Hi you guys,
It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly
if I had a bunch of cash, I would be able to hand off production and
distribution to others and have a decent income for G'ganna and me.

We have been handed, on a silver platter a BBQ mobile kitchen, it is
NOT new and actually has quite a following here on the Oregon coast.
Bob, the owner just wants to fish hunt and camp and is just plain
tired, he took a liking to us and has offer it to us for a measly 8k
no down and will only ask for 1/2 of our profits to pay him off.

Dave !! Jim, Restaurant Gods ! WTF have I gotten myself into?

LOL A brief description of the rig.....
Inside there is a refer/fridge (RV type and pretty small) A self
standing 5 cubic ft freezer. 3 hole sink, and a hand wash station, 44
gallon fresh water tank, a 60 gallon grey water tank.Counter space is
the length of one side with the serving window in the middle. The
cookers are on the tongue end. Roughly the big one is 8 ft wide barrel
type but has flat sides welded in the middle giving a deeper chamber.
There is a 3 ft ( maybe 2 ft ) cube smoking chamber on top of that on
one end that he uses to finish off the meat that has been cooked in
the main chamber. Also there are two propane smokers stacked piggy
back with the normal pan for wood chips if you are smoking, otherwise
he uses them to finish off the meat if its a busy day.
All he does right now is Tri-Tip and racks of ribs both Spares and
baby backs. His technique is to build a small wood fire in the middle
and cook the meat on the side of the chamber, he does not have a
thermometer in the main chamber but all the other cooking do-hickies
have good thermometers.
He is a "Wrap-in-foil after it is smoked" kind of guy and left-overs
he freezes like the tri-tips I have not asked him about the left over
ribs but I assume he freezes them too.

All I know to do is to do things the way he has been doing it and as
time progresses add to the menu like chicken quarters (brined of
course in my brine, well ACTUALLY it is TFM's Brine modified a itty
bitty bit ) and use my rubs and sauce's. And stir fry veggies for
those other poor folks. Inside the prep area it is only going to work
with two people inside, and one tending the fire and the meat.

I guess I should ask some questions at this point.....
Buying the meat will be a challenge cuz I don't know how much I will
sell, so how do you suggest I store it?
Keep frozen until I will need it in a day or two or cook it and then
freeze it and reheat it when needed?
A typical day ( this is set up at a farmers market every Saturday &
Sunday) he will sell 5-10 tri tips all sold as sandwiches, and I dunno
how many racks he sells yet guess I will learn on the run, but he only
sells full racks and half racks. I am totally ok with that too. I will
expand the days of operation to Thursday-Sunday as there are a lot of
people who come to Brookings to fish and vacation and we are in the
heart of where they will be.


I guess Iam looking for suggestions, comments, Lord knows I need to
take this slow and work it smart because it quite possibly it could
give us the cash flow we need, but I am not thinking of turning this
into a Restaurant for life thing. I am more thinking this will be a
good way to promote my sauces and stuff and increase the cash flow all
around, and eventually get my sauce business up to a higher level.

Please be kind, my stress level it already making my brain tweak.

Bruce & G'ganna
Gold Beach Oregon

"OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi you guys,
> It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
> afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
> the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
> you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly

>
> Please be kind, my stress level it already making my brain tweak.
>
> Bruce & G'ganna
> Gold Beach Oregon
>


-- My first suggestion in an operation of that type is keep it simple. Don't
go overboard on you menu. The more you add the more storage space you need.
To me chicken and ribs don't reheat well (JMHO)
If he is doing well with the ribs and Tri-tip, stay with that.
BUTTS take well to cooling and freezing and reheat well. I would cook a
couple of cases and keep in the walk in and reheat in the pit. I cooked at
325° and reheated for about 2½ hours.
If you add anything do butts. You should get $5-6.00 for a sandwich.
Pulled or chopped on a bun. I chopped a sandwich's worth off the BUTT as
needed.
What ever you charge, give customers their monies worth. Don't skimp. If
you have to charge more do it, but don't skimp.
And by all means use your sauce. Be sure to display some. What ever you
got room for.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck.
James A. "Big Jim" Whitten

www.lazyq.com

"Big Jim" > wrote in message
...
> "OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> Hi you guys,
>> It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
>> afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
>> the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
>> you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly
>
>>
>> Please be kind, my stress level it already making my brain tweak.
>>
>> Bruce & G'ganna
>> Gold Beach Oregon
>>
>
>
> -- My first suggestion in an operation of that type is keep it simple.
> Don't go overboard on you menu. The more you add the more storage space
> you need.
> To me chicken and ribs don't reheat well (JMHO)
> If he is doing well with the ribs and Tri-tip, stay with that.
> BUTTS take well to cooling and freezing and reheat well. I would cook a
> couple of cases and keep in the walk in and reheat in the pit. I cooked at
> 325° and reheated for about 2½ hours.
> If you add anything do butts. You should get $5-6.00 for a sandwich.
> Pulled or chopped on a bun. I chopped a sandwich's worth off the BUTT as
> needed.
> What ever you charge, give customers their monies worth. Don't skimp. If
> you have to charge more do it, but don't skimp.
> And by all means use your sauce. Be sure to display some. What ever you
> got room for.
> Hope this helps.
> Good Luck.
> James A. "Big Jim" Whitten
>
> www.lazyq.com
>

By all means cook ribs and chicken, but try to run out towards the end of
each day--
James A. "Big Jim" Whitten

www.lazyq.com

On Jun 18, 10:58 am, "Big Jim" > wrote:
> "OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
>
> oups.com...
>
> > Hi you guys,
> > It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
> > afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
> > the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
> > you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly
>
> > Please be kind, my stress level it already making my brain tweak.
>
> > Bruce & G'ganna
> > Gold Beach Oregon
>
> -- My first suggestion in an operation of that type is keep it simple. Don't
> go overboard on you menu. The more you add the more storage space you need.
> To me chicken and ribs don't reheat well (JMHO)
> If he is doing well with the ribs and Tri-tip, stay with that.
> BUTTS take well to cooling and freezing and reheat well. I would cook a
> couple of cases and keep in the walk in and reheat in the pit. I cooked at
> 325° and reheated for about 2½ hours.
> If you add anything do butts. You should get $5-6.00 for a sandwich.
> Pulled or chopped on a bun. I chopped a sandwich's worth off the BUTT as
> needed.
> What ever you charge, give customers their monies worth. Don't skimp. If
> you have to charge more do it, but don't skimp.
> And by all means use your sauce. Be sure to display some. What ever you
> got room for.
> Hope this helps.
> Good Luck.
> James A. "Big Jim" Whitten
>

Bless your pea pickin little heart Jim !
I forgot to mention I want to do pulled or sliced pork sandwiches,
thanks for the infor on reheating ribs and chicken. BUTTS will be on
my menu then. G'ganna is dead set on doing the veggie stir fry so we
will see how it all plays out. I don't have a walk in LOL so it will
have to be buy, cook and sell every morsel possible. Skimp? ME? not
likely I want folks to brag about what they get from me and return
with their friends. My sauce is already a big hit so this ought to
enhance both the sales of the sauce and the sale of the sandwiches
( Good God Bob used KC master crap)
There is a store close by the stand that will order how ever many
cases we want & we can buy as needed once a day from our order so
basically we will be using their reefers.

"BUTTS take well to cooling and freezing and reheat well. I would cook
a
> couple of cases and keep in the walk in and reheat in the pit. I cooked at
> 325° and reheated for about 2½ hours"

How long ahead of time should said BUTTS be removed from the freezer
and put in the fridge before they go back on the cooker? I figure the
Tri-Tips would be about the same eh?

I think my menu will look like this
Tri- Tip sandwiches....Small $4.00 large $7.00 Hamburger buns for the
small Hoagie buns for the large
Pulled or sliced pork sandwiches Same prices
Full Rack of Spares $18.00
Half Rack...............$15.00
Baby Backs Full Rack $18.00
Half Rack $15.00

He sells Curly Fries for $3.50
I would like to offer Cole Slaw and or Potato Salad but I need another
small refer to do that.

These are his prices and no one seems to complain, but people have to
ask his prices he has no menu posted so folks can read it as they walk
by.
Another thing on my list of things to get-er-done before the
weekend !! LOL
Bruce in Gold Beach

"OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jun 18, 10:58 am, "Big Jim" > wrote:
> "OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
>
> oups.com...
>
> > Hi you guys,
> > It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
> > afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
> > the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
> > you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly
>
> > Please be kind, my stress level it already making my brain tweak.
>
> > Bruce & G'ganna
> > Gold Beach Oregon
>
> -- My first suggestion in an operation of that type is keep it simple.
> Don't
> go overboard on you menu. The more you add the more storage space you
> need.
> To me chicken and ribs don't reheat well (JMHO)
> If he is doing well with the ribs and Tri-tip, stay with that.
> BUTTS take well to cooling and freezing and reheat well. I would cook a
> couple of cases and keep in the walk in and reheat in the pit. I cooked at
> 325° and reheated for about 2½ hours.
> If you add anything do butts. You should get $5-6.00 for a sandwich.
> Pulled or chopped on a bun. I chopped a sandwich's worth off the BUTT as
> needed.
> What ever you charge, give customers their monies worth. Don't skimp. If
> you have to charge more do it, but don't skimp.
> And by all means use your sauce. Be sure to display some. What ever you
> got room for.
> Hope this helps.
> Good Luck.
> James A. "Big Jim" Whitten
>

Bless your pea pickin little heart Jim !
I forgot to mention I want to do pulled or sliced pork sandwiches,
thanks for the infor on reheating ribs and chicken. BUTTS will be on
my menu then. G'ganna is dead set on doing the veggie stir fry so we
will see how it all plays out. I don't have a walk in LOL so it will
have to be buy, cook and sell every morsel possible. Skimp? ME? not
likely I want folks to brag about what they get from me and return
with their friends. My sauce is already a big hit so this ought to
enhance both the sales of the sauce and the sale of the sandwiches
( Good God Bob used KC master crap)
There is a store close by the stand that will order how ever many
cases we want & we can buy as needed once a day from our order so
basically we will be using their reefers.

"BUTTS take well to cooling and freezing and reheat well. I would cook
a
> couple of cases and keep in the walk in and reheat in the pit. I cooked at
> 325° and reheated for about 2½ hours"

How long ahead of time should said BUTTS be removed from the freezer
and put in the fridge before they go back on the cooker? I figure the
Tri-Tips would be about the same eh?

I think my menu will look like this
Tri- Tip sandwiches....Small $4.00 large $7.00 Hamburger buns for the
small Hoagie buns for the large
Pulled or sliced pork sandwiches Same prices
Full Rack of Spares $18.00
Half Rack...............$15.00
Baby Backs Full Rack $18.00
Half Rack $15.00

He sells Curly Fries for $3.50
I would like to offer Cole Slaw and or Potato Salad but I need another
small refer to do that.

These are his prices and no one seems to complain, but people have to
ask his prices he has no menu posted so folks can read it as they walk
by.
Another thing on my list of things to get-er-done before the
weekend !! LOL
Bruce in Gold Beach


I'd offer one sandwich, then you don't have to keep 2 sizes of buns. I used
a 5" seeded Kaiser roll. Once in a while someone will be allergic to the
seeds (not often) Just offer to give them 2 bottoms.
Lose the fries. You will just have to deal with changing the oil and have to
handle the disposal of such.
If you buy your potato salad that's OK. Making it takes a lot of time.
I can give you a slaw recipe (oil and vinegar)
That will make 5#, that's about 25 servings.
You can keep that in a small ice chest. And it don't take long to make. (5
minutes
The less time you spend in the kitchen prepping the more time you got to
BS with customers (a good thing).
I only sold pork and beef, chicken, ribs, sausage, cole slaw and banana
pudding. Was doing between $1200-$1500 average a day.
Now they are doing potato salad, fries, hamburgers, and it ain't helped
sales a bit and they have to mess with more stuff.
Take the butts out about 4 days before reheating. Don't wrap them. If you
ever do brisket wrap them, they come out better.
--
James A. "Big Jim" Whitten

www.lazyq.com

OL'Hippie wrote:

Hi there, Bruce.

> We have been handed, on a silver platter a BBQ mobile kitchen, it is
> NOT new and actually has quite a following here on the Oregon coast.
> Bob, the owner just wants to fish hunt and camp and is just plain
> tired, he took a liking to us and has offer it to us for a measly 8k
> no down and will only ask for 1/2 of our profits to pay him off.

1/2 of the profits is pretty high since this would not be a partnership.
Just make sure you define in writing, very carefully and fully, what is
meant by "profits". In my mind, profit is what is left over after ALL cost
of goods and operating expenses are paid (and I mean everything including
taxes, bookeeper, insurance, state sales taxes, state income tax, state L&I
taxes, employment security taxes, health district fees, business license,
vehicle expenses, etc. *including your salary*).

> Dave !! Jim, Restaurant Gods ! WTF have I gotten myself into?

If the terms are right, you may have gotten yourself into a real good thing
:-)

> LOL A brief description of the rig.....
> Inside there is a refer/fridge (RV type and pretty small) A self
> standing 5 cubic ft freezer. 3 hole sink, and a hand wash station, 44
> gallon fresh water tank, a 60 gallon grey water tank.Counter space is
> the length of one side with the serving window in the middle. The
> cookers are on the tongue end. Roughly the big one is 8 ft wide barrel
> type but has flat sides welded in the middle giving a deeper chamber.
> There is a 3 ft ( maybe 2 ft ) cube smoking chamber on top of that on
> one end that he uses to finish off the meat that has been cooked in
> the main chamber. Also there are two propane smokers stacked piggy
> back with the normal pan for wood chips if you are smoking, otherwise
> he uses them to finish off the meat if its a busy day.

Some "due diligence" things come to mind here, Bruce. I would have someone
inspect the trailer top to bottom. Make sure the frame and flooring are
solid and that the braking system is up-to-snuff. Be especially mindful of
leaks from the roof and around the windows; this is the number one problem
with trailers and may be hidden. Check the trailer's infrastructure to make
sure all the plumbing and electricals are up to snuff.

Make friends with the health district. Get a copy of the appropriate health
code requiremnet for mobile kitchens or vendors. Take photos and diagrams of
the trailer, including specifications and capacities for the hot water tank,
fresh water tank, and grey water tank, to the local health district for
their tentative approval. Codes are funny things with this type of food
operation, and the current owner may have been grandfathered into changes
that may impact a new owner.

New ownership will require new permitting, inspections, etc by the health
department. They will also require information about your proposed menu,
food preparation and holding. They might have all of the necessary forms and
information online, so do a google for the health department's website.
Remember to keep a good relationship with these guys. Unless you run into a
real idiot, they will be eager to help if you show them you're trying to do
things right. The health department can be a great ally in helping you avoid
mistakes that could make customers ill, which would ruin your business and
reputation.

Check with the property owners who currently allow the trailer's operation.
Make sure that they will allow the same arrangements for a new owner. Make
sure you know what the rental or lease is for the use of the property.

Check with the local jurisdiction -- county or city -- to see if there would
be any changes to a new owner taking over the operation. I've heard of more
than one case where a change of ownership terminated the variance easement
that had previously been permitted to the original permit holder.

.....snip

> All I know to do is to do things the way he has been doing it and as
> time progresses add to the menu like chicken quarters (brined of
> course in my brine, well ACTUALLY it is TFM's Brine modified a itty
> bitty bit ) and use my rubs and sauce's. And stir fry veggies for
> those other poor folks. Inside the prep area it is only going to work
> with two people inside, and one tending the fire and the meat.

Well, he certainly has a customer base built on that menu, so it wouldn't be
a bad idea to keep as much of the original as possible. Keep the menu
simple, and keep the food at a high standard of quality. Keep in mind that
the faster you can get an order out, the more sales you can make.

> I guess I should ask some questions at this point.....
> Buying the meat will be a challenge cuz I don't know how much I will
> sell, so how do you suggest I store it?

You will need a commissary with room for dry storage and cold storage.
Again, check with the health department about what they will allow as a
commissary. What does the owner do right now?

Jill does our inventory and shopping. She made a master list of every
ingredient we use. She uses that list to compare against the inventory we
keep on hand and shops for what is needed each week. For meat, we
purchase -- non-frozen -- what we need by the case for three days at a time.
Deliveries of pork and brisket and ribs and chicken are done twice each
week. Cryovaced meats have a long cold holding time. I only cook what I can
use that very day. If I run out, I close. We have very few leftovers, most
of which is turned into what I termed "Critter Goop" (which is an evolution
of what Chef Juke termed Critter Sandwiches).

> Keep frozen until I will need it in a day or two or cook it and then
> freeze it and reheat it when needed?

To me, beef is hard to keep from drying out when cooked ahead. Ribs and pork
butt do much better. Given the shorter cooking time for tri-tip and ribs, I
would probably do those the day of the sale. If your customers are used to
sauce on the meat, then that can allow things to be cooked in advance
without any notice by the customer.

> A typical day ( this is set up at a farmers market every Saturday &
> Sunday) he will sell 5-10 tri tips all sold as sandwiches, and I dunno
> how many racks he sells yet guess I will learn on the run, but he only
> sells full racks and half racks. I am totally ok with that too.

Keep notes on how much you serve each day. That will give you a good base
for how much to order. It won't take long to really get a feel for how much
you need to have on hand for any given day.

> I guess Iam looking for suggestions, comments, Lord knows I need to
> take this slow and work it smart because it quite possibly it could
> give us the cash flow we need, but I am not thinking of turning this
> into a Restaurant for life thing. I am more thinking this will be a
> good way to promote my sauces and stuff and increase the cash flow all
> around, and eventually get my sauce business up to a higher level.

First: Make sure that G'ganna knows exactly what her role will be.

Second: Before you agree to anything, work the trailer with the owner for a
few weeks. If he's concerned that you might be stringing him along to learn
his 'secrets' so that you can open another shop, write up a non-compete
contract. But I would make working with him as a pre-condition for a sale.

Third: Write up a business plan, even if it is for a part-time concession
business. This is part of what I wrote to someone thinking about opening a
bbq place:

<begin quote>
Should I go pro? That question is always answered by the following question:
do I have a demand for my product from a large enough customer base to cover
the overhead and make me a large enough profit to live on?

The answer to that second question is not something I, nor anyone else, can
answer for you. The answer is found in marketing surveys, a business plan,
and the form your business will take: ie concession, mail-order, storefront.

After spending years thinking about opening a bbq joint, I decided to see if
there was even any interest from my potential customer base. I did a quick
and dirty marketing survey. I took the phone book and made 100 random calls.
I would skip every ten pages, and choose the 15th name on that page. Skip
ten pages, choose the 15th name... etc. I would call and introduce myself as
a local person interested in starting a new food business. I asked three
questions:

1. Which type of restaurant would they like to see most A. hamburger, B.
chinese, C. italian, D. pit-smoked barbecue, E. mexican, F. a Denny's-style.
If the person answered anything other than barbecue, I thanked them and
concluded the call. If they answered "barbecue", then I would proceed asking
the next two questions.

2. What would your preferred menu item be: A. BBQ pork, B. BBQ beef brisket,
C. BBQ ribs, D. BBQ chicken, E. Other?

3. What style of restaurant would you like to see: A. formal dining, B.
casual dining, C. take out with informal inside seating, D. take-out only,
E. take-out and delivery.

Sixty-one of those responding highly favored a barbecue joint. It probably
helped that at that time, there were none in the entire two-county area.
This was encouraging, so I decided that if I seriously wanted to pursue this
any further, I needed some sort of process to help me decide if I had what
it takes to open a restaurant.

For me, I used the process of constructing a business plan to determine
whether or not I would proceed forward with the decision to open my store.
It took me about a year, and made me delve into aspects of being a business
owner that I didn't even know that I was clueless about. Writing the
business plan helped tremendously in clarifying what I needed to do in order
to strengthen my weaknesses. It gave me the clarity of knowing what I needed
to do in order to get my business off the ground.

A business plan will force you to know:

1. Where your customers are.

2. What your customers want and need.

3. How much it will cost you to produce the product you want to sell. The
cost of goods is not just about how much you pay for the food to make your
product.

4. How you plan to attract customers and enlarge your customer base. Just
how many new customers will it take per day in order to make the money you
need to cover costs and profit? A good business will keep customers coming
back; those are your Regulars. However, most of your Regulars will only eat
out once in a while, not every day. Sure, you will have some that may come
in a couple of times a week, but not everyone will. Most won't. And even
your regulars may want something to eat, periodically, other than your bbq.
They simply won't show up each day.

You need to have a plan to continually grow your customer base. If you plan
on just "word of mouth", then I hope you have a fat wad of cash sitting in
your reserve account.

Marketing is not just advertising; advertising is only one tool that you use
to market your product. Marketing is about letting folks know what your
business is and why they need your product. Marketing can be as simple as
visiting surrounding businesses with a sample of your product and a stack of
business cards. Or it can be as elaborate as a high-powered marketing firm
can make it. A good business plan will incorporate a marketing plan.
Marketing can be inexpensive and still be incredibly effective; call it
guerilla marketing.

What good marketing needs, however, is something that is always in short
supply when you run your own business: time. And without taking the time you
need for marketing, you cripple your chances of success from the get-go. A
good business plan will help you understand how you are going to fit
marketing into the whole of your business.

5. What you want your operation to look like. For instance, my business plan
helped me to figure out that I didn't want to deal with front of the house
staff and scheduling ie waitresses. So I focused on how to make customer
counter service a smooth, pleasant, and efficient experience for the guest.

6. What equipment do you need to get up and running? This includes hard
equipment like sinks, dishwashers, pits & smokers, prep tables, prep
equipment, cold storage, hot holding and cold holding, etc. It also includes
consumables like paper towels, cups, take-out containers, straws,
food-handling gloves, etc. The plan will make you understand your inventory
needs, plans for maintaining equipment, and all the nit-picky details that
can bust a budget.

7. Who are the wholesale suppliers that you will want to deal with to get
the best prices on your inventory items.

8. What amount of start-up funds do you need? A business plan will make you
honestly think through, evaluate, and intimately understand several types of
budgeting processes that you need to know. It will force you to account for
every nickle that you will need to spend, and give you the tools you need to
keep you from blindly throwing money into the wind. Without that kind of
disciplined approach, you can run out of money before you are even half-way
through opening up your business.

You need to know what your line item budget is for your equipment, for your
remodeling or construction, for your initial inventory, for your monthly
expenditures, and for the OTHER STUFF: government fees, permit charges,
inspection costs, taxes, surcharges, attorneys, bookeepers, software,
pencils, calculators, file cabinets, advertising, phone bill, utilities, and
on and on.

A business plan, done properly, is a lot of work; but it is not wasted work,
nor is it useless make-work. A business plan is the only way to answer the
question "should I go pro?"

In my mind, if someone is unwilling to put in the work to plan and think
things through in a disciplined and thoughtful manner the way a business
plan forces one to do, then they should forget about opening their own
business. The dedication to succeed simply isn't there.

I thought I would hate doing my plan; but I actually enjoyed it. And it
answered my question about whether or not I should open my own business.

I made good use of the Small Business Administration's website. I also used
Entrepreneur Magazine's website. Both have a lot of resources for planning
and running a small business. They also have information on how to do a
business plan.

I used Business Plan Pro to help me get started doing my business plan. I
found that it helped me format the plan and progress with its writing in a
logical way. You don't need to buy software to do a business plan, but it is
something to consider if you are stuck on how to get started. I'm sure there
are any number of programs out there.

If you have access to a college, they may have a small business counseling
program. If you were in America, I could point you to our government
resources for small business which provide wonderful programs to get you
going with counseling and outstanding resource materials. Please check with
your own government's small business program for similar programs.
<end quote>

--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

OL'Hippie > wrote:
> Hi you guys,
> [ . . . ]
> Please be kind, my stress level it already making my brain tweak.

Hi Bruce & G'ganna, good to hear from you.

Not being a restaurant or any other kind of god or guru, all I can offer
you are some general thoughts. Learn the equipment, so you can cook the way
you've found works for you. Don't work 20 hour days. Price the stuff so
it'll sell, but leave you a decent profit. Post a few pics in a.b.f.
Enjoy the ride!

With best wishes for your new venture,

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !
~Semper Fi~

On 18-Jun-2007, "Big Jim" > wrote:

> "OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Hi you guys,
> > It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
> > afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
> > the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
> > you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly
>
> >
> > Please be kind, my stress level it already making my brain tweak.
> >
> > Bruce & G'ganna
> > Gold Beach Oregon
> >
>
>
> -- My first suggestion in an operation of that type is keep it simple. Don't
> go overboard on you menu. The more you add the more storage space you need.
> To me chicken and ribs don't reheat well (JMHO)

Bruce, Like Big Jim, I don't think much of reheating chicken (at least not
for sale), but ribs reheated in boiling bags come out real nice. I think you
might do well to try a sample and see how it works for you. Basically,
you pack the ribs as tightly as possible in boiling bags. I of course do
mine in the vacuum bags I freeze them in. You can go straight from the
freezer to the pot. They heat up fast in boiling water and they're done as
soon as the bag starts to swell from internal steam pressure.


> If he is doing well with the ribs and Tri-tip, stay with that.
> BUTTS take well to cooling and freezing and reheat well. I would cook a
> couple of cases and keep in the walk in and reheat in the pit. I cooked at
> 325° and reheated for about 2½ hours.
> If you add anything do butts. You should get $5-6.00 for a sandwich.
> Pulled or chopped on a bun. I chopped a sandwich's worth off the BUTT as
> needed.
> What ever you charge, give customers their monies worth. Don't skimp. If
> you have to charge more do it, but don't skimp.
> And by all means use your sauce. Be sure to display some. What ever you
> got room for.
> Hope this helps.
> Good Luck.
> James A. "Big Jim" Whitten
>
> www.lazyq.com

That was my 2¢ worth. Good luck.

--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)

On Jun 18, 1:23 pm, "Dave Bugg" > wrote:
> OL'Hippie wrote:
>
> Hi there, Bruce.
>
> > We have been handed, on a silver platter a BBQ mobile kitchen, it is
> > NOT new and actually has quite a following here on the Oregon coast.
> > Bob, the owner just wants to fish hunt and camp and is just plain
> > tired, he took a liking to us and has offer it to us for a measly 8k
> > no down and will only ask for 1/2 of our profits to pay him off.
>
> 1/2 of the profits is pretty high since this would not be a partnership.
> Just make sure you define in writing, very carefully and fully, what is
> meant by "profits". In my mind, profit is what is left over after ALL cost
> of goods and operating expenses are paid (and I mean everything including
> taxes, bookeeper, insurance, state sales taxes, state income tax, state L&I
> taxes, employment security taxes, health district fees, business license,
> vehicle expenses, etc. *including your salary*).
>
> > Dave !! Jim, Restaurant Gods ! WTF have I gotten myself into?
>
> If the terms are right, you may have gotten yourself into a real good thing
> :-)
>
> > LOL A brief description of the rig.....
> > Inside there is a refer/fridge (RV type and pretty small) A self
> > standing 5 cubic ft freezer. 3 hole sink, and a hand wash station, 44
> > gallon fresh water tank, a 60 gallon grey water tank.Counter space is
> > the length of one side with the serving window in the middle. The
> > cookers are on the tongue end. Roughly the big one is 8 ft wide barrel
> > type but has flat sides welded in the middle giving a deeper chamber.
> > There is a 3 ft ( maybe 2 ft ) cube smoking chamber on top of that on
> > one end that he uses to finish off the meat that has been cooked in
> > the main chamber. Also there are two propane smokers stacked piggy
> > back with the normal pan for wood chips if you are smoking, otherwise
> > he uses them to finish off the meat if its a busy day.
>
> Some "due diligence" things come to mind here, Bruce. I would have someone
> inspect the trailer top to bottom. Make sure the frame and flooring are
> solid and that the braking system is up-to-snuff. Be especially mindful of
> leaks from the roof and around the windows; this is the number one problem
> with trailers and may be hidden. Check the trailer's infrastructure to make
> sure all the plumbing and electricals are up to snuff.
>
> Make friends with the health district. Get a copy of the appropriate health
> code requiremnet for mobile kitchens or vendors. Take photos and diagrams of
> the trailer, including specifications and capacities for the hot water tank,
> fresh water tank, and grey water tank, to the local health district for
> their tentative approval. Codes are funny things with this type of food
> operation, and the current owner may have been grandfathered into changes
> that may impact a new owner.
>
> New ownership will require new permitting, inspections, etc by the health
> department. They will also require information about your proposed menu,
> food preparation and holding. They might have all of the necessary forms and
> information online, so do a google for the health department's website.
> Remember to keep a good relationship with these guys. Unless you run into a
> real idiot, they will be eager to help if you show them you're trying to do
> things right. The health department can be a great ally in helping you avoid
> mistakes that could make customers ill, which would ruin your business and
> reputation.
>
> Check with the property owners who currently allow the trailer's operation.
> Make sure that they will allow the same arrangements for a new owner. Make
> sure you know what the rental or lease is for the use of the property.
>
> Check with the local jurisdiction -- county or city -- to see if there would
> be any changes to a new owner taking over the operation. I've heard of more
> than one case where a change of ownership terminated the variance easement
> that had previously been permitted to the original permit holder.
>
> ....snip
>
> > All I know to do is to do things the way he has been doing it and as
> > time progresses add to the menu like chicken quarters (brined of
> > course in my brine, well ACTUALLY it is TFM's Brine modified a itty
> > bitty bit ) and use my rubs and sauce's. And stir fry veggies for
> > those other poor folks. Inside the prep area it is only going to work
> > with two people inside, and one tending the fire and the meat.
>
> Well, he certainly has a customer base built on that menu, so it wouldn't be
> a bad idea to keep as much of the original as possible. Keep the menu
> simple, and keep the food at a high standard of quality. Keep in mind that
> the faster you can get an order out, the more sales you can make.
>
> > I guess I should ask some questions at this point.....
> > Buying the meat will be a challenge cuz I don't know how much I will
> > sell, so how do you suggest I store it?
>
> You will need a commissary with room for dry storage and cold storage.
> Again, check with the health department about what they will allow as a
> commissary. What does the owner do right now?
>
> Jill does our inventory and shopping. She made a master list of every
> ingredient we use. She uses that list to compare against the inventory we
> keep on hand and shops for what is needed each week. For meat, we
> purchase -- non-frozen -- what we need by the case for three days at a time.
> Deliveries of pork and brisket and ribs and chicken are done twice each
> week. Cryovaced meats have a long cold holding time. I only cook what I can
> use that very day. If I run out, I close. We have very few leftovers, most
> of which is turned into what I termed "Critter Goop" (which is an evolution
> of what Chef Juke termed Critter Sandwiches).
>
> > Keep frozen until I will need it in a day or two or cook it and then
> > freeze it and reheat it when needed?
>
> To me, beef is hard to keep from drying out when cooked ahead. Ribs and pork
> butt do much better. Given the shorter cooking time for tri-tip and ribs, I
> would probably do those the day of the sale. If your customers are used to
> sauce on the meat, then that can allow things to be cooked in advance
> without any notice by the customer.
>
> > A typical day ( this is set up at a farmers market every Saturday &
> > Sunday) he will sell 5-10 tri tips all sold as sandwiches, and I dunno
> > how many racks he sells yet guess I will learn on the run, but he only
> > sells full racks and half racks. I am totally ok with that too.
>
> Keep notes on how much you serve each day. That will give you a good base
> for how much to order. It won't take long to really get a feel for how much
> you need to have on hand for any given day.
>
> > I guess Iam looking for suggestions, comments, Lord knows I need to
> > take this slow and work it smart because it quite possibly it could
> > give us the cash flow we need, but I am not thinking of turning this
> > into a Restaurant for life thing. I am more thinking this will be a
> > good way to promote my sauces and stuff and increase the cash flow all
> > around, and eventually get my sauce business up to a higher level.
>
> First: Make sure that G'ganna knows exactly what her role will be.
>
> Second: Before you agree to anything, work the trailer with the owner for a
> few weeks. If he's concerned that you might be stringing him along to learn
> his 'secrets' so that you can open another shop, write up a non-compete
> contract. But I would make working with him as a pre-condition for a sale.
>
> Third: Write up a business plan, even if it is for a part-time concession
> business. This is part of what I wrote to someone thinking about opening a
> bbq place:
>
> <begin quote>
> Should I go pro? That question is always answered by the following question:
> do I have a demand for my product from a large enough customer base to cover
> the overhead and make me a large enough profit to live on?
>
> The answer to that second question is not something I, nor anyone else, can
> answer for you. The answer is found in marketing surveys, a business plan,
> and the form your business will take: ie concession, mail-order, storefront.
>
> After spending years thinking about opening a bbq joint, I decided to see if
> there was even any interest from my potential customer base. I did a quick
> and dirty marketing survey. I took the phone book and made 100 random calls.
> I would skip every ten pages, and choose the 15th name on that page. Skip
> ten pages, choose the 15th name... etc. I would call and introduce myself as
> a local person interested in starting a new food business. I asked three
> questions:
>
> 1. Which type of restaurant would they like to see most A. hamburger, B.
> chinese, C. italian, D. pit-smoked barbecue, E. mexican, F. a Denny's-style.
> If the person answered anything other than barbecue, I thanked them and
> concluded the call. If they answered "barbecue", then I would proceed asking
> the next two questions.
>
> 2. What would your preferred menu item be: A. BBQ pork, B. BBQ beef brisket,
> C. BBQ ribs, D. BBQ chicken, E. Other?
>
> 3. What style of restaurant would you like to see: A. formal dining, B.
> casual dining, C. take out with informal inside seating, D. take-out only,
> E. take-out and delivery.
>
> Sixty-one of those responding highly favored a barbecue joint. It probably
> helped that at that time, there were none in the entire two-county area.
> This was encouraging, so I decided that if I seriously wanted to pursue this
> any further, I needed some sort of process to help me decide if I had what
> it takes to open a restaurant.
>
> For me, I used the process of constructing a business plan to determine
> whether or not I would proceed forward with the decision to open my store.
> It took me about a year, and made me delve into aspects of being a business
> owner that I didn't even know that I was clueless about. Writing the
> business plan helped tremendously in clarifying what I needed to do in order
> to strengthen my weaknesses. It gave me the clarity of knowing what I needed
> to do in order to get my business off the ground.
>
> A business plan will force you to know:
>
> 1. Where your customers are.
>
> 2. What your customers want and need.
>
> 3. How much it will cost you to produce the product you want to sell. The
> cost of goods is not just about how much you pay for the food to make your
> product.
>
> 4. How you plan to attract customers and enlarge your customer base. Just
> how many new customers will it take per day in order to make the money you
> need to cover costs and profit? A good business will keep customers coming
> back; those are your Regulars. However, most of your Regulars will only eat
> out once in a while, not every day. Sure, you will have some that may come
> in a couple of times a week, but not everyone will. Most won't. And even
> your regulars may want something to eat, periodically, other than your bbq.
> They simply won't show up each day.
>
> You need to have a plan to continually grow your customer base. If you plan
> on just "word of mouth", then I hope you have a fat wad of cash sitting in
> your reserve account.
>
> Marketing is not just advertising; advertising is only one tool that you use
> to market your product. Marketing is about letting folks know what your
> business is and why they need your product. Marketing can be as simple as
> visiting surrounding businesses with a sample of your product and a stack of
> business cards. Or it can be as elaborate as a high-powered marketing firm
> can make it. A good business plan will incorporate a marketing plan.
> Marketing can be inexpensive and still be incredibly effective; call it
> guerilla marketing.
>
> What good marketing needs, however, is something that is always in short
> supply when you run your own business: time. And without taking the time you
> need for marketing, you cripple your chances of success from the get-go. A
> good business plan will help you understand how you are going to fit
> marketing into the whole of your business.
>
> 5. What you want your operation to look like. For instance, my business plan
> helped me to figure out that I didn't want to deal with front of the house
> staff and scheduling ie waitresses. So I focused on how to make customer
> counter service a smooth, pleasant, and efficient experience for the guest.
>
> 6. What equipment do you need to get up and running? This includes hard
> equipment like sinks, dishwashers, pits & smokers, prep tables, prep
> equipment, cold storage, hot holding and cold holding, etc. It also includes
> consumables like paper towels, cups, take-out containers, straws,
> food-handling gloves, etc. The plan will make you understand your inventory
> needs, plans for maintaining equipment, and all the nit-picky details that
> can bust a budget.
>
> 7. Who are the wholesale suppliers that you will want to deal with to get
> the best prices on your inventory items.
>
> 8. What amount of start-up funds do you need? A business plan will make you
> honestly think through, evaluate, and intimately understand several types of
> budgeting processes that you need to know. It will force you to account for
> every nickle that you will need to spend, and give you the tools you need to
> keep you from blindly throwing money into the wind. Without that kind of
> disciplined approach, you can run out of money before you are even half-way
> through opening up your business.
>
> You need to know what your line item budget is for your equipment, for your
> remodeling or construction, for your initial inventory, for your monthly
> expenditures, and for the OTHER STUFF: government fees, permit charges,
> inspection costs, taxes, surcharges, attorneys, bookeepers, software,
> pencils, calculators, file cabinets, advertising, phone bill, utilities, and
> on and on.
>
> A business plan, done properly, is a lot of work; but it is not wasted work,
> nor is it useless make-work. A business plan is the only way to answer the
> question "should I go pro?"
>
> In my mind, if someone is unwilling to put in the work to plan and think
> things through in a disciplined and thoughtful manner the way a business
> plan forces one to do, then they should forget about opening their own
> business. The dedication to succeed simply isn't there.
>
> I thought I would hate doing my plan; but I actually enjoyed it. And it
> answered my question about whether or not I should open my own business.
>
> I made good use of the Small Business Administration's website. I also used
> Entrepreneur Magazine's website. Both have a lot of resources for planning
> and running a small business. They also have information on how to do a
> business plan.
>
> I used Business Plan Pro to help me get started doing my business plan. I
> found that it helped me format the plan and progress with its writing in a
> logical way. You don't need to buy software to do a business plan, but it is
> something to consider if you are stuck on how to get started. I'm sure there
> are any number of programs out there.
>
> If you have access to a college, they may have a small business counseling
> program. If you were in America, I could point you to our government
> resources for small business which provide wonderful programs to get you
> going with counseling and outstanding resource materials. Please check with
> your own government's small business program for similar programs.
> <end quote>
>
> --
> Davewww.davebbq.com

Dave I printed two copies of you info so we both could go over it in
detail, and my friend you did remind me of the things I had glossed
over.
Fortunately, I have a good working relationship with the health
department, and they are always more than willing to coach, suggest
and root for the home team so to speak.
Your comments about the due diligence we have taken to heart. I do
have several resources here in town that WANT to help us out
mechanically, electrically, and legally.

All we want to do is make a decent living, and offer to our customers
a good value for their dollar. Everyone I have told has said the same
thing,,,," You got the best sauce on the coast, and if you can offer
another way for folks to experience it you have a real winning
situation.

We will go slow into this thing for sure, build a customer base upon
the folks that already clamor for our sauce and see where it leads.

I am excited and also nervous but never let it be said that Bruce
wants a free ride, I work for my money and will continue to do so
until the good Lord thinks otherwise.

Thanks Dave and don't be surprised if I email you a gazzillion time
over the next few months.

Your friends
Bruce & G'ganna
Ol'Hippie Gourmet BBQ Sauce

On Jun 18, 7:03 pm, Nick Cramer > wrote:
> OL'Hippie > wrote:
> > Hi you guys,
> > [ . . . ]
> > Please be kind, my stress level it already making my brain tweak.
>
> Hi Bruce & G'ganna, good to hear from you.
>
> Not being a restaurant or any other kind of god or guru, all I can offer
> you are some general thoughts. Learn the equipment, so you can cook the way
> you've found works for you. Don't work 20 hour days. Price the stuff so
> it'll sell, but leave you a decent profit. Post a few pics in a.b.f.
> Enjoy the ride!
>
> With best wishes for your new venture,
>
> --
> Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
>
> Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !
> ~Semper Fi~

Nick I always love hearing from you, and your advice is always
welcome, now how the Hell do I post pics on ABF? cant seem to do it on
Google and I don't use outlook anymore but hey I will send you some
pics AFTER I get it in better shape LOL

I forwarded that email you sent by the way to several people the one
about Montebello? JEEZE that made my blood boil.

Your Friend
Bruce & oh yeah G'ganna

On Jun 18, 10:58 pm, wrote:
> On 18-Jun-2007, "Big Jim" > wrote:
>
>
>
> > "OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
> roups.com...
> > > Hi you guys,
> > > It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
> > > afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
> > > the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
> > > you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly
>
> > > Please be kind, my stress level it already making my brain tweak.
>
> > > Bruce & G'ganna
> > > Gold Beach Oregon
>
> > -- My first suggestion in an operation of that type is keep it simple. Don't
> > go overboard on you menu. The more you add the more storage space you need.
> > To me chicken and ribs don't reheat well (JMHO)
>
> Bruce, Like Big Jim, I don't think much of reheating chicken (at least not
> for sale), but ribs reheated in boiling bags come out real nice. I think you
> might do well to try a sample and see how it works for you. Basically,
> you pack the ribs as tightly as possible in boiling bags. I of course do
> mine in the vacuum bags I freeze them in. You can go straight from the
> freezer to the pot. They heat up fast in boiling water and they're done as
> soon as the bag starts to swell from internal steam pressure.
>
>
>
> > If he is doing well with the ribs and Tri-tip, stay with that.
> > BUTTS take well to cooling and freezing and reheat well. I would cook a
> > couple of cases and keep in the walk in and reheat in the pit. I cooked at
> > 325° and reheated for about 2½ hours.
> > If you add anything do butts. You should get $5-6.00 for a sandwich.
> > Pulled or chopped on a bun. I chopped a sandwich's worth off the BUTT as
> > needed.
> > What ever you charge, give customers their monies worth. Don't skimp. If
> > you have to charge more do it, but don't skimp.
> > And by all means use your sauce. Be sure to display some. What ever you
> > got room for.
> > Hope this helps.
> > Good Luck.
> > James A. "Big Jim" Whitten
> >
> >www.lazyq.com
>
> That was my 2¢ worth. Good luck.
>
> --
> Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)

Hi Brick,
You made me think about my Tila vac that is sitting in a closet with
the thing all mucked up with marinade, good idea and very easy to
implement once I get a new one ....
I will have to figure out if folks want chicken and if they do how
best to not over do it, I would rather run out than have leftovers.

How's things up north anyway?
Your friends at the mouth of the Rogue River
Bruce & G'ganna

OL'Hippie wrote:

> Dave I printed two copies of you info so we both could go over it in
> detail, and my friend you did remind me of the things I had glossed
> over.
> Fortunately, I have a good working relationship with the health
> department, and they are always more than willing to coach, suggest
> and root for the home team so to speak.

I suspected from your sauce business that you already had a good working
relationship with the health dept. :-)

> Your comments about the due diligence we have taken to heart. I do
> have several resources here in town that WANT to help us out
> mechanically, electrically, and legally.

That is absolutely great. That will make things go sooooo much easier.

> All we want to do is make a decent living, and offer to our customers
> a good value for their dollar. Everyone I have told has said the same
> thing,,,," You got the best sauce on the coast, and if you can offer
> another way for folks to experience it you have a real winning
> situation.

I absolutely agree.

> We will go slow into this thing for sure, build a customer base upon
> the folks that already clamor for our sauce and see where it leads.

I think you have a great chance at success.

> I am excited and also nervous but never let it be said that Bruce
> wants a free ride, I work for my money and will continue to do so
> until the good Lord thinks otherwise.
>
> Thanks Dave and don't be surprised if I email you a gazzillion time
> over the next few months.

Anytime, my friend, anytime. :-)
--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

On Jun 18, 12:07 pm, "Big Jim" > wrote:
> "OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
>
> oups.com...
> On Jun 18, 10:58 am, "Big Jim" > wrote:
>
>
>
> > "OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
>
> roups.com...
>
> > > Hi you guys,
> > > It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
> > > afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
> > > the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
> > > you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly
>
> > > Please be kind, my stress level it already making my brain tweak.
>
> > > Bruce & G'ganna
> > > Gold Beach Oregon
>
> > -- My first suggestion in an operation of that type is keep it simple.
> > Don't
> > go overboard on you menu. The more you add the more storage space you
> > need.
> > To me chicken and ribs don't reheat well (JMHO)
> > If he is doing well with the ribs and Tri-tip, stay with that.
> > BUTTS take well to cooling and freezing and reheat well. I would cook a
> > couple of cases and keep in the walk in and reheat in the pit. I cooked at
> > 325° and reheated for about 2½ hours.
> > If you add anything do butts. You should get $5-6.00 for a sandwich.
> > Pulled or chopped on a bun. I chopped a sandwich's worth off the BUTT as
> > needed.
> > What ever you charge, give customers their monies worth. Don't skimp. If
> > you have to charge more do it, but don't skimp.
> > And by all means use your sauce. Be sure to display some. What ever you
> > got room for.
> > Hope this helps.
> > Good Luck.
> > James A. "Big Jim" Whitten
> >
>
> Bless your pea pickin little heart Jim !
> I forgot to mention I want to do pulled or sliced pork sandwiches,
> thanks for the infor on reheating ribs and chicken. BUTTS will be on
> my menu then. G'ganna is dead set on doing the veggie stir fry so we
> will see how it all plays out. I don't have a walk in LOL so it will
> have to be buy, cook and sell every morsel possible. Skimp? ME? not
> likely I want folks to brag about what they get from me and return
> with their friends. My sauce is already a big hit so this ought to
> enhance both the sales of the sauce and the sale of the sandwiches
> ( Good God Bob used KC master crap)
> There is a store close by the stand that will order how ever many
> cases we want & we can buy as needed once a day from our order so
> basically we will be using their reefers.
>
> "BUTTS take well to cooling and freezing and reheat well. I would cook
> a
>
> > couple of cases and keep in the walk in and reheat in the pit. I cooked at
> > 325° and reheated for about 2½ hours"
>
> How long ahead of time should said BUTTS be removed from the freezer
> and put in the fridge before they go back on the cooker? I figure the
> Tri-Tips would be about the same eh?
>
> I think my menu will look like this
> Tri- Tip sandwiches....Small $4.00 large $7.00 Hamburger buns for the
> small Hoagie buns for the large
> Pulled or sliced pork sandwiches Same prices
> Full Rack of Spares $18.00
> Half Rack...............$15.00
> Baby Backs Full Rack $18.00
> Half Rack $15.00
>
> He sells Curly Fries for $3.50
> I would like to offer Cole Slaw and or Potato Salad but I need another
> small refer to do that.
>
> These are his prices and no one seems to complain, but people have to
> ask his prices he has no menu posted so folks can read it as they walk
> by.
> Another thing on my list of things to get-er-done before the
> weekend !! LOL
> Bruce in Gold Beach
>
> I'd offer one sandwich, then you don't have to keep 2 sizes of buns. I used
> a 5" seeded Kaiser roll. Once in a while someone will be allergic to the
> seeds (not often) Just offer to give them 2 bottoms.
> Lose the fries. You will just have to deal with changing the oil and have to
> handle the disposal of such.
> If you buy your potato salad that's OK. Making it takes a lot of time.
> I can give you a slaw recipe (oil and vinegar)
> That will make 5#, that's about 25 servings.
> You can keep that in a small ice chest. And it don't take long to make. (5
> minutes
> The less time you spend in the kitchen prepping the more time you got to
> BS with customers (a good thing).
> I only sold pork and beef, chicken, ribs, sausage, cole slaw and banana
> pudding. Was doing between $1200-$1500 average a day.
> Now they are doing potato salad, fries, hamburgers, and it ain't helped
> sales a bit and they have to mess with more stuff.
> Take the butts out about 4 days before reheating. Don't wrap them. If you
> ever do brisket wrap them, they come out better.
> --
> James A. "Big Jim" Whitten
>

I would be tickled as all get out to use your Slaw recipe......if you
need my email address let me know.
It is so good to have you as a sounding board and a guide on this
foreign territory for me. Now I need to have Foscoe send me a perfect
knife in trade for sauce. !!!! LOL
I think this is going to be a fun ride, an "A" ticket or I will die
trying.

Thanks Jim
Bruce & G'ganna at the mouth of the Rogue River

OL'Hippie > wrote:
> On Jun 18, 7:03 pm, Nick Cramer > wrote:
> > OL'Hippie > wrote:
> > > Hi you guys,
> > > [ . . . ]

> I forwarded that email you sent by the way to several people the one
> about Montebello? JEEZE that made my blood boil.

I hope the next one makes you feel better. ;-(

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !
~Semper Fi~

"OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
oups.com...


I would be tickled as all get out to use your Slaw recipe......if you
need my email address let me know.
It is so good to have you as a sounding board and a guide on this
foreign territory for me. Now I need to have Foscoe send me a perfect
knife in trade for sauce. !!!! LOL
I think this is going to be a fun ride, an "A" ticket or I will die
trying.

Thanks Jim
Bruce & G'ganna at the mouth of the Rogue River



-- 1½ cups white sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup oil
5 ts kosher salt
2 ts coarse ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (heaping) minced garlic
5 pound bag slaw mix
Mix all together, thoroly.
Chill for at least 1 hour.
Gets better with age. up to a week.
James A. "Big Jim" Whitten

www.lazyq.com

"Big Jim" > wrote:
> "OL'Hippie" > wrote in message

Thanks for posting yer Cole Slaw recipe, Big Jim. I hope to give it a try
on Independance Day.

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !
~Semper Fi~

On Jun 20, 12:17 pm, "Big Jim" > wrote:
> "OL'Hippie" > wrote in message
>
> oups.com...
>
> I would be tickled as all get out to use your Slaw recipe......if you
> need my email address let me know.
> It is so good to have you as a sounding board and a guide on this
> foreign territory for me. Now I need to have Foscoe send me a perfect
> knife in trade for sauce. !!!! LOL
> I think this is going to be a fun ride, an "A" ticket or I will die
> trying.
>
> Thanks Jim
> Bruce & G'ganna at the mouth of the Rogue River
>
> -- 1½ cups white sugar
> 1 cup apple cider vinegar
> 1 cup oil
> 5 ts kosher salt
> 2 ts coarse ground black pepper
> 2 tablespoons (heaping) minced garlic
> 5 pound bag slaw mix
> Mix all together, thoroly.
> Chill for at least 1 hour.
> Gets better with age. up to a week.
> James A. "Big Jim" Whitten
>

Thanks Jim, we will be making it up for this weekend, will let you
know how we do.

Bruce

Big Jim wrote:
> -- 1½ cups white sugar
> 1 cup apple cider vinegar
> 1 cup oil
> 5 ts kosher salt
> 2 ts coarse ground black pepper
> 2 tablespoons (heaping) minced garlic
> 5 pound bag slaw mix
> Mix all together, thoroly.
> Chill for at least 1 hour.
> Gets better with age. up to a week.


Thanks for the recipe, Jim. It'll be on my table Saturday night

-frohe

On Mon, 18 Jun 2007 10:13:26 -0700, OL'Hippie >
wrote:

>Hi you guys,
>It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
>afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
>the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
>you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly
>if I had a bunch of cash, I would be able to hand off production and
>distribution to others and have a decent income for G'ganna and me.
>
>We have been handed, on a silver platter a BBQ mobile kitchen, it is
>NOT new and actually has quite a following here on the Oregon coast.
>Bob, the owner just wants to fish hunt and camp and is just plain
>tired, he took a liking to us and has offer it to us for a measly 8k
>no down and will only ask for 1/2 of our profits to pay him off.
>

Hey Bruce,

Chiming in a bit late here (things have been REALLY busy around here
and I've been somewhat reduced to lurker status on the NG).

A few thoughts off the top of my head.

First, read and reread Dave's post. A number of times. Then put it
on your calendar for next month to reread again.

;-)

Next....

Taking over a business that is already running has it's own
challenges. If the business has a significant number of regular
customers, sudden change can be your enemy. You do not want to
alienate the existing customer base, while you get your sea legs, even
if that means keeping the KC sauce around for a while as an an option
for the regulars. This is not to say that you won't make that break
and make the changes that will turn the place into YOUR place, but it
is best not to do that immediately.

Note that the above advice that this is taken from my personal
experience from being the office manager and maitre D of a well-known
popular restaurant that was sold to a new owner wh then made immediate
changes both to the decor and menu of the restaurant and immediately
lost a majority of the regular clientele who just wouldn't accept the
change. If he had segued slowly to the newer menu, and then done the
physical changes, he would likely have been far better off and would
not have taken the hit to his business (which ultimately forced him to
change the whole restaurant theme and name to a totally different type
which WAS successful).

The next red flag is tha agreement with the current owner. You need
ot make sure the terms are very clear, as Dave mentioned. You also
need to be able to see HIS books to see what you can reasonably
expect, from the beginning, in terms of net profit, so that you really
know what you are getting into. You need to especially focus on
historical data including a chart of comparitive business each month
over the last 3 years so you can see the trend of what the busy and
slow months look like, keeping a keen eye as to the comparitive
profits during different times of year.

Yes, a dish like Critter can be your friend in terms of how to deal
with leftovers. While on the one hand, figuring out how to order and
cook so that you run out nearest to closing time every day is ideal, I
gave my critter suggestion to Dave based on the West Bros. Barbercue
restaurant that used to be here in Eugene. They basically took their
'leftover' beef, chicken and pork, chopped it up, added a little
onion and sauce and called it 'critter'. Served as sandwhiches or
like chili on a plate/bowl it was a staple for a number of regular
diners at their restaurant (especially at lunch a it was a quick
dishup item).

Overall, the key is getting a clear understanding of what you are
getting into initisally, meaning, what would it mean to you,
financially, if you took over the business AS-IS, made NO significant
changes, and ran it exactly as it has been run previously. What would
the numbers look like? That should be your starting point. While you
can GUESS at what you might be able to do better, or more profitably,
etc., you need to start with the reality of what the busines is
now....and go from there. Take the base of what the current owner has
done, then build on that.

Personally, I think that it sounds like an exciting opportunity and
one that could, if the numbers look good, be just the ticket for your
gateway to a wider audience for your sauce and more.




-Chef Juke
"EVERYbody Eats When They Come To MY House!"
www.chefjuke.com

"Chef Juke" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 18 Jun 2007 10:13:26 -0700, OL'Hippie >
> wrote:
>
>>Hi you guys,
>>It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
>>afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
>>the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
>>you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly
>>if I had a bunch of cash, I would be able to hand off production and
>>distribution to others and have a decent income for G'ganna and me.
>>
>>We have been handed, on a silver platter a BBQ mobile kitchen, it is
>>NOT new and actually has quite a following here on the Oregon coast.
>>Bob, the owner just wants to fish hunt and camp and is just plain
>>tired, he took a liking to us and has offer it to us for a measly 8k
>>no down and will only ask for 1/2 of our profits to pay him off.
>>
>
> Hey Bruce,
>
> Chiming in a bit late here (things have been REALLY busy around here
> and I've been somewhat reduced to lurker status on the NG).
>
> A few thoughts off the top of my head.
>
> First, read and reread Dave's post. A number of times. Then put it
> on your calendar for next month to reread again.
>
> ;-)
>
> Next....
>
> Taking over a business that is already running has it's own
> challenges. If the business has a significant number of regular
> customers, sudden change can be your enemy. You do not want to
> alienate the existing customer base, while you get your sea legs, even
> if that means keeping the KC sauce around for a while as an an option
> for the regulars. This is not to say that you won't make that break
> and make the changes that will turn the place into YOUR place, but it
> is best not to do that immediately.
>
> Note that the above advice that this is taken from my personal
> experience from being the office manager and maitre D of a well-known
> popular restaurant that was sold to a new owner wh then made immediate
> changes both to the decor and menu of the restaurant and immediately
> lost a majority of the regular clientele who just wouldn't accept the
> change. If he had segued slowly to the newer menu, and then done the
> physical changes, he would likely have been far better off and would
> not have taken the hit to his business (which ultimately forced him to
> change the whole restaurant theme and name to a totally different type
> which WAS successful).
>
> The next red flag is tha agreement with the current owner. You need
> ot make sure the terms are very clear, as Dave mentioned. You also
> need to be able to see HIS books to see what you can reasonably
> expect, from the beginning, in terms of net profit, so that you really
> know what you are getting into. You need to especially focus on
> historical data including a chart of comparitive business each month
> over the last 3 years so you can see the trend of what the busy and
> slow months look like, keeping a keen eye as to the comparitive
> profits during different times of year.
>
> Yes, a dish like Critter can be your friend in terms of how to deal
> with leftovers. While on the one hand, figuring out how to order and
> cook so that you run out nearest to closing time every day is ideal, I
> gave my critter suggestion to Dave based on the West Bros. Barbercue
> restaurant that used to be here in Eugene. They basically took their
> 'leftover' beef, chicken and pork, chopped it up, added a little
> onion and sauce and called it 'critter'. Served as sandwhiches or
> like chili on a plate/bowl it was a staple for a number of regular
> diners at their restaurant (especially at lunch a it was a quick
> dishup item).
>
> Overall, the key is getting a clear understanding of what you are
> getting into initisally, meaning, what would it mean to you,
> financially, if you took over the business AS-IS, made NO significant
> changes, and ran it exactly as it has been run previously. What would
> the numbers look like? That should be your starting point. While you
> can GUESS at what you might be able to do better, or more profitably,
> etc., you need to start with the reality of what the busines is
> now....and go from there. Take the base of what the current owner has
> done, then build on that.
>
> Personally, I think that it sounds like an exciting opportunity and
> one that could, if the numbers look good, be just the ticket for your
> gateway to a wider audience for your sauce and more.
>
>
>
>
> -Chef Juke
> "EVERYbody Eats When They Come To MY House!"
> www.chefjuke.com

I would also add that if you could work for the current owner 6 months or
so, that the clientele can get used to having you up front, really helps.

(this is how restaurants pass so easily from one generation to the next; no
real perceived change, just that Dad doesn't come around much anymore.)

Chef Juke wrote:

> Overall, the key is getting a clear understanding of what you are
> getting into initisally, meaning, what would it mean to you,
> financially, if you took over the business AS-IS, made NO significant
> changes, and ran it exactly as it has been run previously. What would
> the numbers look like? That should be your starting point. While you
> can GUESS at what you might be able to do better, or more profitably,
> etc., you need to start with the reality of what the busines is
> now....and go from there. Take the base of what the current owner has
> done, then build on that.

Boy, that is such a salient point!!!

Good to hear from you, Pat. How have things been going? Are you heading to
Burning Man this year?
--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

Dave Bugg wrote:

>
> 1/2 of the profits is pretty high since this would not be a partnership.
> Just make sure you define in writing, very carefully and fully, what is
> meant by "profits". In my mind, profit is what is left over after ALL cost
> of goods and operating expenses are paid (and I mean everything including
> taxes, bookeeper, insurance, state sales taxes, state income tax, state L&I
> taxes, employment security taxes, health district fees, business license,
> vehicle expenses, etc. *including your salary*).

I can't speak from experience about mobile kitchens, but I sure have
experience in joint ventures in commercial real estate. Dave is giving
you some very solid advice here. I'd like to add in a suggestion that
you and the seller go over a pro forma income and expense statement to
see what he thinks the 1/2 of profits is. Then, convert that figure to
a typical gross figure and change the deal to be a % of gross, rather
than a % of profit. That way, it's much, much, easier to calculate and
will eliminate the overlooked items and potential arguments.

--
---Nonnymus---
You don’t stand any taller by
trying to make others appear shorter.

On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:42:46 -0700, "Dave Bugg" >
wrote:

>Chef Juke wrote:
>
>> Overall, the key is getting a clear understanding of what you are
>> getting into initisally, meaning, what would it mean to you,
>> financially, if you took over the business AS-IS, made NO significant
>> changes, and ran it exactly as it has been run previously. What would
>> the numbers look like? That should be your starting point. While you
>> can GUESS at what you might be able to do better, or more profitably,
>> etc., you need to start with the reality of what the busines is
>> now....and go from there. Take the base of what the current owner has
>> done, then build on that.
>
>Boy, that is such a salient point!!!
>
>Good to hear from you, Pat. How have things been going? Are you heading to
>Burning Man this year?

Hey Dave,

Things are well all things considered (other than money being too
tight to mention). Think I finally have the IRS off my back for some
probelms with my return a few years ago (don't ask) and all of us have
our health, so...I can't really complain.

Wasn't gonna go out to the desert this year due ot the tight money
situaiton, but ended up getting involved with folks who are putting
together a "Road Show" of sorts - kind of a Burning Man Musical that
will eventually tour around the country to give people a taste of what
the event is about (most of the images and news reports tend to miss a
lot of what I think the event is about and seem to focus on the most
outlandish bits..typical media).

http://www.postplayaproductions.com/

Anyway, so now I have eneded up with a gig there running the kitchen
(well, actually MY kitchen, as I already have all the equipment -
portable stoves and coolers and such from previous events) for the
entourage of about 50 performers and organizers of the roadshow out at
their camp at Burning Man for 10 days. Should be fun and
challenging...but most importantly it's covers my ticket and
travelling costs so I can afford to go....

Right now I am waiting to find out the dietary restrictions for the
group so I know how many people can't eat this thing or that thing or
are vegans,etc. Hopefully few, but there are almost always some in a
big group of 'artistic people'. Mainly I worry about allergies....the
last thing you want when feeding people is to have somebody take a
bite and then turn red and swell up like the Michelin man at the
dinner table. Saw that happen once with someone who was allergic to
peanuts and they got too close to a kitchen where they were cooking
with peanut oil. They apparently inhaled some of the oil vapor in the
air and had a bad reaction. Wasn't pretty.

Here's me in my previous Burning Man kitchen back in '99
http://www.chefjuke.com/burnman/1999/chefjuke_small.JPG

Fed 250-500 folks brunch every day for 5 days out on the desert. Not
an easy feat considering that was all with no electricity and we had
to bring all of our own water, food, equipment, propane etc. Only
thing that was available onsite was ice.

Anyway, right now I am prepping for cooking for my older daugher's 8th
grade graduation party I told her she could have for her and 25 of her
friends....mainly just grilled stuff with one boston butt in there for
good measure. Also mentally preparing myself for having a yard full
of 14 year olds...yeesh...when I was a kid, we didn't have "Middle
School Graduations", we just moved over to the next school. Seeya
Kid. Oh well.

How's things with you and yours?

;-)

-Chef Juke
"EVERYbody Eats When They Come To MY House!"
www.chefjuke.com

On Jun 22, 6:04 am, "Shawn" > wrote:
> "Chef Juke" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 18 Jun 2007 10:13:26 >
> > wrote:
>
> >>Hi you guys,
> >>It has been awhile since I have had time to be in here much, and I am
> >>afraid there won't be much more in the future either ( I will get to
> >>the reason here in a second) but I would like some advice. As some of
> >>you know I have been bottling my BBQ sauce for awhile now and frankly
> >>if I had a bunch of cash, I would be able to hand off production and
> >>distribution to others and have a decent income for G'ganna and me.
>
> >>We have been handed, on a silver platter a BBQ mobile kitchen, it is
> >>NOT new and actually has quite a following here on the Oregon coast.
> >>Bob, the owner just wants to fish hunt and camp and is just plain
> >>tired, he took a liking to us and has offer it to us for a measly 8k
> >>no down and will only ask for 1/2 of our profits to pay him off.
>
> > Hey Bruce,
>
> > Chiming in a bit late here (things have been REALLY busy around here
> > and I've been somewhat reduced to lurker status on the NG).
>
> > A few thoughts off the top of my head.
>
> > First, read and reread Dave's post. A number of times. Then put it
> > on your calendar for next month to reread again.
>
> > ;-)
>
> > Next....
>
> > Taking over a business that is already running has it's own
> > challenges. If the business has a significant number of regular
> > customers, sudden change can be your enemy. You do not want to
> > alienate the existing customer base, while you get your sea legs, even
> > if that means keeping the KC sauce around for a while as an an option
> > for the regulars. This is not to say that you won't make that break
> > and make the changes that will turn the place into YOUR place, but it
> > is best not to do that immediately.
>
> > Note that the above advice that this is taken from my personal
> > experience from being the office manager and maitre D of a well-known
> > popular restaurant that was sold to a new owner wh then made immediate
> > changes both to the decor and menu of the restaurant and immediately
> > lost a majority of the regular clientele who just wouldn't accept the
> > change. If he had segued slowly to the newer menu, and then done the
> > physical changes, he would likely have been far better off and would
> > not have taken the hit to his business (which ultimately forced him to
> > change the whole restaurant theme and name to a totally different type
> > which WAS successful).
>
> > The next red flag is tha agreement with the current owner. You need
> > ot make sure the terms are very clear, as Dave mentioned. You also
> > need to be able to see HIS books to see what you can reasonably
> > expect, from the beginning, in terms of net profit, so that you really
> > know what you are getting into. You need to especially focus on
> > historical data including a chart of comparitive business each month
> > over the last 3 years so you can see the trend of what the busy and
> > slow months look like, keeping a keen eye as to the comparitive
> > profits during different times of year.
>
> > Yes, a dish like Critter can be your friend in terms of how to deal
> > with leftovers. While on the one hand, figuring out how to order and
> > cook so that you run out nearest to closing time every day is ideal, I
> > gave my critter suggestion to Dave based on the West Bros. Barbercue
> > restaurant that used to be here in Eugene. They basically took their
> > 'leftover' beef, chicken and pork, chopped it up, added a little
> > onion and sauce and called it 'critter'. Served as sandwhiches or
> > like chili on a plate/bowl it was a staple for a number of regular
> > diners at their restaurant (especially at lunch a it was a quick
> > dishup item).
>
> > Overall, the key is getting a clear understanding of what you are
> > getting into initisally, meaning, what would it mean to you,
> > financially, if you took over the business AS-IS, made NO significant
> > changes, and ran it exactly as it has been run previously. What would
> > the numbers look like? That should be your starting point. While you
> > can GUESS at what you might be able to do better, or more profitably,
> > etc., you need to start with the reality of what the busines is
> > now....and go from there. Take the base of what the current owner has
> > done, then build on that.
>
> > Personally, I think that it sounds like an exciting opportunity and
> > one that could, if the numbers look good, be just the ticket for your
> > gateway to a wider audience for your sauce and more.
>
> > -Chef Juke
> > "EVERYbody Eats When They Come To MY House!"
> >www.chefjuke.com
>
> I would also add that if you could work for the current owner 6 months or
> so, that the clientele can get used to having you up front, really helps.
>
> (this is how restaurants pass so easily from one generation to the next; no
> real perceived change, just that Dad doesn't come around much anymore.)

Hi Bud ! How the heck are you? Glad to have your input BIG TIME.
6 months won't happen he is tired and wants to fish, camp and travel.
Today G'ganna and I did the gig all by ourselves Bob did pitch in at
lunchtime. Our learning curve is almost straight up. We will do fine
as long as we keep it simple, learned that about 11:30 this morning
when I got orders for 9 Tri-Tip sandwiches, a stir fry, a few curly
fries ,,,,G'ganna and I were bumping into each other and so stressed
it was amazing.
But we made it through fine, the best part is the feedback everyone
love it. We missed a bunch of sales of pulled pork because it was no
where close to ready. We just need to get things set up so it works
well for us.
I will be taking pictures as time permits but I cant post on AFB so I
will post all on my FOTKI site if you don't have a link let me know,
we have tons of pics there.
Seems to me this is a 3-4 person operation during a festival or big
event, we are scheduled for a big event next week. But the norm is the
farmers market Saturday and Sunday in Brookings

Email me
Would love to chat
Bruce & G'ganna
Gold Beach