Pricing question pulled pork / ribs

OK, I'll bite.
You MAKE money on Pulled pork shoulders.
You WORK for ribs. Think -
$10 your cost ribs feeds 4 people.
$12 shoulder will feed 15.

This has always been a hard one. Either you cook for pennies or they sell as a lost leader to attract other sales. When you add up ALL of your cost and pay yourself min wage there probably won't be much room for the bar to take much of a markup. Saying that, food sales in a bar without a pretty full menu usually is not expected to be a money maker. Two ways to price it- make friends or make money...

creeper2 said:

Agreed , but what would be a fair price per pound to charge a restaurant/bar so they can make a some profit on the product ? I dont want to price myself out of the job .

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You need to price it so you make enough $$ for it to be worth your time and effort. If that means the price is too high, so be it.

sell it at a 65% gross profit for you. They'll make their money on the bar, you don't. if they think that's too high, let them do it themselves.

creeper2 said:

Agreed , but what would be a fair price per pound to charge a restaurant/bar so they can make a some profit on the product ? I dont want to price myself out of the job .

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There is not enough meat on the bone for both you and them to make a profit in my opinion. At least not a profit that makes it worth it for both parties.

I was looking for a way to say this -

There is not enough meat on the bone for both you and them to make a profit in my opinion.

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PERFECT.

I dont want to price myself out of the job .

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Perhaps there is a Win-Win.
Maybe you just run solo and add to the attraction of that place....
No way to split meager profits...

Besides what's already been mentioned here, I always have a minimum amount of money required for me to leave the house and go to work. That amount has grown as the years went by and I do fewer and fewer side jobs.

I know this thread is a couple weeks old but wanted to chime in anyway. Would it be out of the question if they provided the meat? As a restaurant, they probably have greater wholesale opportunities that will bring their perceived costs down if they bundle this in with one of their orders versus you supplying the meat. You'll be look at fuel costs, rubs/sauces and time...The quote would look much more palatable than if you supplied the meat, assuming you don't have the same wholesale access. Set a goal for your time and effort and stick to it. Also think about branding yourself and are not just "some guy in the parking lot" but instead "Featuring X BBQ this weekend!" not sure if you're cooking there or not, just a thought...may drum up other business if that's a direction you're interested in and they allow it. Kind of interested to see how this all worked out for you.

I wouldn't let them supply the meat. Too many variables with your insurance on the line.

This is never a great situation. So basically you're just cooking & delivering? That sounds easy enough, but that STILL isn't a very good situation. How are they reheating? Who is reheating? Who is supervising? There is a HUGE potential for them to screw up the reheat...and then tell the general public who cooked it. Meal sucked..."oh Creeper over in Jersey cooked it."

You're not in the wholesale business. Wholesale is built on volume. If the bar is buying 20 shoulders & 50 racks of ribs a week, that's great...but let's face it...

If you haven't figured it out as yet...I'm a no-go in this situation.

creeper2 said:

Assuming everything is legit , business , liability insurance

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Also...explain that a bit further if you would.

I'm embarking on a very similar endeavor with a local bar/restaurant down here. I'll absolutely be buying my meat from their distributor. It's the only chance I have at making any money whatsoever. Their prices on choice and prime meat are better than what I can buy select for in local stores. 9# brisket for $20, St Louis cut ribs for $1.79/lb, pork butt at $1.56/lb.

Even then, I'm doing it as more of an advertisement for my catering business than for real profit. I'm under their insurance and only had to be certified as a "safe food handler." There was ZERO out of pocket expense to myself. I'm sure you know already but the "real" money is in pulled pork and sides and there's razor thin margins in ribs.

As for your original question on pricing, what's the average price per plate for everything else the restaurant sells? They'll likely want you to be in line with their pricing so that their reviewers don't go nuts online about how expensive it is. Mine certainly did. I wanted to sell at $11-13 a plate with two sides and the owner painfully explained that the most expensive thing they had on their menu was $10.50. Also, ask them how many total plates they sell on average per day. I was disheartened when I learned that my place didn't sell anywhere near what I thought they were selling... and that was for everything, pizza, burgers, wraps... everything.

I've got it worked out so that they'll be buying my pulled pork for their cuban sandwiches, and any other dishes that include pork. They'll give me a portion of each of those sales. Perhaps that's something you could work as well?

I act as a chef or a cook or a pit dude, whatever you want to call it. I'm simply cooking meat and sides. I'm not preparing plates. When I'm done with the meat, it goes into a cambro in the restaurant until it's ordered. Same with the sides.

It's a good way to dip your toes into the BBQ world without going balls deep. Good luck and let us know of your lessons learned!