Background: 

The BBQ dinner is held in the afternoon at the local fire department on campus. The BBQ is cooked overnight and all of the other food is prepared the afternoon of the dinner. Brothers buy and sell tickets for $5 a plate. Plates include a serving of BBQ, slaw, baked beans, a roll, a drink, and a dessert. The initial expenses when preparing for 300 plates is around $500, but this event usually has a profit of $800 or more.

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Degree of effort:

The dinner requires planning, pricing, and promotion before the event. Most of the work is done the day of and the day prior to the dinner requires minimal to moderate effort. 

 

Investment:

The meat: a local grocery store gives us the meat, Boston Butts, for $1.29/lb. Half a pound is ordered per expected person.

Other food and eating utensils: around $200.

Grill: potentially $75/day rental if no access to a free grill. 

 

Limiting Factors:

An adequate location with a kitchen, serving area, and a place to grill. 

 

Supplies:

Food: meat, baked beans, slaw mix, BBQ sauce, drinks, and desserts.

Supplies to serve food: To-go boxes, plates, cups, utensils, crock pots, serving pans.

Grilling: A Grill, propane tanks, and thermometer for the meat. 

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Rundown and Pointers:

Before: Choose a day that works for everyone in the chapter since involvement will be important. Be mindful of exam and event schedules. Get permission from the location at where the BBQ dinner will be held.  Print tickets to sell for the dinner that include the date, place, and time of the event. Promote the event through email and social media and sell tickets. Find a grill that can be used to cook the meat the night before, ideally someone in the chapter will have one that can be borrowed. Expect the meat to take 8-16hrs to cook. Create a signup sheet so people can choose shifts to help. Purchase all the food and supplies.

 

The night before: Begin cooking the meat, mix slaw, and make BBQ sauce. This will help free up time preparing the day of.

 

Day of/During: A couple of hours before the start of the dinner, warm baked beans up in crock pots, chop up and sauce the BBQ meat, and prepare/collect the desserts at the Fraternity House or at volunteers’ homes.  An hour before the event, transfer and set-up all the food and supplies at the location at which the dinner is being held.

 

Form an assembly line to prepare for serving food. Collect/sell tickets at the door. Make sure those volunteering are aware of their shift times and their designated stations. Serve food for the extent of the event.

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After: Pack up supplies, clean and sweep the area, transfer any leftover supplies or food back to the Fraternity House or volunteers’ homes. Sell any leftover BBQ meat buy the pound to help raise more money. Leave the place better or exactly as you found it.