The annual Irish Fest...my talks with vendors.

[GordonJ]

Best attended 3 days in years. It is an annual event in Cuyahoga Falls and this year PERFECT weather. Hot Friday, perfect Sat. and Sun.

So, I start every year on Thur, when the first vendors arrive, and I've gotten to know quite a few of them over the years. Then I hit Fri. AM. Sat. AM, Sun AM and an hour before it closes.

To get a measure of the success of the festival, from the vendor's view.

To note: 2 guys have expanded, they have purchased another vend, one guy has lemonade and guess your weight, age or birth month. He rakes in the money, at 3 bux a pop, and I observed him carefully, he lets about 66% win, and near 100% if they "try again"

He gives away those little 25 cent trinkets and stuffed animals most people wouldn't let their kid play with. So, when someone spends 6 bux, in a matter of a minute or less, he's way ahead of the game.

Now some years, he's been rained out. So, he made little or lost his investment.

OK. Two of the old timers have retired and sold their vending units, one is buying from the profits and the former owner helps out now and then, mainly to keep an eye out for his interests.

There were several first timers, and all had high hopes, which will get worn down wit the years, just the nature of the beast.

I can only project and guess income, although some have been forthcoming, others are a bit cagey, as they should be about telling anyone what their business does.

These have NO scientific basis, but I'd be willing to bet they come close...

60% of these traveling vendors, who work the Summer only, will take in between 50 to 85k. They work 50 hour weekends plus their drive time.

20% make less but don't work as much.

15% are absentee owned.

20% own more than one set-up.

Elephant ears remain the most bought food by far. Cotton candy still sells.

Most of the food vendors do well. Some jewelry, some clothing, some art.

MOST of the service vendors waste their time, but those people are paid a minimum plus maybe a lead fee. These include the bath guys, home improvement, cutlery and what not.

The smallest food vendor, my favorite, sells flavored ICE. ICE. With some sugar and color on it. Sold all three days, but especially on Friday night, when it was a sweltering 90 degrees. There was a line.

Well, there might not be much to make from this, but one thing I did find, is...

even though this was a retirement or supplemental money maker for them, the owners felt a sense of control. That is, the one ideal expressed over and over again, was/is...
they are their own bosses.

See? It is still the primary motivation for people starting their own businesses, not so much to get out of a crummy job...

but more often...

to GET AWAY from

crummy people.

Which is why the Biz-Op field will be forever green.

So, what do you know, which could be shared or turned into a specialty report which might help these people escape their peoples problems?

I did have a nice discussion with one vendor about buying and selling, and he is about to get started,

buying and selling FAIR and Event vending and food trucks/trailers. I expect we will both do well.

Erin go Bragh, so the profits continue to roll in, eh?

Gordon

All those thousands of people congregatin' in one place.

Seems like a good opportunity for the "fly low, headlight guy" to make his appearance.

A carefully constructed t-shirt, might also help gain customers, without attracting too much attention.

Tell me that you made some moolah from your participation, Gordon.

Ron
(official tee shirt tester from long, long ago)

Originally Posted by GordonJ

Best attended 3 days in years. It is an annual event in Cuyahoga Falls and this year PERFECT weather. Hot Friday, perfect Sat. and Sun.

So, I start every year on Thur, when the first vendors arrive, and I've gotten to know quite a few of them over the years. Then I hit Fri. AM. Sat. AM, Sun AM and an hour before it closes.

To get a measure of the success of the festival, from the vendor's view.

To note: 2 guys have expanded, they have purchased another vend, one guy has lemonade and guess your weight, age or birth month. He rakes in the money, at 3 bux a pop, and I observed him carefully, he lets about 66% win, and near 100% if they "try again"

He gives away those little 25 cent trinkets and stuffed animals most people wouldn't let their kid play with. So, when someone spends 6 bux, in a matter of a minute or less, he's way ahead of the game.

Now some years, he's been rained out. So, he made little or lost his investment.

OK. Two of the old timers have retired and sold their vending units, one is buying from the profits and the former owner helps out now and then, mainly to keep an eye out for his interests.

There were several first timers, and all had high hopes, which will get worn down wit the years, just the nature of the beast.

I can only project and guess income, although some have been forthcoming, others are a bit cagey, as they should be about telling anyone what their business does.

These have NO scientific basis, but I'd be willing to bet they come close...

60% of these traveling vendors, who work the Summer only, will take in between 50 to 85k. They work 50 hour weekends plus their drive time.

20% make less but don't work as much.

15% are absentee owned.

20% own more than one set-up.

Elephant ears remain the most bought food by far. Cotton candy still sells.

Most of the food vendors do well. Some jewelry, some clothing, some art.

MOST of the service vendors waste their time, but those people are paid a minimum plus maybe a lead fee. These include the bath guys, home improvement, cutlery and what not.

The smallest food vendor, my favorite, sells flavored ICE. ICE. With some sugar and color on it. Sold all three days, but especially on Friday night, when it was a sweltering 90 degrees. There was a line.

Well, there might not be much to make from this, but one thing I did find, is...

even though this was a retirement or supplemental money maker for them, the owners felt a sense of control. That is, the one ideal expressed over and over again, was/is...
they are their own bosses.

See? It is still the primary motivation for people starting their own businesses, not so much to get out of a crummy job...

but more often...

to GET AWAY from

crummy people.

Which is why the Biz-Op field will be forever green.

So, what do you know, which could be shared or turned into a specialty report which might help these people escape their peoples problems?

I did have a nice discussion with one vendor about buying and selling, and he is about to get started,

buying and selling FAIR and Event vending and food trucks/trailers. I expect we will both do well.

Erin go Bragh, so the profits continue to roll in, eh?

Gordon

I love this my problem is no one writes a small ebook on this biz , Elephant ears Cotton candy etc. how tos , i love the ebook on headlight cleaning and others i believe you have wrote gordon but nothing has came in as a "right" fit for me. If there is places to find more info on food vending as you have mention (gordon) please send my way im always looking for more knowledge on things , into i find something i fit into right. And always looking for "fly low collect the dough" type of things to do !

[GordonJ]

Originally Posted by ernie

I love this my problem is no one writes a small ebook on this biz , Elephant ears Cotton candy etc. how tos , i love the ebook on headlight cleaning and others i believe you have wrote gordon but nothing has came in as a "right" fit for me. If there is places to find more info on food vending as you have mention (gordon) please send my way im always looking for more knowledge on things , into i find something i fit into right. And always looking for "fly low collect the dough" type of things to do !

Just want to acknowledge this post Ernie, have much to do today, but I'll get back to this later...look for additions to this post soon.

GJA

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by GordonJ

even though this was a retirement or supplemental money maker for them, the owners felt a sense of control. That is, the one ideal expressed over and over again, was/is...
they are their own bosses.

See? It is still the primary motivation for people starting their own businesses, not so much to get out of a crummy job...

but more often...

to GET AWAY from

crummy people.

Which is why the Biz-Op field will be forever green.

Hi Gordon,

I think you're right...

There is a certain group of people who really dislike being an employee. They hate having a boss... They like to "row their own boat"!

I have this tendency in myself...

If you can survive through your own sweat and ingenuity - so much the better!

It's not necessarily easy... But the more you learn, and the more experience you have, the easier it eventually gets...

(One recommendation I would give is... if you haven't "made it" yet, it can help a lot to have an experienced mentor!)

Thanks for sharing your findings, Gordon!

Best wishes,

Dien

[GordonJ]

Originally Posted by ernie

I love this my problem is no one writes a small ebook on this biz , Elephant ears Cotton candy etc. how tos , i love the ebook on headlight cleaning and others i believe you have wrote gordon but nothing has came in as a "right" fit for me. If there is places to find more info on food vending as you have mention (gordon) please send my way im always looking for more knowledge on things , into i find something i fit into right. And always looking for "fly low collect the dough" type of things to do !

Ernie,

Actually, there are lots of books and reports on this business. Entrepreneur publishes one:
https://www.amazon.com/Start-Your-Fo...-20#nav-subnav

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1599185644...ZKHB4XXMJ8T42C

And many more. ebay has been continuously selling reports on this since the beginning.

Now, although there is a wealth of information, and even websites dedicated to this:

http://www.foodbooth.net/

And places to get good ideas:
http://www.fairsandfestivals.net/dir...ncessionaires/

One must be aware, there is a lot of BS too.

I confess to being a food concession "junkie", a collector...a vicarious thrill seeker we used to call them in the mail order days. Like guys who subscribe to The ROBB REPORT, just to look at yachts and jets and private islands, there are millions of us who say we'd like to do this...

or that, or the other.

And even in the archives, you'll find me mouthing off about hot dog stand, ice cones and even NUTS...

I haven't been involved in a food vending business since high school when my dad operated a Mister Softee truck. But, that hasn't kept me from talking to dozens of people who do it.

And there is a big difference between what these reports and books tell you and what is the reality.

Most of the vendors work far harder than I'm willing to. IT IS HARD WORK.

I have worked a few of these for a day or weekend, just to get a feel, but in my wisened golden years, where I revert back to Maynard G. Krebs and his knee jerk reaction to work (Werk?!)...

I'm not going to do it. Talking is much easier than serving hot dogs and snow cones all day, or getting rained out. By talking, I mean presenting seminars, workshops and live training.

But there is a SowPub member who had an ice cream truck in his youth and made over 60,000 a year, maybe he'll chime in.

The logistics of having a traveling show, going to fairs, festivals and events is now beyond my capabilities. I do like the guess your weight guy, he has the easiest job, and he pulls in the bux.

Now, I am still looking for a food vendor REMOTE operation, like a nut warmer at the golf course, or carmel corn or pretzels where you simply service your route, and if you wanted, you could go mobile with these too.

I'd say most of the people I talked to like to bitch and moan, but, they like to do it and I see the same faces year after year.

I know food trucks are big in some areas, especially taco and burrito stands. There is a new one here in the Falls, and I'll talk to him soon, when he isn't busy...which is always.

Gordon