Good evening Adam
I am of the opinion that this is a very important topic in all situations, however it seems to be even more important given the current conditions we are operating under.
I operate a very large mobile catering unit and I am somewhat well-known throughout our city. My family also has some brick and mortar establishments but I have graciously bow out out of day today management of these because it drives me insane.
As this question relates to my mobile catering business, in the past, specifically before the first wave of Covid, I did not charge extra for condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard packets or even extra homemade remoulade or tartar sauce that we package in 2 ounce portion cups.
However, as we are all aware, Covid changed everything for everyone.
To try to keep this as short and succinct as possible, the only way I feel I can accurately answer is to give a specific example of the most common request that I get.
I offer for various types of fried seafood platters and with each platter you get one homemade tartar sauce and one homemade Remoulade sauce in the aforementioned 2 ounce portion cup.
I also include four packets of ketchup for the fries and a Plastic cutlery package that includes a spoon, knife, fork, napkin and salt and pepper pc. A couple of extra packets of catch-up or a couple of packets of hot sauce it’s not an issue for me.
Where the cost starts to become an issue for me is when people request three or four extra 2 ounce cups of one or of each sauce. I do now charge $.25 for each extra 2 ounce cup in this example.
Also now as a general rule, whether it be a homemade ranch dressing, homemade barbecue sauce & really Anything that we make homemade, I now charge an additional $.25 for each extra 2 ounce cup.
With the increases in the cost of labor, I really don’t have a choice. Additionally, with the increase in the cost of all things really across the board, I have also a started to charge one dollar for split plate requests, one dollar for sauce on the side requests (for example Mornay sauce on the side as opposed to on top of grilled fish) & anything out of the ordinary that slows down the process of getting other folks orders out or is an excessive request for extra this or that of a topping that comes on a plate already.
I am keenly aware that everyone’s circumstances, environment, operating costs, targeted customer base and type of food being sold would determine how they would approach this situation.
I also trust that each person will know the nature of their customers and what they will tolerate and what they will not.
The bottom line for me is that I have had to be even more Mindful of all costs and Reevaluate everything that I do across-the-board.
Since the first wave of Covid I have had to go up on prices 5% on certain items 4 Times and not one item has not seen an increase of at least 5% during the same time period.
Leading into the holidays I am having to raise prices across the board 10% Soley because of increased labor costs.
Finally, being more mindful of the cost of condiments & charging for extras accordingly, especially those that we make homemade, precludes the necessity of going up even more across the board.
Excellent question Adam and I hope you may find this helpful. The hard line business side of me realizes that while I love food and the whole experience, it’s just another avenue to make money.
If I am not making the margins that I need to, I will go out of business. As much as I love my customer base, they are not going to pay my mortgage and help raise my kids If I have to shut down. Small things like managing and charging for extra condiments adds up to a lot of revenue or lack there of over the course of a quarter let alone a year.
Thank you again Adam and I am sure you will decide the correct avenue to approach your particular situation and please never be scared to Trust your instinct but Also let simple math Guide your most difficult decisions.
jmg
