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Recollections From One of My Largest Event Concessions: 

The Coliseum Food Court.

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GREETINGS!
"A Tip Guide To Roadside Food Service Concessions; A Comprehensive Collection of Roadside Food Service Concessionaire/Vendor Recollections to Success in Your Investment."

" I'd hope this information to be a time & money saving kit, with valuable information for anyone in the
roadside food service industry."

Over the past years of dealing  with vendors, inspectors, customers, and unique applications, all pertaining to roadside food service vending, event concessions, & party catering, your reputation for "good service, consistency of food/beverage & generous portion control"  will be your key to success.

In the following material you are about to read, I can only recommend information I've discerned from past experience and research. You and your food service venture should always get local qualified food service professionals guidelines, permits, proposals, & recommendations; doing this is very beneficial in learning what you may not know. You are responsible for creating & implementing your business plan.

I represent and carry a large variety of off premise kitchen equipment & Mobile Kitchen units for a great food service event coordination & more! My company, Mobile Kitchen Services, located in Stamford, CT, does full service event catering, coordination, consulting, provides cook tents, hot-dog carts, portable hand wash sinks, mobile commercial kitchen and refrigeration units globally.

We are "Dedicated Food Service Professionals & Equipment Nationwide Since 1992 who, streamline event coordination, provide temporary & permanent food service operations, construction, and much more."

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction
Evaluating Seasons & Locations
Licenses, Permits, Inspections, Zoning
Types of Peddling or Street Vending
Choosing a Vending Unit
Menu
Food & Beverage Purveyors
Set-up & Flow
Getting Started
Overall Operation & Enrichment
Samples of Paper Work
Pictures From Concessions

COPYRIGHT 2006 MOBILE KITCHEN SERVICES
All proprietary rights in the subject matter hereof are reserved. No permission is granted to reproduce these prints in whole or in part, or to disclose any of the information therein to others. Copyright 2006

Evaluating Seasons & Locations
Geographically, seasons should become a predictable source of income. Your planning and operations will hinge greatly on crowds of traffic buying coffee when its cold, ice cream when its hot, sandwiches where its convenient, hotdogs, burgers, or fast food as a novelty. Common sense should tell you that people don't go to the beach when its cold out, have daffodil festivals in January, or stop to eat during a blizzard. Overall, I have found September, October, June and July to be the best months for opening ventures.

Year round: daily high traffic areas with convenient signage  turn in & parking; indoor large captive audiences/employers, you're the only alternative food & beverage source;  Seasonal: Trade shows; Special events; Foliage change; Holiday shoppers; Sporting events; Tourists may vary;

Licenses, Permits, Inspections, Zoning
I've found every municipality who issue permits, licenses, and inspections interpretation of materials, guidelines, and ethics, from each, that should be followed, is never the same; However "Going through this process right the first time should give you confidence in your venture." Getting to this point requires time, money, and patience before implementing your food service venture. 

My first suggestion to anyone is, open the fattest telephone book, located where you plan your venture and start looking in the "blue pages" under the heading of "State/Municipal Health, Fire, Police, Zoning, Parks and Recreation departments." It is usually here, you will get started by calling someone who, is qualified to answer your question "am I allowed to have a food service venture here and what permits should I have?" Location adjoining property owners in your venture area may have to be petitioned before your approval. Moratoriums could have been set indefinitely on peddlers & vendors. Traffic studies, site plans, Qualified Food Handler certification, police record, public hearing, registered trade name, sales & use tax ID, Certificates of Insurance - workers compensation, general liability, equipment, auto;, permit fee's, etc.. may divert your venture expectations. It is usually the police department who will remove derelict vendors.

Local health and fire departments have criteria food service vendors should know before operating temporary or permanently. Zoning has notations on parcels of land. Police restricts hours of operation. Parks & Rec's issues bidding specifications. Controller/Clerk issues duration of licenses and transferability; Also, updates Code of Ordinances.

Affiliations with charitable organizations, veterans, community leaders, property owner "permission of operation," letter of intent, are all accolades, politically, which may help expedite the permit & inspection process.

Never offer public officials charitable donations, favors, money or gifts to get a location; You'll regret it!

"Loop Holes" to soften the permit process I've discovered are, if you can't set up outside on public property, private property parking spaces for lease may work. Carts under canopies, gazebo's, inside near doorways fall under different jurisdictions. Catering/Concessionaire contracts with "point of purchase" clause between property owner and you providing food service to his customers falls into "restraint of trade"; If legal savvy is needed.

Types of Peddling or Street Vending
This section will help you to determine if you work 3 months out of the year and make a modest yearly income; Set up shop successfully 365 days a year or barely make it by;  or, have started a business and are looking to add additional income.

Doing temporary events usually requires credentials, inventory, tents, tables, cooking, refrigeration, means of washing and sanitizing, volunteers/employees, set-up, operation, break down, clean up, accounting of finances, payments & returns.

Roadside usually required credentials for operation. Inventory,  cooking, refrigeration, means of washing and sanitizing, volunteers/employees,  break down, clean up becomes daily. Accounting of finances, payments & returns done weekly.

Grand opening, give-a-ways, parades, festivals, fund raisers, outings, quick hits, may or may not need permits contingent upon sponsorship, hold harmless agreements, of the organization coordinating the event. "Loop hole," rent equipment to the organization, volunteer your time or charge hourly; If vendors
are not allowed or you don't want responsibility and guaranteed income. Stay away from commissions from promised attendance. Maintain and manage your cash flow unless, tickets are sold for food; and then, research "is the organization solvent and paying their bills."

Choosing a Vending Unit
Versatility
Children, elderly, handicapped
Ease of Transaction
Weather ability
Compression test
Rust = 1/10 metal thickness; rust is average 10 times thicker than metal.
Code Compliant NFPA 58 & 72
Gas Copper vs. Black Pipe T's, Compression Fittings
Electrical EMT vs. Plastic Conduit
Plumbing Plastic vs. Copper
Material construction Plastic vs. Metal
Department of Transportation 10K Gross Vehicle Weight or Over
Ventilation C.F.M. Intake Exhaust
Cooking appliance fuel Propane, Sterno, Electric, Alcohol
Cooking equipment line-up open flame 6 inches from deep fryer or stainless steel side panels attached to fryer 18 inches high, length of fryer bay.
NPFA 96 & UL300

Many vendors will sell you what they have and, not what you need so, listen to them very carefully and don't be afraid to take notes, ask for credentials (i.e. professional representations, licenses, referrals, insurance, completion dates, sample drawing of similar installation, estimated time of completion, etc...). There proposal price will usually reflect upon the old adage "you get what you pay for." Acquiring at least three proposals  will help to define budget constraints and their mark up.

Menu
Nature of goods are important to customer demographics. Consider each ethnic style of food customers will find palatable. Out of the ordinary items like sushi, pork rinds, knishes, falafel are tough sellers. Variations on hotdogs/frankfurters/weenies, sausages, hamburgers, fries, sandwiches/hero's/hogies/sub's usually do well.

Brand name recognition are usually stereotyped hotdogs & cola. Hotdogs fall into "New York Style" all beef or, "Chicago/Vienna Style" plump pork/beef with fillers. Major brand cola's falls into one flavored with lime versus one flavored with beans and leaves. Sorry couldn't use the "P" & "C" brands without infringing on trademarks. Bottle vs. can, a "brand name" distributer, bottle will have a better profit margin than can. Typically, 20 ounce bottles are the best. Supermarket sales are competitive when, considering, delivery and handleing to end user is a factor.

Hot coffee is best strong. Refilling air pots maintains freshness and consistency. Grocery store coffee grounds are no different from coffee companies, just cheeper. Most popular syrups hazelnut, mocha, powdered cinnamon sugar. Carry powdered creamer as back up to milk and cream. Customers pefer 12oz. &16oz. paper hot cups with lids and trays.

Marketing your goods has to take a aggressive approach such as quality pictures of specials, Different colors and font sizes on banner and paper menus.

Words like crispy, fresh, hot, cold, boat load, tasty, jumbo, etc.. emphasize value and flavor. Shot glass size plastic cups samples maintain freshness and portion control. Numbering your menu is confusing. List most popular items first. Categorize breakfast, lunch, beverages, extras legibly.

Pricing menu's usually is a reflection from the "cost of living index" and competition; however, what the market will bear is contingent on the type of customers you want to attract or, price setting per event. Tax included will fetch mark-ups and justify margins; as well as, round off pricing making change easier.

Daily specials regularly don't continue next day variations on that special may (i.e. Philly cheese steak vs. Philly cheese steak burgers). Trademark venture specials should be consistent and never run out. Specials to reduce extra inventory should have easily removable signage.

Paid representations are locals who reciprocate by advertising their logo, slogan, company name on menu's, hand outs, postings, or signage.

Food & Beverage Purveyors
Commissary/point of origin & chain of custody for food stuffs is part of HACCP - Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point systems is common amongst purveyors.

Sales representatives provide promotional print signs, menu boards, cups, vending equipment - carts, refrigerators, flags, umbrellas, Material Safety Data sheets, technical specifications and recommendations. Credits for returns of damaged/spoiled or unused goods. Extension of credit helps conserve capital. Order & delivery turn around is best scheduled next business day during slow periods have them load into stock room. Deny them during rush hours. Order shorts can be prevented by confirming order with shipping departments or checking inventory upon placing orders. Resale certificates on file with order departments will save you from paying sales tax twice and accounting time.

Wholesale food markets, grocery stores, provisioners, manufacturing facilities redundantly supply inventory in the event you need additional supplies. Their cost competitiveness is negotiable if you plead to the appropriate person and shop there regularly. Stay friendly with that person, at some point they will save your day.

Set-up & Flow
Customers crave ease of transaction. Large crowds, process a customer & make change every 5 - 7 seconds.Partially split rolls, partially cook/hold meats, condiments, fried portions, upon given customer rushes. Fill a empty deep fryer with water find the lowest setting for mass producing hot-dogs to the grill.
Never use water on a grease fire. ABC or K-style fire extinguishers 10 feet from sources of flame.
Griddle and stove tops make excellent double boilers for sauces, chili, peppers, onions, hotdogs.Order, pay, issue receipt, fill order, customer self serve beverage for large customer flow. Maintain prepared food inventoryFill order, pay, issue receipt for small customer flow. Maintain prepared food as ordered. Keep open paths to garbage receptacles and double bag. Attach extra bags to handles. Rehearse emergency action plans for employees, customers, fire, flooding, power outage, robbery.15 - 50 decibel two way radios are excellent in large concession areas. Cooking exhaust should be at least 10 feet from nearest customer; sometimes adjoining property lines.

Getting Started
Most of the vendors who I've known have over stocked, cooked too soon, run out of goods, run short of cash change, had a "fall flat" product, repriced, under estimated cook time, changed menu, under staffed, ran out of water or fuel, maintained consistent food portions or hours of operation during their venture. These are details to pay special attention to, they will reflect upon you, your customers and income.

Over the years, every event I've done is different one way or another. Generally, eating habits remain the same. Concession style captive audiences, for every 3 to 4 people in attendance, 1 will spend a dollar. Roadside, customer peak hours are breakfast 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Lunch 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., evening events, rush's start upon arriving and exiting crowds. Private Parties, when everyone has usually arrived at once is the heaviest rush.

Liquor Licenses are available typically they require inventory in a  locked alarmed secured physical address location. Distributor deliveries require personalized rubber stamp, certified check and signature on invoice. Some states have itinerant liquor licenses which allow you to travel by notifying liquor control department in advance. Temporary permits not more than 14 days. Insurance and wrist bands are mandatory. Beer and wine permits are cheaper and easier than full liquor permits. Staff over 21 should be made aware of customers excessively drinking, proof of age, portion control, beverage & ice inventory.

All ventures can attribute success to basic human senses; Sight, attracting customers with large and colorful signage; Sound, boasting and "word of mouth" of a signature menu item (i.e. Biggest Burger, Coldest Beverages, Best Meatball's, etc..); and most important Smell, savory and olfactory
Rumors, "you only get dirty when you start slingin' mud" 

Overall Operation & Enrichment

Surveying customers provides great insight to your success. Slogans, generous portions, novelties, prompt & courteous service, "eye candy", place to sit, all help increase business.

Many customers will only give you one chance here is a checklist of do' & don't(s):
Never touch a customers food with your bare hands. Hold it with a napkin, disposable sanitary glove or serving tray.
Never handle money then touch raw/cooked food with same hands or gloves; wash
hands or replace gloves.
Never reprimand employees or make problems evident in front of customers.
Don't sweat over, kill bugs, clean off, food in front of customers.
Compensate regular or large purchase customers with a free beverage at your discretion.
Never eat in front of customers or use profanity.
Restrict employees to allocated smoke breaks, food & beverages, attire, manicure.
Provide hand washing sink or sanitary wipes for customers.
Never give away water; Sell prepackaged bottled.
Maintain napkin inventory, crowd & garbage control.
Serve hotdogs at 150 to 170 degrees, before the split, customers will get a better "pop" when they bite into it. Never boil hotdogs for a long period of time.
Don't be afraid to throw food out. When in doubt, throw it out. Never marry old with new prepared foods, condiments, dish water, ice  in coolers.
If a customer has a grievance, return their money, dismiss them quietly and politely.
Offer a free coffee to uniformed police and fireman.

Bank and invest one-third of your profits back into each venture as part of operating expenses short falls, bad weather, down-time and unforeseen expenses. One-third back into business equity. One-third to cover more operational expense & inventory. Combined figure out how much you will have to sell each day and then implement being successful.

Employees who steal usually bring and sell similar food, save day old left over's and/or say they were thrown out, give extras to others, don't give correct change, or swipe inventory.

When creating your business card offer a free item on your menu when they visit or make additional purchases. Selling food and beverage tickets for future purchases creates capital, offers a savings to customers, gives your venture marketability.

Samples of Paper Work Available upon request.

Pictures From Concessions Available upon request.