How to Start a Barbeque Catering Business
A barbeque catering business takes a certain amount of experience in cooking and in using a large-scale smoker or grill. The catering business can be a spinoff from a local barbeque restaurant or it can be a stand-alone business. If the business is a new start-up, you will need to invest in the necessary equipment. The experience can entail a lot of hard work before it gets off the ground, but once it does, it can also be very rewarding.
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Things You'll Need
- Business license
- Permit
- Kitchen facility
- Menu
- Cooker or smoker
- Truck or van
- Tables
- Chairs
- Tablecloths
- Pans
- Serving spoons and tongs
- Plates
- Eating utensils
- Cups
- Napkins
- Food
- Flyers
Instructions
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Find out what state and city codes need to be met before opening your business. Apply for any business licenses or permits that will be required.
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2
Locate a facility that will let you prepare for each event if you don't have a restaurant to work from. Some caterers rent their own kitchen spaces while others arrange kitchen access from facilities such as meeting halls or churches.
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Decide on a menu. Make sure the items chosen are items you can prepare with confidence. Figure out food costs for each dish and decide what the catered fee will be for each event. You'll need to charge enough to cover food costs, overhead and employees, while allowing for a profit to keep the business going.
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Arrange for the proper equipment. The business will need a large capacity cooker or smoker, a truck or van to haul the food and to pull the cooker to events. Tables, chairs and tablecloths will need to be supplied. The budget will need to cover pans for baked beans, cole slaw and potato salad, serving spoons and tongs, plates, eating utensils, cups, napkins, and any other supplies provided during a catered event. Initial food costs will also need to be figured in.
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Decide what types of events you can cover, the maximum and minimum amount of people your catering service can serve and the distance you'll travel for an event.
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Advertise your business. Make up flyers to pass around and spread the news of the catering business by word of mouth. Put an ad in the local paper. Consider renting booth space at local festivals so people can start tasting your food.
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Tips & Warnings
Build in a budget for extra or unexpected expenses. Make sure the smoker or cooker has enough time to completely cook the amount of food being served. Allow for extra cooking time during extremely windy or cool weather. It'll be harder to keep the heat up when the weather is cool.
Be very careful when using a hot smoker or grill. Keep people away from the cooking area if at all possible.
