BBQ Take Out in video store

Hi Pheonix-

It sounds like you've given this some thought from a business standpoint, which is a great first step, it seems like many folks don't. Restaurant ventures are pretty risky, so the only thing I would caution against is over-leveraging yourself to the point that the video store would fail if the BBQ didn't make it.

As for the layout, I've never cooked in a concession trailer, so other folks will have to jump in on the specifics. A few thoughts did come to mind however...

1. You said you would use the smoker for cooking and holding, rolling it inside once the food was cooked. What type of smoker do you plan on using? The reason I ask is that many smokers can hold product, but they are not necessarily best suited for the task of serving from it. Also, since you are using an existing space, the fire marshall will likely want to weigh in on how you're venting that smoker while it's inside. Your landlord too, if you don't own the building. If you need to put in a hood, it will require a roof penetration, and in my experience, landlords aren't always real wild about that. Anyway, you might want to consider a steamtable or warming cabinet that would not need a hood system.

2. Since you're using an existing space, is your HVAC system up to the task of cooling it? Restaurant equipment, be it warmers or refrigeration, puts out a lot of heat. You don't want your customers sweating their butts off in the summer. Or your employees for that matter!

3. It's sounds like you've become an accomplished BBQ cook. But... cooking in volume is different. The guy at the farmer's market could probably turn out some pretty good BBQ if he was just cooking a few briskets or racks of ribs. Doing it in larger volumes is more of a challenge. If for no other reason, sometimes when you buy a case of meat, some pieces are better than others. You can't really eat the cost when a box of meat isn't trimmed as you like it, so you have to find ways to deal with that, or build the shrinkage of lesser pieces into your pricing.

I hope my post doesn't sound discouraging, because I certainly don't mean it to be. You asked for things to look out for, and the fact that you asked that shows you might be more ready for a deal like this than most who ponder it.

Since I can't give you much in the way of suggestions for a small kitchen, I can give you suggestions for a few calls you should make. First, I'd call your local health dept. Find out what you'll need to get licensed, ask for a book of regulations, and generally try to establish a rapport with them. Next, you'll want to check in with the fire marshall about that hood issue. If you are considering a Cookshack smoker, call them also, they have tons of experience with the commercial installation of their products, and they are more than willing to help. Another important call to make will be to your insurance agent. You want to make sure your have adequate insurance for a new venture. I'm guessing it wouldn't cost that much more for coverage since you already have a retail store on the premises, but then what the heck do I know? I've never had a video store!

I wish you the best of luck, it really sounds like you may hve a workable idea. Hopefully someone will jump in with more suggestions on maximizing a small kitchen space. BTW, the Cookshack people may be able to help you with that as well, or point you to someone who can.

Thanks for the reply Matt. You made some good suggestions and I will take some time running down the local codes and ordinances. I want to take the time to do it right.

Talking to my landlords last night, it seems the the pizza place owner is thinking about getting a larger place and starting a restaurant. That means his existing space might become available this spring. That would minimize remodeling costs as his place has been plumbed and set up for a small kitchen. I will be talking to him soon and see how it goes.

Thanks again-phoenix

You really ought to take a look at the line of Cookshack Commercial Smokers and not just cause its their forum and all. The CS line of smokers doesnt require an exhaust hood (which is a major expense and most likely required by state inspectors) all you need is just a vent and the smokehood they sell and the folks at Cookshack can provide you with the details and help you work with your inspectors.

With the CS smokers you can program in and have a holding temp once you met your desired target temp. Really a couple of CS150's or a CS 150 and another holding oven can probably meet your requirements.

If you are thinking of using like a stick burner or some other external outside smoker most locales will require it be screened in at a minimum. Its the exception that will allow you to smoke outside without any screening or some sort of enclosure to keep varmits and critters out.

Any other kind of smoker arrangement and you are looking at an exhaust hood with fire suppresion system and now your costs are going way up.

quote:

Originally posted by Preston D:
You really ought to take a look at the line of Cookshack Commercial Smokers and not just cause its their forum and all. The CS line of smokers doesnt require an exhaust hood (which is a major expense and most likely required by state inspectors) all you need is just a vent and the smokehood they sell and the folks at Cookshack can provide you with the details and help you work with your inspectors.

That may not be the case; it depends on the individual jurisdictions. Even with all the Cookshack documentation, our local fire district and planning department STILL required a class-one hood and fire suppresion system for my CS 250. Sigh.

Regardless, what Phoenix is proposing is to set up a commercial kitchen/commissary and vending area inside an existing brick and mortar establishment, not an outdoor concession wagon. I live in a county that is rural and laid back. When I think of the hoops I had to jump through in opening my new garage-converted 350 sq ft. commercial kitchen -- compared to when I opened my restaurant three years ago -- opening my restaurant seemed a breeze.

Most health jurisdictions require that commercial kitchens have seperate and specific bathrooms; handwash, mop/utility, dish washing, and food preparation sinks; grease interceptors; specific equipment for cold and pantry storage; equipment to hold hot and cold prepared foods; etc, and on and on. It will be treated by the health, planning, and fire departments no differently than a regular restaurant. Because of the brick and mortar storefront, I even doubt that a health district would allow a portable pit to be rolled outside to do the cooking, and inside to act as a holding oven.

As for me, I've never been attracted to places that offer pizza, chinese, chicken or bbq when they are a primary retail outlet for other stuff: "Hey, would you like a hamburger and fries with that dry-cleaning?" Hmmmm, not-so-much.

I would suggest that an attractive alternative would be to park a concession wagon in the parking lot to sell the 'Q, and use an existing restaurant kitchen to do the food preparation.

another point.... when, would you cook the que? by my guestimations, if you crank up the smoke, outside, and start renting videos, about the time you lock up to go home, the first butts will be rolling off the racks. the only other option, is to set it at night, and let it run alone... all alone.... but, then it would be inside, as you wouldnt want to leave it outside unattended? just curions. am i missing something? butts take 10-12 hrs. thats a loooong time. now the way i used to do it, produced a somewhat dryer result, but still delicious... that was to smoke today, for tomorrow. and so on. how do any of you, in a commercial situation, cook and serve fresh, if not by smoking all night?

quote:

Originally posted by coffeebluff:
snip... how do any of you, in a commercial situation, cook and serve fresh, if not by smoking all night?

I cook all night to serve fresh that day. I am required to use a temperature data-logger to prove to the health district that the pit remains at the proper cooking temperatures while left unattended.