Meat, it's whats for dinner


 
S

Steve Petrone

TVWBB Platinum Member
Meat for dinner for sale. Not catering. Not a restaurant. Just sell meat for take out? Does that have a chance?
Sell smoked butts, briskets and birds. It's different I know.
It is much easier to concentrate on just cooking the meat. My guess is that most would want to buy sides too. Another crazy idea from me.
 
Steve,

I too have thought about it.... If nothing else, might possibly make a nice supplemental income.

Q'n, Golf'n & Grill'n.... too many choices!
Gary
 
Steve, I sold Q this summer and only had 3 sides. Keri's beans which I think you are familiar with. I think I remember you posting to that thread. Danny's garlic cole slaw and my wifes potato salad. All were a big hit. Heck I had several customers that just came in for the sides.
 
A lot of us are getting a lot of mileage out of those beans. Heck, they were published in the Tulsa World last week, so there'll be a lot of folks makin' 'em now. I made four gallons for my Senior-Q this last weekend, and they were most all gone, as we fed about 140 including my volunteers and the musicians. Bet that was a gassy place Saturday night!
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Right you are, Steve. All that expertise and personality wrapped up in one beautiful package! How about Keri for Den Mother to TVWB?

Rita
 
OOOOOHHHH ya'll are just too sweet... although I have to admit that like that TVWB Den Mother thing. Den Mother on my good days, and Mistress of the Pits (or Mistress Pit B*%ch, as I've been called upon occasion when I suddenly became a tyrant during turn-ins) on my bad days.
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Steve, it's gotten to where we're doing sort of what you suggest above, to get back to your meat sales thread here. We don't do it as a regular business, but we do it for many friends and neighbors - they request it, we cook it, wrap it up, and they come get it. I've joked around about getting a flag to go in the front yard and telling the neighbors that if the flag is up, I'm cooking that weekend and they can bring over whatever they'd like to have me throw in the smoker for them. If one's meats are good enough, and the word gets out, yes - the type of sales you're describing will go well.

There used to be a guy with a mobile pit that had a deal worked out with a market near our house - he cooked in his little trailer out in the parking lot, then carried his wrapped meats in to a steam table in the front of the store to sell himself - those meat sales did NOT go through the store's registers, but through his own pockets. Deal was, he kept store goods there on his steam table area as well - BBQ sauce, pickles, loaves of bread, that kind of thing, and when someone would buy half a brisket, a dozen hot links, 3 lb pulled pork, or the like, they'd most likely buy some of the store's products as well and go back through the store's checkout line again. I don't know what their financial agreement was, but he was there for a long time, particularly late afternoons when people were looking for a quick dinner, and on the weekends. I think the smell of BBQ in the store probably subconsciously stimulated people to buy more regular groceries. Add to that the fact that as people were checking out during that pre-dinner store rush they were staring straight at the BBQ table at the front of the store, and I think it was a win-win situation for both of them.

Keri C
 
Keri, I like the flag idea. Pool owners use that one too. A friend has a quiet food gig. Makes caseroles etc. freezes them. Its self serve and a honor system out of her garage. Not bad if you are in a pinch and you can count on the quality.
I am intrigued with the BBQ in the market. Another friend is a ceo of a rather large premium grocery chain. When I was looking for the next adventure. Read occupation. I wrote a two page letter on the opportunities I saw in his stores. BBQ was on the list. Also, chefs, as in 'trained' chefs doing the whole prepared food thing. It has been interesting that though I have no grocery training or experience and therefore not a good fit... guess whats going on in the renovated stores. Yep much of what I suggested. I am not patting myself on the back-well maybe a little-it just goes to show it is not where you go to school or what degree you have etc. It is about what you observe and learn and then apply.

One final thought, what about a market (think food court) where food specialists could sell their products. BBQ, bread, cheese, sausage, pies, cakes, casseroles, soup....Anything that you cant buy in a modern grocery. All home made-hand made. Fresh. I have been in Amish markets that do this very thing. I like the sound of this....
 
Steve, think of the downtown market in Charleston - they do that there, along with the grass baskets and other such goods, as has been done for many years. Also the ... uh... North Market, I think is the name of it, in Columbus, OH. Many of the old markets that have survived or been rejuvenated work on this very principal. When we're able to find such a market, it's a special treat indeed.
 
Steve
In your neck of the country I think you would sell as much as you could cook. I am sure many of us have thought of making money pursuing our passion but that is also dependant on where we live and if we have the market for it. I know that where I am from in GA BBQ is much more popular than where I live now and Carolina is a definite hot spot for BBQ lovers. In my opinion, you only live once and you will always wonder "what if" unless you go for it! Who knows you may find a great niche and have chains of smoker joints around the south before ya know it. Start small and pursue your dream!.......Keep us posted if you try the venture and when I pass through I surely seek you out to try your Q
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If it was in my power to do this at the moment, I would jump right in, even if you start off small on the weekends. I don't have my big pit yet, to do this as a commercialy testable venture.

If you have the hook up with your local grocery ceo, put yourself on the correct legal footing, jump through the hoops to make it the right way from day one, then load your cooker on a Friday night, cook all night, and see what you can sell from your pit in a local grocery market, from Saturday mid morning, when the last one sells, go hame count the money, and report back here, so we can all add our 2 cents in how to improve next Saturday.

If you also offer to buy your meat from the store and include that fact on your signs, I'm sure you will get a better than competative rate on your meat.

I know that the first step of this journey is a doosie, but once you are over that hump and are legal to sell, health permits and insurance in hand, you can even stretch it out by starting a load Friday morning, if your pit runs well at an even temp, or you have some way or someone who will check on it, to make sure it holds up ok, you could then sell Friday nights too, out of coolers in the same parking lot / store, and have your Friday nght / Saturday morning preheat already done for you.

Man you have just sent my brain into overdrive with the possibilities to do something similar out here in the West. Need to have a shed on the trailer to do it from, or out here you'd freeze in the back and burn in the front.
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I'd also think about getting started with just pork and ribs, once you have them rolling along you could try other things.
 
Guys there are a couple of issues to consider here.
#1 BBQ and cooking is my therapy. Cheaper than the real stuff I would imagine. BBQ and related is a hobby. My father in law made a very good living in the fishing tackle business-manufacturing the original 'Doll Fly'. He ruined a perfectly good hobby. He rarely ever fished after he got out of the business.
#2 I do not know what I do not know! Darn has that one cost me more than once. Pros with 10x's, make that 100x's more knowledge than I fail at an alarming rate in the food business.
I believe I'll keep this a hobby for now.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">#1 BBQ and cooking is my therapy. Cheaper than the real stuff I would imagine. BBQ and related is a hobby. My father in law made a very good living in the fishing tackle business-manufacturing the original 'Doll Fly'. He ruined a perfectly good hobby. He rarely ever fished after he got out of the business. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Been there, done that....... A legitimate concern.

Q'n, Golf'n & Grill'n..... too many choices!
Gary
 
Steve, I know exactly where you're coming from. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that same story - a hobby gone wild to where it becomes work. On the other hand I've heard about guys who've done it successfully and love it. I thought the same thing as you about taking this to another level. My concern(fear) would be it would turn to "work" (UGHHHH) and my love and passion for this hobby would be gone. There has to be some way of testing this out so you can do it maybe on a temp basis to see how you feel. Then make a decision if you want to jump in with both feet. I'd be real interested to see how you come out.
 
Sounds like the informal friend and neighbor approach would suit best for you at this point. I'm like you - if I had to do it for a living, I'm afraid the fun would go out of it, and I know for sure that I'd go broke, as I like giving it away too much. My somewhat incomplete research indicates that restaurants tend to go under more quickly than any other new business, and that BBQ restaurants close faster than most any other variety of restaurant. Sure, we can all cook incredible Q when it's for family and friends, who may tell us in all sincerity that we should open a restaurant. Consider, though, that at this point we're able to concentrate the love on much smaller loads of meat, and only on the meat. I've talked to several friends who tried opening BBQ restaurants, and they were both of this opinion. When the love has to be spread out not only over much larger quantities of meat but over business plans, hiring good help, dealing with suppliers, dealing with payroll tax issues, employees that don't show up, 2nd-guessing what your big sales times will be and trying to arrange your cooking schedule to match those demands, and sleeping with the smoker 7 nights a week because you haven't found someone you can trust to do cooker duty yet, eventually your restaurant Q that was so incredible in the backyard may lose something in the translation, and it may now taste like (gasp!) average restaurant BBQ. When you can keep that love, though, it's wonderful - as long as you're prepared for all the rest of the business and financial dealings.

Cooking special requests for friends and neighbors is a different story, though, if you have the capacity. I ran both WSMs three nights straight, and our previous OkJoe's clone stickburner and a WSM all day on a Saturday to get the 4th of July neighborhood requests done. (That's one reason there's a Diamond Plate Fat 50 out back now in addition to the WSMs.
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) I know that I CAN pull off a 3-meat fully catered cooked-onsite double-line buffet gig for 130-140 while managing a volunteer staff of 10 to accomplish it, because I did it last weekend for a Senior-Q event at the Senior's apartment complex where my grandmother lives. It was NOT easy, though, and doing it professionally day in and day out would definitely not be my idea of fun - I greatly admire those who have mastered such operations. Doing it for special events like a Senior-Q or something like that is different.

Just my 2-cents worth...

Keri C, still smokin' on Tulsa Time (who still can't make a short post to save her life...)
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jeff T Miller:
Zig Ziggler says if you find something you love to do for an occupation, you will never work a day of your life. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That and your signature line should be enough to spur anyone forwards.

I do hear what you say Steve about not wanting to turn it into work, and it sure could turn into work if you let it, but as a form of supplemental income with the possible connection to a grocery store CEO, it almost seems reckless not to give it a go on a limited part time, twice a month, second and fourth Saturday or whatever days you choose, sort of way!

I also see and agree with Keri C that to go for broke with a resturant would probably kill it, but I for one will take hold of the bright torch of honest bbq, and as soon as I have a pit that could do this job on, I will be attempting it one day a week, till the meat is sold out!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jeff T Miller:
Heck I had several customers that just came in for the sides. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I wish our meat was our signature dish but it's our Garlic Smashed Spuds. Customers love and rave about our meats but the stupid spud is the signature dish and many just buy that. Recipe is dead easy spuds, marge, salt and granulated garlic.
 
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