BBQ for sale

[troy64]

Has any of the brethren ever sold bbq to a restaurant? I have a friend of a friend that is interested in putting some smoked items on their menu but they presently do not have the kitchen facilities to cook it.

 

[Hillbilly BBQ]

What kind of information are you looking for?

 

[troy64]

Sorry. Just curious as to any formulas for pricing and any information from someone that has done this before or presently involved with it.

 

[Hillbilly BBQ]

I understand what your asking for now, I thought you were looking to sell a smoker to them....your looking at finished product for them.

Almost need the Taco Truck approach and keep separate of his stuff.

 

[HunkyDory]

I pre-smoke some burgers and steaks for a friend who owns a local restaurant. In payment I get free coffee in the morning.

 

[Rockinar]

Wouldn't you need a licensed kitchen to do that...legally at least? Not sure if I was a restaurant would I depend on a 3rd party backyard chef as a source for my menu items.

 

[Towen7]

It depends on the local law and regulations where you live. In most areas If you sell food, even to a re-seller, you are required to have a permit and your prep area must meet standards.

 

[IamMadMan]

Has any of the brethren ever sold bbq to a restaurant? I have a friend of a friend that is interested in putting some smoked items on their menu but they presently do not have the kitchen facilities to cook it.

When cooking BBQ for sale, even for a friend, you should be aware of the laws and the risks involved. By ignoring these and not investigating the legal requirements for any event, you are putting yourself at a great risk. Ignorance of the laws and regulations are not a defense, in fact it will just help to build a stronger case against you if something should go wrong.

First: Will you be operating within State, Local, and Health Department regulations? Do you have a business license? a food handlers permit? and will you prepare the food in a health department approved and inspected commercial kitchen and cooker?

Second: Do you have the proper liability insurance to cover you and the patrons who ingest food you cooked?

Be aware that without these two primary items being fully covered, you are taking a huge huge risk both personally and financially.

Lastly: No one should engage in the food business without being incorporated as a legitimate business. Without being incorporated you and all of your assets owned by you and your family are up for grabs in a lawsuit. Incorporating separates you and your personal assets from those of the recognized corporate entity. In a lawsuit they can sue the corporation but cannot come after you unless you blatantly caused harm as an individual.

It doesn't take someone to get ill to place a lawsuit against you, someone can just claim an illness to proceed with legal proceedings. Even if they don't win their case, how much will you personally spend on legal and lawyers fees?

Check your local health department laws, but I believe the only way around the legal issues above, is to have the restaurant own a smoker approved by local health code, and then hire you as a legal employee on the books and do everything on site in his approved commercial kitchen and his approved cooker. You then fall under his insurance and he holds all claims to liability because you are his employee.

 

[churrodog]

There was a thread about this exact topic within the last month or two, should be able to find in the catering/vending forum.

 

[Groundhog66]

Wouldn't you need a licensed kitchen to do that...legally at least? Not sure if I was a restaurant would I depend on a 3rd party backyard chef as a source for my menu items.

Agreed.....I find that to be weird, random folks supplying meat to a restaurant?

 

[daninnewjersey]

I sell BBQ at a farmer's market. The number of hoops I needed to jump through to set my stuff up legally is crazy. Knowing what the process is.....and the risks.... I (personally) won't consider selling anything outside the rules. Again that is JUST ME....and I'm only saying this so you investigate for yourself what can happen if God forbid something goes wrong.....

 

[poorolddan]

I'm pretty sure that after you find out all the things needed and cost and what your buddy is willing to pay you will find out there is no profit to be made not even a break even for you.

 

[IamMadMan]

I'm pretty sure that after you find out all the things needed and cost and what your buddy is willing to pay you will find out there is no profit to be made not even a break even for you.

How True!!!!

Good food isn't cheap and cheap food isn't good.

 

[MisterChrister]

It's quite possible that you're allowed to prep the meat in his kitchen and cook it on site for him in your cooker. Check with the local food police and get the answers you seek.

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

When cooking BBQ for sale, even for a friend, you should be aware of the laws and the risks involved. By ignoring these and not investigating the legal requirements for any event, you are putting yourself at a great risk. Ignorance of the laws and regulations are not a defense, in fact it will just help to build a stronger case against you if something should go wrong.

First: Will you be operating within State, Local, and Health Department regulations? Do you have a business license? a food handlers permit? and will you prepare the food in a health department approved and inspected commercial kitchen and cooker?

Second: Do you have the proper liability insurance to cover you and the patrons who ingest food you cooked?

Be aware that without these two primary items being fully covered, you are taking a huge huge risk both personally and financially.

Lastly: No one should engage in the food business without being incorporated as a legitimate business. Without being incorporated you and all of your assets owned by you and your family are up for grabs in a lawsuit. Incorporating separates you and your personal assets from those of the recognized corporate entity. In a lawsuit they can sue the corporation but cannot come after you unless you blatantly caused harm as an individual.

It doesn't take someone to get ill to place a lawsuit against you, someone can just claim an illness to proceed with legal proceedings. Even if they don't win their case, how much will you personally spend on legal and lawyers fees?

Check your local health department laws, but I believe the only way around the legal issues above, is to have the restaurant own a smoker approved by local health code, and then hire you as a legal employee on the books and do everything on site in his approved commercial kitchen and his approved cooker. You then fall under his insurance and he holds all claims to liability because you are his employee.

This is the best approach...Do it right...Let the risk be his...

 

[troy64]

This is the type information I was looking for. My interest in this is 100% in an exploratory state right now. I, by no means, was of the opinion that I could shell out q from my backyard, drive it over to a restaurant, get paid and simply go home ( see original post and my first response). I know there are rules and regulations that are going to be rather specific and unique to each state. Just looking for some info and several replies provided plenty. Thanks brethren.

 

[troy64]

When cooking BBQ for sale, even for a friend, you should be aware of the laws and the risks involved. By ignoring these and not investigating the legal requirements for any event, you are putting yourself at a great risk. Ignorance of the laws and regulations are not a defense, in fact it will just help to build a stronger case against you if something should go wrong.

First: Will you be operating within State, Local, and Health Department regulations? Do you have a business license? a food handlers permit? and will you prepare the food in a health department approved and inspected commercial kitchen and cooker?

Second: Do you have the proper liability insurance to cover you and the patrons who ingest food you cooked?

Be aware that without these two primary items being fully covered, you are taking a huge huge risk both personally and financially.

Lastly: No one should engage in the food business without being incorporated as a legitimate business. Without being incorporated you and all of your assets owned by you and your family are up for grabs in a lawsuit. Incorporating separates you and your personal assets from those of the recognized corporate entity. In a lawsuit they can sue the corporation but cannot come after you unless you blatantly caused harm as an individual.

It doesn't take someone to get ill to place a lawsuit against you, someone can just claim an illness to proceed with legal proceedings. Even if they don't win their case, how much will you personally spend on legal and lawyers fees?

Check your local health department laws, but I believe the only way around the legal issues above, is to have the restaurant own a smoker approved by local health code, and then hire you as a legal employee on the books and do everything on site in his approved commercial kitchen and his approved cooker. You then fall under his insurance and he holds all claims to liability because you are his employee.

Thank you. The word "liability" might as well be in neon! I appreciate the information.

 

[Groundhog66]

I'm surprised HunkyDory hasn't chimed back in, I'd like to hear more from him...

 

[Sweet Vittles]

I live in Phoenix, AZ and am just about to pull the trigger on a catering kitchen for Q, so I can tell you what I figured out in my city. Each city will vary, but the general thinking is usually the same in most cities (I've also done this in L.A.)

You could either put your smoker outside his kitchen, and ask him if he is willing to let you do your required commercial kitchen prep inside his kitchen. This will require that you pay for your own standard catering or vending health permit and then receive an additional outdoor cooking variance permit. The outdoor cooking variance permit is given after meeting special conditions for using an outdoor smoker. In my city, I need an outdoor sink (the health dept told me I could use a temporary sink, though the literature on this says it needs to be plumbed), a 5' x 5' enclosure around the smoker so that pedestrians don't burn themselves or contaminate food (steel fence or otherwise), and a flat, hard surface that the smoker will be on that is easily cleaned (concrete is preferred, but asphalt that is even will work.)

You could just ask him to apply for the variance, and put your smoker out there as his "employee" and work out an appropriate financial arrangement (both for use of his kitchen and for his appropriate payment for your meat.) That might limit your use of the smoker to his meats, but then, if he's not willing to let you prep in his kitchen for other work this won't matter.

Alternatively, you can get your own kitchen, or find a shared commercial kitchen that is willing to let you smoke outdoors with an outdoor variance permit, or put an indoor smoker in the kitchen. Indoor smokers require class 1 exhaust hoods (in Phoenix anyway), and additional HVAC requirements (he spoke pretty fast through this part, and I knew I probably wasn't going to do it, so I forget exactly what they were; something about ducts and fans.) I wanted to do this, but realized I couldn't ask another building owner to alter his space without paying more in the monthly lease.

In some states, you can build out your own home commercial kitchen that is separate from your family's residential kitchen, and prep your food there. This has all the same req's as an off-site commercial kitchen, including either outdoor smoker variance or indoor HVAC req's.

Oh, and as far as pricing. It will be very difficult for you to make a profit selling him BBQ that he needs to resell. Hope that helps.

 

[rorkin]

I live in Phoenix, AZ and am just about to pull the trigger on a catering kitchen for Q, so I can tell you what I figured out in my city. Each city will vary, but the general thinking is usually the same in most cities (I've also done this in L.A.)

You could either put your smoker outside his kitchen, and ask him if he is willing to let you do your required commercial kitchen prep inside his kitchen. This will require that you pay for your own standard catering or vending health permit and then receive an additional outdoor cooking variance permit. The outdoor cooking variance permit is given after meeting special conditions for using an outdoor smoker. In my city, I need an outdoor sink (the health dept told me I could use a temporary sink, though the literature on this says it needs to be plumbed), a 5' x 5' enclosure around the smoker so that pedestrians don't burn themselves or contaminate food (steel fence or otherwise), and a flat, hard surface that the smoker will be on that is easily cleaned (concrete is preferred, but asphalt that is even will work.)

You could just ask him to apply for the variance, and put your smoker out there as his "employee" and work out an appropriate financial arrangement (both for use of his kitchen and for his appropriate payment for your meat.) That might limit your use of the smoker to his meats, but then, if he's not willing to let you prep in his kitchen for other work this won't matter.

Alternatively, you can get your own kitchen, or find a shared commercial kitchen that is willing to let you smoke outdoors with an outdoor variance permit, or put an indoor smoker in the kitchen. Indoor smokers require class 1 exhaust hoods (in Phoenix anyway), and additional HVAC requirements (he spoke pretty fast through this part, and I knew I probably wasn't going to do it, so I forget exactly what they were; something about ducts and fans.) I wanted to do this, but realized I couldn't ask another building owner to alter his space without paying more in the monthly lease.

In some states, you can build out your own home commercial kitchen that is separate from your family's residential kitchen, and prep your food there. This has all the same req's as an off-site commercial kitchen, including either outdoor smoker variance or indoor HVAC req's.

Oh, and as far as pricing. It will be very difficult for you to make a profit selling him BBQ that he needs to resell. Hope that helps.

Even use of your cooker could drag you into liability chain.
Should not even be owned by you personally. Should be leased to owner from a corporation and agreement passing liability with hold harmless to restaurant owner. You need to be additional named insured and see his insurance certificate to be sure it is in force.