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Pit recommendations for a restaurant

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    #16
    What do they want to accomplish, aims, goals. Do they even know what they are getting into. Just training 3 or 4 of their guys sounds like you need to ask a lot of questions even before you start thinking equipment. Will it infringe on their existing M.O. & menu.
    Here in the states there is sometimes a theory of Field of Dreams philosophy, build it & they will come. That often results in failure. I would sit them down & "grill" them, find out every little thing you can find out. Then go home & put a plan A, B & C together. See if they can handle it & grasp it.

    Comment


    • Henrik
      Henrik commented
      Editing a comment
      So true, that’s what I’m thinking.

    #17
    Yes, I think Fireman has nailed it.

    1. what foods do they want to cook?
    2. How much time do they have to cook it?
    3. What tools do they have available?
    4. what do their customers want? This could be different than what they want to cook?
    5. Can they obtain the quality meats needed to cook ribs etc to their standards?
    6. What space constraints do they have on equipment?
    7. How much capital can they invest to address space, equipment, and training shortcomings to produce quality Swedish BBQ or BBQ that meets their customer needs?
    8. How do they want to cook BBQ? Is that different from how you think they should cook BBQ? What is their response when you suggest new approaches?
    9. Are there external deadlines that must be met to add this BBQ food to the menu?
    10. What are competitors doing?
    11. How will they market the menu to customers?
    12. Pricing of food?
    13. Given expected training, sourcing, equipment, marketing, and other costs, is the expected revenue from adding BBQ to the menu a profitable decision?


    My guess is that if you can say the opportunity is say $10,000 a year that will inform an investment of x into the equipment and y if the opportunity is say $50,000 a year.

    Comment


    • FireMan
      FireMan commented
      Editing a comment
      Long form Zero, good work.

    • Henrik
      Henrik commented
      Editing a comment
      Great input, I’ll add this to my list of questions.

    #18
    How about a Myron Mixon water smoker or a Lone Star Grillz cabinet smoker. Might be a little more set and forget based on what I have read especially if they don't want to tend overnight.

    Comment


      #19
      Put another way, you ideally would identify constraints from a time, people skills, or capital perspective and then be able to suggest equipment and training suitable for their budget and skill set.

      Comment


        #20
        For ease of use, an indoor gas or electric commercial smoker is going to be the best bet. For a bit of show, and good capacity, I would think a vertical offset would be the way to go. Smaller footprint, can run charcoal or wood, and easy enough to slap a fan controller on if you're using charcoal.

        As a side note. You really should know better than to ask "What kind of Smoker should I buy?" The answer is obvious. All of them!

        Edit: Sorry! Changed my mind! Tell them this one or nothing! Be sure there is a steam whistle option!
        Last edited by willxfmr; January 5, 2021, 12:58 AM.

        Comment


        • Mr. Bones
          Mr. Bones commented
          Editing a comment
          Mighty Cool, an only 900 kg.

          Needs a cowcatcher, though..

        • Mr. Bones
          Mr. Bones commented
          Editing a comment
          More'n happy to provide th steam whistle, Brother

          Shot this 19NOV19, standin less than a hunnert feet from where I lived 15+ years of my life...

          Nuthin like th soothin sound of trains literally every 5 minutes, 24/7 to help one sleep well!
          Last edited by Mr. Bones; January 5, 2021, 07:37 PM.

        #21
        Originally posted by Attjack View Post
        I think seeing a big American BBQ looking cooker out there will probably help draw people in.
        Reckon some live wood smoke would be a draw, as wail...

        Not sayin, by any means, that a stickburner is easier to operate, or train folks to use, but: How many times yall been drivin past some lil joint, smelled th smoke, an went in, fer a lookaround, at th least???

        Comment


        • rickgregory
          rickgregory commented
          Editing a comment
          The challenge is that they're in Sweden - think about it in the late fall through early spring. How cold is it, can they put the cooker(s) under cover, etc.

        • Mr. Bones
          Mr. Bones commented
          Editing a comment
          @rickygregory Already taken into initial considerations, amigo.

          Yup, fer any kinda outdoor cooker(s), they's gonna want em a shelter / cover, reckoned from th git-go, that was already a given, least in my mind...

        #22
        In my humble opinion I think your mates are a bit of cart before the horse. If the starting point is training four chefs then it sounds like someone's good idea. How many little food outlets have you seen disappear because someone thought turning their hobby into a business sounded fun.
        As several have alluded to already, the question is "forget about the cooking at this point, what's the business plan?"
        I might have limited skills with BBQ but I have 15 years experience in building a small business, and easy it ain't!

        Comment


          #23
          Seems to me what they cook will help determine what they cook it on/in. If chicken is available, that is a fast cook also. Or some form of fowl. If no overnight cooks, and no long cold smokes for like salmon or other fish, maybe see what their real goal is and what their true expectations are. What is the availability of wood, pellets, charcoal, gas? What is the cost of each? Continuous supply of fuel and product? With that in mind, is this the right time to start a new venture with this pandemic? We have had over 100,000 small business close permanently here because of it.

          Comment


            #24
            Sounds like they probably don’t have experience in BBQ to know how long things will take, requirements for tending, cleaning, turnaround, keeping it viable for service, sourcing.

            I suggest you teach them your class, and teach them what they are getting into. Then if they are still serious you’ll have an idea of their business plan and commitment and will know what size and money they should spend.
            Last edited by Polarbear777; January 5, 2021, 05:56 PM.

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              #25
              I think I would look at how many plates a day are served and figure the % of that would possibly be Q
              then over size a smoker to accommodate guesstimated additional demands.
              Just about every smoke house runs out of something before they shut the lights out.
              add a Santa Maria grill and a Hanks special out front for samples and some Smokey advertising !

              Comment


                #26
                I can't add to all the great advice - I think a lot of good things have been said here, and what you advise them really depends on their understanding of BBQ and what their time to tend a fire is.

                But, I am opinionated, so will chime in anyway!

                While it is not the "best" BBQ in the world (to me), a local place called Dreamland is a place I love to visit, just so I can watch the guy tending their huge brick pit. They burn logs, and its interesting to watch the guy using a 6 foot long spatula or pitchfork type thing to move around spare ribs and pork butts that are cooking. They don't smoke overnight, but do smoke starting in the morning, for lunch and dinner. You can get butts done during the day for pulled pork for dinner that evening - I imagine if you have lunch, it is last night's pulled pork. It would almost have to be, unless they start smoking at 4am or earlier, and I doubt that!

                Anyway, if they are wanting to keep wood on hand and tend a fire, and serve a large number of folks, I am not sure that the smoker they are looking at will hold enough, given that even ribs will take 5 hours to cook, and its not ideal for tri-tip. They will need more than just that cooker for sure, and if fire management is an issue, indoor propane smokers are what MOST restaurants I see around here seem to use. They still use wood to get smoke, but its not the primary fuel source, and temp control is automatic. Whatever they do, I see need for a smoker, a large grill, and a flat top for other menu items...

                Comment


                  #27
                  So much great input, thank you all! I sent a loong email to the owner bringing up a lot of the ideas/questions raised here, we'll see what they say. The restaurant has been around for 10 years, so they are 'up and running' for sure. They want to bring bbq into their menu. I have also (like many of you) suggested a grilling station to be able to serve nice steaks and such also. And it's an eye catcher in the restaurant to have a pit like this:

                  Click image for larger version

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                  I'm gonna talk to them on the phone to start closing in on what they want vs what they can actually do.

                  Comment


                  • Spinaker
                    Spinaker commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Salt Lick! This is a cool spot!

                  #28
                  One other option that I don't think anyone mentioned, and which might, depending on layout of the place, let them do overnight cooks is a solid, high capacity pellet grill. Con - lighter smoke profile. But it's set and forget and CAN go overnight if they want to.

                  All of the business questions above are excellent and they should all be answered if possible but some things are hard to quantify - size of opportunity can be, especially if BBQ is new to the area. In those cases, it can be worth it to invest a little into testing the market. If that is the case, they could always grab a recteq or similar and offer just a limited BBQ dish or two, in order to see if people like the stuff. They do? Great, expand. No interest? You're out the equivalent of $1000 or so even if you can't resell it.
                  Last edited by rickgregory; January 5, 2021, 02:19 PM.

                  Comment


                    #29
                    I think expectations of the consumer is something to think about as well. Does their customer base have an already formed opinion of what BBQ is? I managed to get to Gothenburg in February of 2019 and while walking around saw a sign that said BBQ on it. I was super excited to see what Swedish BBQ was. It was an odd time of day so there were no tables with patrons so I didn't get to see any food as I entered. But, looking at the menu, nothing fell under what I consider BBQ. They did indeed have a great list of grilled items. So my preconceived notion of what I think BBQ is differed from the restaurant. (And maybe the area, that I don't know.) I also noticed no smell. I feel like the smell of a BBQ restaurant is big. The smell of the smoke, or even at least some wafting aroma of the smoked meats. (Again, the lack of smell could be attributed to the time of day (after lunch but before dinner hours.) I hope that helps some!

                    Comment


                    • jfmorris
                      jfmorris commented
                      Editing a comment
                      I think you hit the nail on the head - many folks think of grilling as "BBQ", and don't even realize that smoking is an entirely different thing. I live in a BBQ rich region in North Alabama, yet I still run into folks who just think it is all "grilling". I've got a son in law who is a good example. I highly doubt his parents even own a grill, much less a smoker.

                      I think the pit the customer has asked Henrik about suggests they know what a real smoker is, or alt least I hope so.

                    • Henrik
                      Henrik commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Great input. In this case they want the real deal, but we’ll see what they _can_ do realistically also.

                    #30
                    Great Questions and Advise

                    Comment

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