Hi DG, every catering event is different, you will need to find out the needs of the client. The catered event can be hosted by the client with them paying for every thing. What you want to look at is,” what’s in it for me” you want a guarantee that you will make money. IMHO the owner should be hosting the event at their dealership, what the heck is $5 in a dog and chips if some one buys a car. I always find a price range that will not price me out of the event, but will be fair to the client. The client also has to realize this is your business, this is your livelihood and you need to make money. People have no idea on how much things cost to cater an event, they think just because it’s a hot dog cart things will be cheap and the per person cost will be a few dollars a person. When your dealing with a client make sure they know the Quality of your products and condiments, how much time is involved in your set up, prep, and break down so they can fully understand the costing process. The more the customer knows about you and your operation, they will understand that they are hiring a professional Hot Dog Cart vendor that will provide an authentic experience for their guests. I always want to leave a good taste in my client mouth after a catering, I always give them more than I promise. The catered event is your time to show what you can do and also a time to meet other potential clients. Don’t let the client ask you to serve a cheap dog at a cheap price, this is your reputation, serve the quality you desire ……………Good luck………..Bill

I attached my prices form my website as an example. Some say I am charging to little, and some says I charge too much. These are the prices that work for me. Customers usually tip pretty well after each event.
 
# http://quickdogcatering.com/pricing

i get hired by events, I just did a BMW motorcycle dealership for an event. People who came to the dealership paid their own. The dealership bought their employees food as well on a tab that they paid at the end of the day. They had a per deim of $7.00 per employee.
 
As far as catering, it’s really up in the air. I am doing a construction site event next month for a modular house setting. I use an excel form that I created to come up with a price which includes gratuity, tax and any credit card fee incurred. Makes it simple to give numbers, just input the cost per item, and selling price and gives you the breakdown.  If you want to PM  your email address, I will send it to you.

BillyB is right on the money. A lot of people will say “I can get a dog at Costco for a buck” or ” I can buy them myself and cook them”. Another dogger buddy of mine said it best. When you hire a clown, the clown will bring balloons and be the life of the party. Those balloons cost about 10 cents or less each. They are paying for the clowns presence, not the cost of the balloons. Just like they are paying for your hot dog cart/company presence. You are bringing your company to them to feed their guests, so the at cost of the hot dog is irrelevant.
Another example would be ordering eggs at a diner. Do we look at the server and say “I can buy my own eggs for 25 cents?”. They would laugh and tell us to hit the road.
 
It is funny how the word hot dog makes people think everything comes cheaper. lol