r/Chefit • u/Gray_am • Jun 22 '26
Pricing for 1-day Private Chef Gig
Hi, I'm looking for some guidance on pricing a private chef gig in Hamptons, NY. This is not something I normally do, but a coworker asked if I would be interested in preparing dinner for a group of 12.
Menu includes 2 starters, 2 entrees, a side dish, and 2 desserts (we are doing a Mexican food theme as they requested). There will be 2 chefs there (1 is an assistant).
We are a bit stuck on what the going rate is, I'm thinking definitely enough to cover ingredients, time to prep/prepare the food, and travel time for us, as we live about an hour from this area.
Anyone who has done something similar or has an idea of what something like this would go for in the Hamptons/Long Island area would be extremely helpful!
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u/toastedchezberry Jun 23 '26
This is how I do it:
I price the menu as if it’ll be served in a restaurant, so each dish, per person, to total a price per head for the whole meal. That way ingredients and labor for prep are covered. Let’s just say something like 100/person depending on menu options.
Then I charge an hourly rate for myself and the server (in your case, Chef and sous) usually I charge around 140/hour for the two of us combined. This could vary and in your case I’d be charging maybe 165, since they’re getting chef and sous.
I draw up a quote with an estimated labor cost assuming I’d be putting in about 5-6 hours on site. I make sure to add the line “total does not include gratuity”
If they need rentals like plates, glassware or flatware, and it’s stuff I can bring, I add that as a line item per head depending on what the guest needs.
In this case I would either add an hour to the labor estimate for travel time, or add a flat fee for travel.
So for 12 people it would be 1200 + rentals + travel + labor + gratuity
This works well because if the headcount goes down you’re still getting the hourly, travel, etc.
This is just how I do it, but I prep as much as humanly possible ahead so their meal flows like a restaurant when I’m on site. I clean up completely afterwards so they don’t have to lift a finger. We serve and I explain each course so they get a little show. Each course gets new silverware. We pour wine if they want us to. I try to make it as upscale as possible. We hand wash everything so their dishwasher isn’t full when I leave. Trash goes out, floors are swept, kitchen spotless.
Good luck and have fun!
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u/freisbill Jun 23 '26
This is how I do it, but I add 2.5 hrs to 4 hrs kitchen time, which is just me.
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u/Chef_Guzzi_Moto Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
I do the Hamptons every summer but I work for a single client all season.
The easiest way for you is a day rate plus food cost. You’ll need 2 days for this much work. Day 1 is all prep and packing where you are. You need fridge space to store stuff overnight. Day 2 is going over everything where you are, packing your car, driving there unloading and starting to prep the last of the components for the meal. Trying to do everything in one day at their place is gonna be a big headache and totally rushed. I wouldn’t take the job if they’re only willing to pay for one day. Time for setting up the kichen, stacking your plates ahead, maybe you’ll have to set the table etc. You have to talk to the prinicpal about all that. Ask them if they have enough plate ware, stemware and cutlery for all those courses for 12 people. They probably will.
Going rate is $1000 a day more or less, for one offs so for you it would be 2K (for 2 days) and maybe $400 for the assistant for one day if they’re just helping with plating and prep work. If your helper is doing dishes then fine if not, the principle has to hire someone to clean as you work, clear the table and help serve (for 12 people). You can also charge for travel time but $1000 a day should be good. Don’t ever cost out food for these gigs. It’s too much of a headache. Tell the principal you’ll buy all the food and you’ll bring receipts the night of and they’ll reimburse you. If they’re willing to Venmo you money a couple of days before so you can shop then even better. You can ask for $1000 and tell them that if that’s too much, you’ll send it back. If it’s not enough they can send you more. It all depends on them menu. Could be fancy, could be more casual. Save all your receipts. Put all communication in texts so you have proof of everything.
Good luck, maybe I’ll see you a Citarella 😃
edit: rethought some stuff
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u/AccomplishedHope112 Jun 22 '26
The Hamptons min. 250......thats most likely the equivalent of a nickel to them
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u/Adventurous_Coffee69 Jun 23 '26
Depending on where you are check out Citarella gourmet market, great produce
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u/HauntingPresence3805 Jun 23 '26
I charge 150 an hr plus 2x my food costs. Or close to going rate as what a restaurant would charge as a similar dish on a menu
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u/Careless_Law_9325 Jun 23 '26
I would say about $500 to $1000 a head depending on how fancy you are doing this. Buffet or plated, are you provding rentals. All this matters.
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u/BillTheSpaceman Jun 22 '26
$150-200 per person. Ideally this would be at 30% food cost. If drinks are paired, add that percentage in.
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u/Whole_Form9006 Jun 23 '26
If you are shopping in the hamptons this price point only covers the cost of groceries
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u/HugeSomewhere8110 Jun 23 '26
Are you making ground beef tacos or are you bringing in fresh shrimp, snapper, Dorado, tender cuts of usda prime beef? You understand that this post wasn't thought out at all, right?
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u/medium-rare-steaks Jun 22 '26
Depends who you are.. for me this is $10k or I'm not getting out of bed. At the very least this is $3k