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

[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