So I Pulled the Plug....and Bought a Kitchen

Have been shopping/researching builders from coast to coast for a couple of months, finally decided on one in California. 8.5x20'.... #40 fryer
36" Flat Grill/over oven
24" Char Broiler
2 burner Hot Plate
2 well Steam Table
Microwave
8' Hood w/ Ansul
2 Door Reach In
48" Sandwich Table
3 Compartment sink w/ Drainboards
Hand Sink
Produce Sink
8' Service Door w/ 2 windows
Diamond Plate Floors
Here's a couple of pics of similar trailers...  Should be ready August 17!                                                            
 
 
 

 

That thing is PERRRRDY....

Wow!  That thing is amazing.

I can't wait till I can start getting it dirty!!  I did a 20+ year grind in the kitchen...Then persued other ventures.. I have always missed cooking...it's been about 8 years.. This time around, it's simple.... Dogs, cheese steaks, French Dips, Pastrami, Hoagies, Fries, Salads....Then I will run a blue plate every day, anything from good old home cooking like chicken & Dumplings, Chicken Fried Steak, lasagne, , Pasta, Fresh Fish, BBQ Tri Tips & Ribs.

Just looked and hope you get a newer propane tank,LOL.
Standard pic's.
 
If I puchased that would have to acquire a toque.

If I had that my menu would be
Bisquits, sausage or chocolate gravy(chocolate 9:1)
Cold cut sandwich's (Bologna) 3/8" thick out sells
anything here as far as cold cuts.
Sausages galore. Maybe one of those off brand hot dogs they refer to as a Nathan's.
Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
 
Cannot sell what they don't want so Nathan's is out

BBQ Tri Tips have you thought about Country Style Ribs.  I get mine cut 1.25-1.50lbs. easy to Smoke.
Large size appeals to people here. . Rice and sides big here.
Big on catering

Curbside Grill


If I had that my menu would be
Bisquits, sausage or chocolate gravy(chocolate 9:1)
Cold cut sandwich's (Bologna) 3/8" thick out sells
anything here as far as cold cuts.
Sausages galore. Maybe one of those off brand hot dogs they refer to as a Nathan's.
Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
 
Cannot sell what they don't want so Nathan's is out

Hey Chef, you will be the talk of Eastern Washington, looks great and Good luck on the journey..........................

Hey Curb, The Southerners can't go a whole day without pork hitting their lips. Thats why Nathans doesn't work down there. It takes a more refined Pallet to enjoy the fine quality of a Nathans All Beef Hot dog.I have to run now, my Butler has just brought the car around.........................Bill

Curbside Grill


Just looked and hope you get a newer propane tank,LOL.
Standard pic's.
 
If I puchased that would have to acquire a toque.

What's wrong with the propane tanks?

At that time in the morning tank looks dented.
Looks as if someone backed into it.

I see what you are talking about...... might just be a shadow... that's not my trailer anyway...just a similar one.

Who is building it for you? Do they have a web site?

West Coast Trailers in Madera,CA... Kind of a mom and pop shop... only builds a few trailers a month..Their website is kind of primitave, but has a few pics. They build the trailer from the ground up, not stuff a kitchen in a shell. He was a little more spendy than others that I looked at, but their quality sucked. I looked at a brand new one over in Idaho a couple of weeks ago... It will never pass a health inspection, the  fit and finish is terrible.  The floor sagged when you walk on it, overlapping and open seams everywhere,floors ansd walls... diamond plate floor screwed down,not welded,, hole cut in the floor for a drain with no cover...insulation sticking out from around the hood.. Fresh water valve used on the waste tank, and no cover, the list goes on....
Anyway, I have a couple hundred pics from past builds of this company if you want to see more.

Thanks for showing us your new kitchen! It's just fantastic!

What about a nice meat loaf on a hoagie with a really good gravy.  Easy to make ahead of time..Easy to keep warm..Easy to serve...Good profit, too.  You got a nice oven there..Make your life easy..You are gonna be working over that  fryer a lot.  That oven reduced down to 200 F at lunch can be your warmer for these types of menu items.  Boom Bam thank you man and it's out to the customer...Pulled pork, sloppy joe, etc.  Stuff you can hold easily, high profit, and popular.

Good luck to you!!!!  That kitchen is just beautiful!!!!

Looks like a beautiful rig Chefbuba.  Best of luck to you!

chefbuba


Have been shopping/researching builders from coast to coast for a couple of months, finally decided on one in California. 8.5x20'.... #40 fryer
36" Flat Grill/over oven
24" Char Broiler
2 burner Hot Plate
2 well Steam Table
Microwave
8' Hood w/ Ansul
2 Door Reach In
48" Sandwich Table
3 Compartment sink w/ Drainboards
Hand Sink
Produce Sink
8' Service Door w/ 2 windows
Diamond Plate Floors
Here's a couple of pics of similar trailers...  Should be ready August 17!                                                            
 
 
 

 

What will you use to haul that puppy?

Oh thanks alot. granted we are having a cool spell, but some of the weather in the back drop would be welcome about now.

A really good idea when planning one of these is to spec out your 3 compartment sink with covers.  You can do one, two or all three of the sink compartments.  They will weld the bracing about 1-1/2" below the top of the sink so it rests level and creates a working area for you.

You get perforated s/s cover(s) or solid ones; both are fabricated with a thumb hole, so you can easily pull the cover(s) up and hang it nearby.  You can place veggies, heads of lettuce, cabbage, etc. on the perforated covers and they will drain while you are doing another task.

By adapting the sink with this option, you turn it into a multi purpose piece of equipment.  Not only does it fulfiull the BOH requirement, but it becomes another prep area..Never can have enough prep areas.  Especially in such a limited amount of space.  

The solid covers are good when you plan on placing boxes of meat, cans to drain, etc. near the sink.    

Can you give us a ball park idea of what this furnished trailer costed you?  Thanks.

Curbside Grill


Oh thanks alot. granted we are having a cool spell, but some of the weather in the back drop would be welcome about now.

That was the first photo I ran across with the truck in it... Believe me, that weather will be here faster than I want......and longer than I want!

Baah Ben


A really good idea when planning one of these is to spec out your 3 compartment sink with covers.  You can do one, two or all three of the sink compartments.  They will weld the bracing about 1-1/2" below the top of the sink so it rests level and creates a working area for you.

You get perforated s/s cover(s) or solid ones; both are fabricated with a thumb hole, so you can easily pull the cover(s) up and hang it nearby.  You can place veggies, heads of lettuce, cabbage, etc. on the perforated covers and they will drain while you are doing another task.

By adapting the sink with this option, you turn it into a multi purpose piece of equipment.  Not only does it fulfiull the BOH requirement, but it becomes another prep area..Never can have enough prep areas.  Especially in such a limited amount of space.  

The solid covers are good when you plan on placing boxes of meat, cans to drain, etc. near the sink.    

Can you give us a ball park idea of what this furnished trailer costed you?  Thanks.

Baah... I already thought of this, They are throwing in a cutting board that will cover the 3 compartment sink, so with the drain boards, I will have another 8' of prep space and still be able to use 1 hole of the sink by sliding  the board one way or the other. The 3 comp sink is across the nose, then continuing in an L shape,on the right side is a produce sink and a hand wash sink.
 
About 45k

Chef - Thanks for the info on the $.  So to the left of the fryers is a prep table in the photo.  Is that out in order for you to have a steam table and hot plate?  Hopefully, when you get your unit, we can see some pictures.....That would be great.  This photo looks great, too.  
 
Do you get to choose the manufacturers for the equipment such as the fryer or is it an entire package that they put together?

At this time they are using Royal appliances, pitco fryer....but they will put in anything you want....Forget the refer brand, says that they have not had a failure in 4 years with this brand...but again will put in anything you want....
 
I was the chef for a movie caterer in Hollywood for 6 years. We had 5 units, they all broke down... This equipment was never designed to be bounced around, things come loose, thermoststs and thermcouplers go bad, compressors fail, all from the vibration of the road.  So it dont matter if it's a $50,000 kitchen or a $150,000, it's still going to break.
 
Heres a crude diagram I made of the layout

chefbuba


At this time they are using Royal appliances, pitco fryer....but they will put in anything you want....Forget the refer brand, says that they have not had a failure in 4 years with this brand...but again will put in anything you want....
 
I was the chef for a movie caterer in Hollywood for 6 years. We had 5 units, they all broke down... This equipment was never designed to be bounced around, things come loose, thermoststs and thermcouplers go bad, compressors fail, all from the vibration of the road.  So it dont matter if it's a $50,000 kitchen or a $150,000, it's still going to break.
 
Heres a crude diagram I made of the layout

Would you by chance know Kenny Tessa?

He was a personal chef out in CA to the stars for a time.

He got in hot water in Reading (Cinci) over a sexy mannequin (Barbie-Q) he displays at his KTs BBQ:

http://www.ktsbbqanddeli.com/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niQ6aafz-d0

MikeinRI


buba,
        On topic: They build beautiful stuff! Good luck and can't wait to see your rig.
         Off topic: At $45k I wouldn't sleep nights unless I had some solid income opportunities lined up. Care to share? Lots of good gigs out there?

I live in a small town (15000), have been looking for 3 years for the right spot to open a place up, there just is not alot of availiable space..  So I decided to take the $$ that I would have sunk into someone elses property and had to leave behind if the business failed in that location and go mobile, at least I own it and can move it when and where needed....
 
We have crap for food in this town. The only place for a hot dog is 7-11,,,or the hot dog cart that sets up downtown where all the bars are...Friday and Sat nights from 10-2... This is a college town,, (alot of inexperienced drinkers)so you have to wade through thee puke on the sidewalks to get a dog...No thanks!
 
We have a sandwich place that charges $6 for a "turkey lunchmeat" sandwich, on 2 slices of bread, oh, and if you want mayo and mustard on that..."there are packets at the end of the counter"!!  What kind of sand place does not dress the damn sand??.. I will be roasting my own turkey and roast beef..
 
No one doing french dips, cheese steaks, tri tips or home made anything...
 
I plan on giving a little bit more for a little less...My overhead will be low.. so I can afford to do it...The portions will be fairly generous,,, 6oz meat on a sand..
 
Just simple food done good with good ingredients.
 
I have a spot at a closed restaurant... guy bought it to do drop off lunches and catering with... does not use the dining room.
 
It is located on one of 2 main roads through town... pretty busy and a mile from the college.
 
$125 month rent, month to month, have power and water there, it's paved, flat and has plenty of parking... The trailer will be highly visiable too...will have to get a 150 gallon holding tank for waste water and have it pumped once a week.
 
If this place works out, I may try to negotiate for the use of the dining room..
 
If it does not, I have my eye on a couple of other locations around town....
 
Then there is the soccer/baseball complex that only has sporadic food service..
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

NYPIzzaNut

chefbuba


At this time they are using Royal appliances, pitco fryer....but they will put in anything you want....Forget the refer brand, says that they have not had a failure in 4 years with this brand...but again will put in anything you want....

I was the chef for a movie caterer in Hollywood for 6 years. We had 5 units, they all broke down... This equipment was never designed to be bounced around, things come loose, thermoststs and thermcouplers go bad, compressors fail, all from the vibration of the road.  So it dont matter if it's a $50,000 kitchen or a $150,000, it's still going to break.

Heres a crude diagram I made of the layout

Would you by chance know Kenny Tessa?

He was a personal chef out in CA to the stars for a time.

He got in hot water in Reading (Cinci) over a sexy mannequin (Barbie-Q) he displays at his KTs BBQ:

http://www.ktsbbqanddeli.com/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niQ6aafz-d0

Don't know him...There are alot of "personal chefs" running around in LA....
 
The Barbi-Q is a great idea!!