This may be too late of a reply, but I just finished shooting a launch campaign for a restaurant in Dallas called Bullion. The chef has a Michelin star, so it was a highly anticipated opening here.
We did all of their interior/exterior, staff, beverage, and food photography.
We did almost all of the food with a single light, shot through a medium softbox, with big pieces of styrofoam as reflectors (usually at least one in every shot).
Depending on the caliber of chef I would recommend getting a food stylist. The Bullion chef was there for every shoot and personally styled all of the food, so we did not need to hire one, but if you are not dealing with a chef that is good at plating and styling his own food I would highly recommend a stylist. They will take your shoot to the next level.
As far as rates, it really depends on your level of experience and what you are comfortable charging. For the most part we shot 4-5 dishes in about 2-3 hours time, but the restaurant was closed and that was all that was going on. Like any other kind of photography, the more the photos are going to be used to help someone else make money, the more you should be charging them.
I hope this was helpful
- Ray
Studio Manager
Eighty three creative group