: Mar 29 2013 Post subject:

One major reason - if you are going into the Q business whether catering, vending or with a joint - to make EVERYTHING yourself is this:

What happens if the place where you are buying rub and/or sauce goes out of business or decides to make changes to their recipe?
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Harry Nutczak · Posted: Mar 29 2013 Post subject:

We do our rubs from scratch, the pork rub is based off a 25# bag of sugar, and the spice additions are weighed to the 1/10th of an ounce.

My employees only know the sugar/salt ratio, I do everything else and keep the formula on my computer, and an external hard drive, a jump drive, and on a CD for back-up.

I mix in a 60Qt Hobart mixer, but I have seen people get a less expensive concrete mixer from "Harbor Freight" to do dry items like rub.

Sauce, We offer 6 varieties of sauce as condiments, 5 are on the table, one is reserved as a request-only due to it's heat level being insane.

Again, the Floor mixers do the mixing for the sauces.

For you, An affordable option is a nice stick blender and a 5-gallon food-safe bucket for mixing.
My sauces are not cooked, so it makes things easier. If you get from a commercial source, watch your shipping costs, many times it will exceed the product cost.
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qfanatic01 · Posted: Mar 29 2013 Post subject:

I farm out my rub base and add salt and sugar. It is cheaper than buying spice locally and mixing myself. I do add my own salt and sugar so I cut the shipping weight in 1/2 or more. There is not enough savings in salt and sugar to cover the cost of shipping them. As for sauce, it's saving up enough money to cover the run, since you have to prepay for several months inventory. Then more money if you want bulk and retail sizes. We use a base sauce and modify 5 variations. I would be happy just to get the 20 to 30 gallons of base we use a week and modify in house. It keeps my complete recipes a secret as well. Down the road it pays for it's self, but you have to have the seed money. Now that we are done spending money on remodeling I know I will be looking to make the sauce move.
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Mr Tony's BBQ · Posted: Mar 29 2013 Post subject:

I dont have a big kitchen outside my trailer so anywhere I can make it easier I do... Just yesterday I got my first 50 pound box of MY rub that I am having commercially produced for less than I pay for the spices, and they are fresher than any spices sysco, gfs or rd has in stock - penzies is just a few miles away from us, but their prices are insane IMHO!
Phil Wingo used to hang out here on The Ring more, but has started TSS foods in the Chicago area, they do both spice blends and sauces. They took my recipe and a sample of my rub and reproduced it to MY specs, then gave me an additional $50 credit off my first order - making this run cost less than what I could make it for, shipping and all! PLUS if I want to start moving it commercially, they will bottle, label etc....with runs starting under $1k
I agree with SoEzzy on the sauces...I DO make a few of my own, blend some off the shelf gallon jugs, and use some straight - The "generic" or gfs etc name brands are made to compete with SBR, cattlement etc. and some are quite good for a great price [ as low as $6 a gallon]
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daddywoofdawg · Posted: Mar 30 2013 Post subject:

Having your rub or sauces farmed out is a good way to go.
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Harry Nutczak · Posted: Mar 30 2013 Post subject:

Mr Tony's BBQ · Posted: Mar 30 2013 Post subject:

SoEzzy · Posted: Mar 30 2013 Post subject:

Links to information are links to information, links to spam the forum with ones own business, with a view to promoting your own business to other members, and attempt to get around paying advertising is what wakes the bear! Wink

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Bbq Bubba · Posted: Mar 31 2013 Post subject:

I make 2 different rubs and 4 sauces in house.

Cant call it yours if it isint.

I may also be sending my rub biz to tssfoods.com

Their prices are almost cheaper than me making it myself!
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