This is a wonderful project that your friends will love and you will get much use out of.
You can even try using pallets to create this beautiful outdoor BBQ Kitchen to keep the cost down.
This one cost about $600 to make but you can probably make it for less when re-using materials.
This DIY project is much cheaper then buying those outdoor kitchen units you see at the stores and you can even customize it to your liking.
DIY Portable Outdoor BBQ Kitchen Project See Tutorial Here