cruzmisl Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Hi, I have a question I need to ask. Well, maybe more advice than a question. Where I live there is a large factory that runs 3 shifts. Essentially this place runs 24/7 (6 days a week) and employs several thousand people. At lunch hour there are several vendors that will sell their products at the gate so the employees can grab a quick bite and head back to work in a reasonable amount of time. This includes subs, pizza and the like. This got me thinking. What if I were to sell pulled pork sandwiches. It's easy, delicious and cheap. The start up costs are low and I think the potential to make some decent cash is good. I wouldn't be able to be there myself but I could hire someone to do it. All I would need to do is cook the pork. With the Komodo and the guru it almost cooks itself. I don't want to become rich but even if I sold 50 sandwiches/day at $5 that's over $1000/week. Sure there are a lot of other things to consider but what do you think of the general idea? Any comments or suggestions? If all goes well I may need to buy another K Thanks for any thoughts. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 The Fun Police Don't forget permits. Department of Health. Whether you can cook food for commercial use in a home cooking environment, what sanitation certifications are needed, what insurance... Yup, there are always fun police... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzmisl Posted September 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Yeah I know there is all of that I need to look into but don't want to start if the general principle is flawed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Several times over the years, I have had people at work beg me to do something similar. Actually did sell frozen 1lb vacuum sealed packs of Q for a while (had regulars that snapped everyone of them up pre-order). Also had thought about craft shows too (their is one almost every weekend somewhere within 100 miles). Along with BBQ, turkey legs was the other product high on my list as everyone loves those. Even less work and more profit. At .50 a leg, season salt, 4-6 hour cook, those things sell at a minimum of $5 each. But what always stopped me from going further is I love to cook and really enjoy the hobby. For most people, once you turn it into a job you got to do, it takes the fun out of it being a hobby. May not be the case for everyone, but it was for me. I still enjoy cooking and bringing in BBQ at work for our dinner once in a while. But having to cook a bunch every set of my days off, chop it up, package and it being for someone else got old quick. Anyway, just a couple things to think about. -=Jasen=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeats Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Welcome to my world Sanny Said Don't forget permits. Department of Health. Whether you can cook food for commercial use in a home cooking environment, what sanitation certifications are needed, what insurance... Yup, there are always fun police... It's always fun until it's your job! It takes the right individual to turn a hobby into a vocation( hello Dennis!) You never know until you try, and you can't do it while your dead, although it could be a contributing factor in your demise! Anything else you want us to talk you out of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidS Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 I agree with Drunk J, cooking is a hobby with me. I enjoy cooking and giving to friends and people who help me with different things. It would not be fun if it became a job., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie from Jersey Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzmisl Posted September 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 You know I agree BUT if I could make some decent loot AND farm out most of the work it may be worth it........at least for a while Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 You know I agree BUT if I could make some decent loot AND farm out most of the work it may be worth it........at least for a while Hey, go for it. You never know until you try. I highly suggest the turkey leg deal too. People go bananas over those things. If you look in the rub recipe section, one of my posts has "Basic smoke season" recipe in it. That is what I use to make the turkey legs and a low slow smoke. Everyone tells me they taste like the ones you can buy at Disney parks. -=Jasen=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 Delegate.. You know I agree BUT if I could make some decent loot AND farm out most of the work it may be worth it........at least for a while I think if you can capitalize on your knowledge with something you have a passion for so much the better. At first, you would have to be very hands on but after that if you have someone else doing the work and you basically tasting it as it goes out and counting the $$ It sounds like a win win.. I'm thinking of setting up some KK's in restaurants here in Bali.. or selling frozen vacumme packed Q in specialty stores here.. Lots of great pork here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzmisl Posted September 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 I think I'm going top look into the licencing etc. If it's reasonable, which I think it is, I'll give it a go. I probably lost more at the casino than this venture will cost. The beauty is that pulled pork holds really well so no need to cart a huge apparatus around decreasing the initial cost even further. Thanks for the tip on the turkey legs. I'll check it out. Hey Dennis, if Weber can have a restaurant I'm sure you can too!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie from Jersey Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 Funny' date=' the turkey leg is the part at Thanksgiving that no one wants so it goes in the soup. Do they remove all the tendons when you do just legs or is it the eater's problem? [/quote'] They are extremely popular in this part of the country (fairs/craftshows). But I agree about the Thanksgiving turkey legs.....these are completely different tasting/texture. The tendons are just hard strips and are easily pulled out and tossed while eating the smoked legs. Here is a pic - viewtopic.php?t=2281 Here is a link to the season....scroll down to basic smoke season - viewtopic.php?t=338 -=Jasen=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie from Jersey Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 I'm not sure we have three legged turkeys up here' date=' must be a southern thing.[/quote'] We got a nuclear plant nearby....hahahahahha! I tend to cook just turkey breast (low and slow for sandwiches) and occasionally toss on a pack of legs while it is cooking. -=Jasen=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 Being self employed isn't for everyone, I could not live any other way. You take a risk, you work hard and do whatever it takes to succeed. Every day you overcome an obstacle... or several. If it even crossed your mind that you could succeed at this, you can. That's not to say you will. I encourage you to do it. It sounds like you will need to cook every day and with at least two or three cookers. It may transpire that the amount of meat you will need will require a different kind of cooker, not KK. That would take some of the fun out of it! I eat some carnitas every Saturday and it is some of the best pulled pork I've ever had. I'm pretty sure they don't use a ceramic cooker. But if you can cook enough in your KK, get after it. The worst problems most of us encounter in business are thrown up by the government. Most government workers are pretty anti-capitalist and they will make your life miserable. The cooking will be the fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg_R Posted November 6, 2008 Report Share Posted November 6, 2008 I just finished cooking 45lbs of pork shoulder on the top rack of my KK so I'd image you could easily load it up to 75-80lbs (pre cook weight). Portion control is going to be a big issue, especially if you are not there to supervise. I don't know if you've ever had experience in the food services industry but customers will constantly try to take advantage of you (taking 100 napkins, using a gallon of ketchup on their fries, etc.). Having said all that, I used to sell pit beef when I was growing up and made pretty good money. My biggest problem was dealing with leftovers caused from poor turnout or bad weather (pit beef needs to be served fresh, pulled pork can be vac sealed). With the number of workers that you're talking about I think it would be a pretty good idea to test the waters. Talk to the owners to see what they need for you to sell on the premises. Ed: For those who don't know, Pit Beef is the sandwich to have in Baltimore, MD. You basically take an entire beef round or other large cut and marinate it constantly as it cooks. Once the outside is cooked, you slice it off and make a sandwich (good horseradish, salt, pepper, and sometimes onions can be added). This is great for a slow steady stream of customers... it doesn't work that well if everyone wants a sandwich at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
