28 questions
Everything people ask
Short answers, grouped by what you are actually worried about. The longer ones — what happens across the whole evening, and what the setup requirement really means — live on how it works rather than being crammed in here.
6 questions
Booking a date
How far in advance do I need to book a hibachi chef on 30A?
Four to six weeks for a Friday or Saturday between March and August, and one to two weeks off-peak. Saturdays in June and July are the first dates to go. If your date is inside three days, send the enquiry anyway — we sometimes have a gap.
What is the smallest group you will cook for?
There is no guest minimum, but there is a party minimum spend of $500 on the food total. A group of six can absolutely book; the minimum simply becomes the floor for that evening.
What is the largest group you can handle?
Forty in an evening. Above eighteen in a single seating we bring a second chef and a second station. Above about thirty we will usually recommend two seatings as well.
Do you take a deposit?
NEEDS_OWNER_INPUT — deposit amount, when it is taken and what it holds.
What happens if it rains?
We cook under open sky, so heavy rain is the one thing that genuinely stops us. If the forecast is bad we will talk to you the day before about moving the time, moving to a covered-but-open space such as a carport with an open front, or rescheduling. We do not cook under a screened porch or inside a garage in any weather.
Can I change my guest count after booking?
Yes, up to 72 hours before. After that we have shopped for your party, so the count is fixed — you can add people but not remove them.
7 questions
Space, setup and your rental
How much space does a hibachi chef need?
About six feet by four feet of flat, level surface, with three feet of clear standing room on the chef’s side and open sky above the grill. That is the whole requirement.
Can you cook indoors?
No. Never indoors, never in a garage, and never under a screened porch or a low overhang. The grill is an open flame and it needs open air above it.
Can you cook on a wooden deck?
Yes. We put heat mats down under the grill as standard and a drop cloth around it. We have never damaged a deck and we do not intend to start.
Do you use our kitchen?
No. Everything happens outside on our own equipment. We bring the grill, the fuel, the food, the plates and the utensils, and we leave with all of it.
Do we need to provide a table and chairs?
Yes — the table, the chairs and the drinks are yours. Almost every rental house already has enough outdoor seating for the group it sleeps.
Can you cook on a condo balcony?
Almost never. Balconies are too narrow, they are roofed by the balcony above, and most buildings in Destin and Panama City Beach prohibit open-flame cooking outright. Ask your rental manager whether the complex has a reservable poolside pavilion or grilling area — that is usually the answer.
Do you clean up?
Completely. We break down the station, bag everything, wipe the surface and take the rubbish with us. The most common thing guests say afterwards is that they did not expect the area to look untouched.
6 questions
The evening itself
How long does a hibachi dinner take?
About ninety minutes from the first course to the fried rice, plus forty-five minutes of setup before and twenty minutes of breakdown after. For a group of twenty-plus with two seatings, budget two and a half hours.
What time should we book the seating for?
Most groups pick 6:00 or 6:30pm. If you are going out afterwards, book earlier and tell us the hard finish time. If dinner is the whole evening, 7:00pm works well — and on Blue Mountain Beach we will suggest a time relative to sunset instead.
Is there really an onion volcano?
Yes, and it is timed for whoever the evening is about — the bride, the birthday child, the couple. Tell us who on the booking form.
Can the chef throw shrimp to guests?
Enthusiastically. At children’s parties we go around the whole table, which adds about ten minutes and is the part they remember.
Can we play our own music?
Please do. We do not bring speakers and we do not have opinions about your playlist.
Can we take photos and video?
Yes, all of it. If you want a specific shot — the volcano, the group behind the grill — tell the chef at the start and they will set it up rather than you trying to catch it.
5 questions
Food and dietary requirements
Can you cook for a vegetarian or vegan guest?
Yes. Tofu and vegetables, with egg-free fried rice on request, cooked on a cleaned section of the flat-top before the shared cooking starts.
Can you handle a gluten allergy?
Yes — we use tamari in place of soy sauce and cook the plate first on a cleaned surface. The one thing that is not gluten-free is the standard yakisoba noodle add-on.
Someone in our group has a shellfish allergy. Is that a problem?
Not if we know in advance. Shrimp is on nearly every grill we run, so we change the cooking order to put it last and clean between. Please put it on the booking form rather than telling the chef on the night.
Do you cook steak to order?
Yes. There is no pass and no ticket between you and the chef — tell them how you want it as they start your portion.
Can we choose different proteins for different people?
Of course. Everyone picks their own. We collect the choices on the booking form so the shopping is right.
4 questions
Money and logistics
Is gratuity included?
A 20% gratuity is added automatically so nobody is doing arithmetic at the end of a party. It is adjustable on request.
Do you charge a travel fee?
Not anywhere on 30A. Destin, Miramar Beach, Fort Walton Beach and Panama City Beach may carry one depending on the exact address — it is shown on the booking form before you commit, never added afterwards.
Can you invoice a company?
Yes, with itemised invoicing and Net 30 terms available for corporate bookings. Flag it on the booking form and we will send the paperwork ahead of the date.
Are you licensed and insured?
NEEDS_OWNER_INPUT — food handler certification, business licence and liability insurance details. This answer should name the certifications explicitly.
Not answered here?
Ask directly. If it is about a specific property, send the rental listing name — that answers most questions faster than a paragraph does.