How much should I charge people per slab for baby back ribs that they bring to me to Bar-B-Que. What's fair?

Question

People bring the food...I prep it, season it, and barbecue/smoke it for them. This is competition style barbecue...16 hour briskets and shoulder...ribs, seafood, whatever!!

Answer 1

Consider your time, the cost of rub, seasoning, sauce, ingredients, travel, and your time, I would go into business doing this as a side hustle and it would be posted an listed as a restaurants does:

Rack of Ribs ------$XXX
Briskets -------------$XXX
Seafood------------ $XXX

When cooking for others, please consider all of these things and come up with a price that is fair but is in consideration of what you are doing.

I say Briskets - $25.00
Ribs $ depends on size
Seafood depnds on how much.

Answer 2

look at it this way, meat is the material which cost anywhere from $5 to over $15 a pound. plus if you add your own seasoning, charcoal, and lighter fluid to do the cooking. then there's the cooking, labor work that takes time to get the "work" done. take all into consideration then decide how to charge for the bar-b-que. (just a bit of advice, the b-b-q shack where i live sells there plates for $4-$8. the plates include meat, 1 or 2 sides, a roll and a drink.)

Answer 3

Around here (midwest). Ribs go for around $6 to $8 per pound cooked and ready to go. Brisket is in the $5 to $6 per pound range cooked. Thats about triple the cost of the uncooked meat per pound. Ok, backing up and assuming you have no costs for the meat and discounting loss due to fat, I would think that $3 to $4 per pound on ribs and $2 to $3 per pound on brisket. You might keep it simple and just go with a flat rate of $3 per pound (uncooked). Although I don't do competition, when you factor in your time, spices/rub, and fuel costs, I know it is at least that.

Answer 4

I could be wrong but in Illinois, you could not do this business without a health inspector getting all over you and stopping by for testing etc. You'd need to be licensed as a food preparer/vendor and might be required to get a food preparers license( which mean successfully completing a course)

Even if you don't need that, if someone ever gets sick and can tie it to your cooking, the legal paper will fly.

Having said that, I think the whole concept is neat and envy you and your experience. I dont agree with all the laws but there it is. I'd bucher venison for people but I would definitely have to be licensed.

Answer 5

Never heard of this. $5? maybe?

Good luck! It sounds good! :)