Fundraiser Ribs!

[Volphin]

OK guys, the wifey is trying to raise some $$ for her high school band uniforms (she's the director). They don't take any money from the school system and survive on their concession stand during the football games. The kids uniforms are 15 years old.

Soooo, I had this idea that we would offer a higher end product at the concession stand... ribs!
Now I'm pretty good with the grill, but have never smoked any meats. I was thinking pork spare ribs. Does anyone have any recipes or tips on how I could do this?

And what would you pay for a 1/2 slab or full slab at a ball game? My idea was to make dinner plates with ribs, slaw and a roll or white bread (as they do here down south). Ideas?

 

[eavega]

Re: Fundraiser Ribs!

I see some problems with ribs; first off, they are expensive unless you have a restaurant-type supplier. Ribs are $2-$3 a pound right now, to make a profit, you would have to offer half-slab with sides at better than $9-$10 a plate. Another hole I see with ribs is that they are messy, not like a hot dog or hamburger that can be eaten relatively neatly with one hand.

I would suggest instead to go with pulled pork sandwiches. Pork Shoulder picnics are relatively cheap (somewhere in the neighborhood of $1-$2 a pound). They are easier to prepare and more You can pre-make these in an oven or in a smoker, then finish them on a grill. You can make several at once, limited only by grill/oven space. Pulled pork can be served as a plate (meat and two sides) or a sandwich with a bag of chips at two different price points, with one product. Sides can be coleslaw, potato salad, or other fork-friendly foods. As the pork shoulder, you can make the sides in large quantities relatively easily. Sandwiches can be handled by a person sitting in the stands without too much mess and bother, and doesn't produce as much trash as ribs. Even as a plate, its easier to eat with a fork than it is to be getting meat off of rib bones.

Just my observations...

Rgds

Eric

 

[lncoop]

Re: Fundraiser Ribs!

+1, but please tread very carefully. The last thing you want is to give the fans listeriosis, trichinosis or other fun stuff or be shut down before you get going in earnest. You'll likely need additional safeguards in place to pull off something like this. I'd suggest looking for food service professionals (restaurateurs, food salespeople, etc.) whose expertise and perhaps resources you can leverage. There are bound to be some within your ranks.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Fundraiser Ribs!

Ribs are too messy, IMO. If you want something different, but easy to prepare, how about grilling turkey legs? We were at a Six Flags amusement park that sold these, and the kids seemed to think they were the coolest thing? Easy to eat, not too messy (a bit) and very easy to sell. I bet you could make a healthy profit on them, too...

Just a thought!

 

[salty87]

Re: Fundraiser Ribs!

higher end sounds good but profitability should be your guide since this is fundraising. simplicity too since people don't really have tables to eat at. as already mentioned, bones will make for more cleanup/trash.

what else is already sold at the stand?...if chili isn't it could make a nice addition. upcharge for putting it on burgers or dogs. sell by the bowl too. ingredients aren't expensive, easy to prepare a large amount and keep it hot.

do you have any local businesses sponsoring the team? get them to donate supplies in exchange for advertising space. cook the supplies in the concession stand and sell the goodies.

 

[sphelps]

Re: Fundraiser Ribs!

Maybe fried catfish . That's what they do down here and it sells well at the games. Former band member that never had new uniforms so I hope you all can pull it off successfully !
Btw , the best thing I learned from my old director is this .
" Practice does not make perfect . Perfect practice makes perfect! "

 

[Volphin]

Re: Fundraiser Ribs!

thank you everyone for your insights! We currently sell Hamburger/Cheeseburgers, Hot Dogs/Chili Dogs, Pep Pizza/Cheese Pizza, Nachos (3 ways) and pulled pork sammies. Maybe you guys are right... ribs is not the ticket. But we could easily offer a pulled pork plate, and maybe turkey legs. I just wish we had a fryer to do fries and catfish in!

 

[Parrott_head]

Re: Fundraiser Ribs!

Chilli Pies were always hot sellers for us. Open a bag of corn chips, dump in some chilli, top with cheese and onions and hand them a plastic spoon.

 

[calvinator]

Re: Fundraiser Ribs!

x2 chili pies. Around here they are Walking Tacos. Bag of Doritos, scoop of taco meat, dump in salsa, cheese, lettuce.

Ribs sounds like pretty heavy eats and might not appeal to everyone.

At our H.S. games, there is a BW3 Wing truck. They sell a 4 pack of wings for $3. Always a big hit and a big line. Wings are cheap and easy to make and have big profits.

I'm in Ohio with cool fall weather. Cup of hot chocolate is always in demand....

 

[rbh]

Re: Fundraiser Ribs!

MMMM RIBS!!!

BUT!, as other guys said unless your a restaurant and have safe food handling skills your putting your butt on the line any time you put out RAW to COOKED meat products.


Do your home work, and I hope you folks can find a winning product to pay for the uniforms.