Equipment and service charge?

[Smokeverything]

Hello..just wondering what people charge for grilling/smoking for parties with thier smokers? I usually set a donation jar out but most people ask me about my rate.

[Pete Mazz]

Typically 2 or 3 times your costs but more importantly is having the necessary licenses, insurance and/or permits. Check with the local Board of Health.

[Dirtytires]

I would think catering parties would be pretty risky/difficult at this point in time. You might be better just providing meats.

[Smokeverything]

I dont handle any purchasing of food...never have. Always just offered to cook whatever they choose. Have done it for years like that. Just building another cooker and have been looking into doing it abit more as there are people wanting me to do it all the time. When this covid fiasco gets over with people are gonna be in the party mood lol

[JKalchik]

IMO, if you start taking money for this, you're going to fall under Health Department rules & regulations, whether you like it or not. Safe handling of food, sanitation, equipment... the whole nine yards. All it takes is a single phone call.

@Smokeverything, yes, once social distancing and group limits are lifted, I'm pretty sure that we're gonna have a pretty big bash in the backyard.

[Smokeverything]

Got word back from my department of health. As long as a person just cooking and not purchasing or transporting the food and as long as it is a private party you can charge for the service without having a license

[Big T]

Well that's good to know, nothing worse than getting shutdown by the health department in the middle of a cook.

[JKalchik]

Indeed, that is good news.

The rest of us have to remember that what regulations apply to you may not necessarily apply to us.

[Dirtytires]

That would shut most of us down. I pick out all my own meat and purchase everything. I also do most of my cooking at home before transporting the cooked food as a 12 hour cook is too long to be at a remote function.

And as noted....every city/state has different rules. Glad it will work out for you.

[mp4]

I've cooked for a community event and had a similar discussion. In my case it was a formal employer that had an inspected kitchen and they did the serving so I was covered. Another time was for a fundraiser and I fell under a local bar/restaurant's license. It was a real discussion though in both cases.