BBQ and a Garage Sale


 
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Ben A Hillis

TVWBB Member
This is my first posting because you guys have seemed to have answered all my questions here already. So here goes...
I am going to have a garage sale in about a month I have been playing around with the idea of selling BBQ sandwiches as well. Which leads to my questions...
1. Is selling BBQ at a garage sale legal or do I need a permit?
2. If this is okay to do how much would you charge for one sandwich, homemade fries and something to wash it down with?
3. How do you keep the food warm? I have a Weber gasser, should I put the meat in a pan and put the grill on low? Or can it stay in a pan in the WSM?
Like I said I am playing around with the idea. I'm thinking $4.00 a sandwich and I have almost half a pork shoulder paid for. Let me know.
Ben
 
I would think state and local ordinances covering such activity would require a permit and an inspection. No matter how up-to-snuff you are on cleanliness and process, you may still be denied due to zoning restrictions. Then there's the whole liability issue to consider.
 
Great minds must think a like. Up here in the hills of Lowell, my neighborhood has a big yard sale every memorial day weekend. I had thought that next year I would sell some Q' while my wife ran the garage sale. Thousands of people stroll through the neighborhood and I could make a little spending money. Mabye get another grill
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As for zoning regs, good question. My neigbor and her girls across the street sold hot dogs for a 1.50, and I'm sure they didn't bother to get a zoning permit. So, I don't think I would get one next summer if I do it. But, I might call and see if one is necessary. I'm thinking like Doug - liability issues are more of a problem then anything for me. As much as I hate it, that more than anything would cause me to hesitate.

I think your correct with the idea of either keeping it warm in the gasser or the wsm. That's exactly what I had thought to do. Do you plan on having the pork done before the sale, or are you planning on still having the smoker going - probably sell more if you had the smoker filling up the place with all that great pork smell.

As for price, 4.00 might be a little steep for a garage sale, but then again I never got far enough in my thinking to sit down and figure out a price. The type of people that come to yard sales are usually looking for a deal and I don't know if they would be willing, or expecting to, to fork over four dollars for a sandwich. I remember somebody asking my wife if she would take 15 cents for a 25 cent item.
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Other than that, I think you should do it. It would give you a great chance to show off and promote the art of bbq
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What are the chances somebody from the Health Dept will be in attendance?

Then again, all it would take is one person to make a claim that they've been "harmed," and it could ruin your whole day/week/month/year/life. (Sorry)
 
The liability issue is too great to do it. Why would you even want to? Take that pull pork and use it to pay your friends/family for their trouble in doing the garage sale.
 
I don't know about where you live, but where I live, it is not legal to sell food without having an inspected commercial kitchen, and under NO circumstances to they let you store, keep, prepare or sell food at a residence.

Now, that said, the odds of the health dept catching you on a weekend are pretty low. And the laws there may be different than where I am.
 
You could do this ... when people come over to see the food they've been smelling, you could say "Would you like some?" When they say "Sure! you ask ... " and how many items have you purchased at the garage sale? ... None? I'm sorry, you'll have to come back later."
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How about asking for a "donation" instead? You could put up a sign asking for $4 donations. But, I think you'll have to be prepared to give one away for free if they don't want to pay in case there is an official there. Would this donation route remove some of the liability/illegality?
 
Thanks for all the replies. Doug of course is the voice of reason of why not to sell. But yes I have seen people grilling hot dogs and selling those as well.
If I did go through with this I would have the BBQ ready by lunch time, so that everyone will be smelling everything that I am cooking while they are browsing.
I do think Ed has a good idea with an "Expected Donation" for all that come by, because technically I am giving it away. Like I said I am still playing around with the idea. My last garage sale I smoked a pork picnic for everyone that helped me out, that is where the idea came from. I'll let you all know what I did.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ed Jones:
How about asking for a "donation" instead? You could put up a sign asking for $4 donations. But, I think you'll have to be prepared to give one away for free if they don't want to pay in case there is an official there. Would this donation route remove some of the liability/illegality? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm not a lawyer but I don't think asking for donations would protect you from anything legally. You run the same risk "giving it away for donations" as you do just selling it. I don't think an "official" would be fooled so easily.
 
Just sell small chip/cookie bags and soda/bottled water at a good mark up. Easy to double or triple your money. No hassle at all.
 
I am working on opening up a restraunt of sorts you may have seen my thread here on the forums. Anyhow I spent a good half hour on the phone with a guy from the health department. He told me that if I want to cook on a weekend before I am really set up that I had an option that I could get a I forget what he called it now. It was a license that lasted just a couple of days. It is used like at a fair where they serve food a couple of days and leave. I can't remember how many days it was good for but I think it was 4 days. The price locally for the license is $80.
 
I was thinking along the lines of Jeff's post.

At any number of local events there are always numerous small food booths operated by local groups. I imagine that some type of inspection or license is required, but I can't believe that the requirements are too strict.

Definitely check into it ... I wouldn't just wing it ... "Psssst ... buddy ... want some Q?"
 
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