Thanksgiving Wedding on a Budget

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Kangiser on August 14, 2009 at 12:22pm

Hi Chef Mirium,
The 1k budget is your most restricting factor. This is $20 per person, which sounds reasonable if you do the project by yourself. If you have to hire someone for delivery & setup this will cut into your profit, so be very aware of that. A buffet for fifty people can be run by yourself if it is well planned and setup. Try to keep your food costs under 30% and total costs under 50% (which includes labor for hired personnel) so you make a profit. Also, don't forget there is a customary gratuity expected, which would result in another $150 or more for you. For that budget, I would only include buffet setup, and coffee service. All setup of reception tables, special equiptment rental, the cake table, tablecloths, plateware, silverware, napkins, alcoholic beverages, should be the responsibility of the host at that price. If you have any questions I would be glad to help you work through this.

Good Luck,
Chef Daniel

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Permalink Reply by Chef Miriam Martinez on August 14, 2009 at 1:24pm

Thank you for your insight. At minimum I need to hire at least 2 people because it involves a lot of equipment, hot boxes, platters, risers, etc. I'm not a laidback person, but I can not carry the hotbox by myself and this one would require 3 - 4 12lb turkeys.

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Permalink Reply by Lynn Bourinaris, CEC,CCE on August 14, 2009 at 3:50pm

Hello Chef Miriam,

Sometime what a cliet would like and what is possible is simply impossible or not worth selling yourself for next to nothing. These clients will either label you to other people as "cheap" or never call you again. If you sell yourself as too cheap you will be sorry. Try and explain to them that having an intimate dinner for 50 is more work or just as much work as for 200 and that it costs you so much more in food costs. Maybe they can pay you more if they could understand in black and white that unless they want Baked Ziti and Super Size Subs it cannot be done. We are in business to do business and we have to live. Good luck to you.

Lynn Bourinaris

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Kangiser on August 15, 2009 at 12:21pm

I agree with you Chef Lynn, if she is going to have to hire 2-3 other people to help, she will be working for free practically. The only other thing I might suggest is ask the host if they can provide any free help to help deliver, and set up and keep costs down, otherwise I am with you she should renegotiate the contract.

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Permalink Reply by Mia Easton on August 15, 2009 at 7:21pm

I'd like to put in my two cents on this. which ever way you decide to do. make sure you have a written contract and you get as much if not all of the agreed funds before hand. I had a couple of friends that were in a similar position but as the time got closer the client kept lowering the amount of money and increasing the number of people. I don't remember the exact menu (since it kept changing); but I remember they ended up doing the event for $500 for 200 people. They lost their shirts; furthermore, even though the client enjoyed the meal she was still not happy that my friends could not use their "Chefing Abilities or connections", as she put it, to include the porkloin she originally requested.

I don't want to scare you but as Chef Lynn said we are in business to make money. We need to pay our bills as much as everyone else.

You need to set your standards and stick to them otherwise you will be cooking yourself to bankcruptcy.

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Permalink Reply by Chef Miriam Martinez on August 15, 2009 at 7:36pm

It's funny that you should say that! I had a client who contacted me from Spain in March. She was having a Communion/birthday/renewal/anniversary family celebration we she came to the NJ Shore for the summer. All Good - The menu changed and got more and more elaborate. She went from small family style meal to a lobster bake then back to family style intricate Italian afair and event went as far as to request my DJ ($800). When I met with her in July she decided that buffet was to inpersonal and wanted waiter service with pasta action station. This job was for Aug 7th 3pm - 10pm; here it was July and no deposit. This got more & more compicated and no $$, It seemed like no matter what or how we tried to accomadate her she was going to find an issue. I week out she did not respond to a meeting request for contract signing and deposit and that evening I advised her that I was done - I rather loose a job valued at 3k but will cost me more to orchestrate not to mention my piece of mind. I am sure she went to the local pizza place and had pizza and pasta or something. Sometimes you just have to follow your gutt feeling.

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Permalink Reply by Lynn Bourinaris, CEC,CCE on August 17, 2009 at 12:11am

You are so talented. I looked at your work. Do not worry. You need to up your price and go in with your beautiful portfolio. Look at the cakes made in NY selling for 5K and just as lovely as yours. Again, do not sell yourself short. People with money are cheap. They want it all and dont want to pay. Better have them purchase everything and you get paid to cook it then to work for free. Hold your ground. I am telling you your work is really good.

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