MyConcessionBusiness.com

When you are looking at food stands for sale, there are many things that you should take into consideration before making your purchase. These are available in many different sizes and styles with an endless number of equipment and appliance configurations.

First you need to determine if you are looking for new or used food stands for sale. New ones will have a full warranty but of course a used one will save you a considerable amount of money. Once you have made this decision, it is best to make a list of all of the options that you absolutely need as well as any additions that you would like to have that are not necessarily requirements or deal breakers.

When you create your list of needs, you need to take into consideration the type of food that you will be selling. Obviously an ice cream stand would have no need for fryers and a flattop while a funnel cake food stand probably doesn't need a whole wall full of freezers. You should also take into consideration storage area space. If you are only carrying one or two types of concession stand foods, you won't need as much refrigerator and dry storage space as someone who is preparing and selling full meals. Do you want three sinks or will you find a way to divide one large one to meet health code regulations? Will a dishwasher come in handy or are you selling prepackaged items? Depending on where you plan on setting up, you may need to consider an extra quiet generator that will meet certain park regulations as well.

There are many variables to take into consideration when shopping for food stands for sale which is why a list is a very helpful guide to have with you. If you are purchasing a used stand, you should check for any rust and be sure that all appliances work.

There are always many food stands for sale due to people upgrading, expanding or retiring so you don't have to jump into the decision. Find the one that has the perfect options to suit your needs in your price range.

There are endless food stand ideas that you can choose from, all that will provide you with an impressive profit. While prepackaged foods are definitely easy to deal with, sometimes people that are visiting an attraction may have the need to grab a full meal. When choosing which food stand ideas that you want to sell, take into consideration cost for supplies, equipment needed and how the food will fit in with the location or event.

Snack Food Stand Ideas

Customers are always on the look for quick, easy and delicious snack foods. You can either make the snacks yourself like popcorn, caramel apples, cotton candy or candied almonds or you can sell prepackaged snacks like ice cream sandwiches, suckers and other candy. It is always best to stay clear of chocolate if your food stand will be out in the heat or sun, unless you have a cooler to keep them from melting.

Meal Food Stand Ideas

If you have the facilities and room to heat up and cook food, you may want to explore the option of serving meals. Fabulous food stand ideas that go over quite well with the hungry masses are french fries, hotdogs, pizza, hamburgers, nachos and tacos in a bag. These are really ideal for fairs, festivals or other events that people spend any length of time at. Quite often, chips or ice cream are not going to satisfy a hungry family that has been in the sun and walking around all day. You can provide them with a meal so they can later enjoys snacks from someone else.

Specialty Food Stand Ideas

These are probably some of the most popular food stand ideas. If you don't want to deal with a variety of different products, then you can choose to specialize in just one type of food. Funnel cakes, corn dogs, pretzels and ice cream stands are all profitable food stand ideas to consider.

Drinks

Although you can provide a stand selling only drinks like lemonade or slushes, it is recommended to offer some type of drink at all food stands. Fountain or can soda and bottled water are important additions to boost your products. This allows customers to get their drinks along with their food rather than them having to stand in an additional line.

Below is Part 5 of the email I received from Dave, an experienced and successful concession vendor. He has a lot to offer and gives me motivation and hopefully you as well.  He discusses how important it is for your stand or trailer to look good and offers some sage advice. Here we go:

Thanks Dave!!!

Below is Part 4 of the email I received from a successful vendor who sells mini donuts and other items at his trailers. Thanks Dave for sharing this info with our readers!

Also, you never want to get too far ahead of yourself with making the donuts. I'll start the morning off with one batch, which gets me about 12 bags. When I get down to 2 bags, I'll start another batch. When I start frying, I turn my exhaust hood on, and the aroma gets drawn out of the trailer into the field. And this aroma draws people to my trailer! Smell sells when it comes to donuts! I've seen some vendors with smell-sensitive things like kettle corn or mini donuts who want to make their entire product first thing in the morning, so they can just sit there and sell and collect money for the rest of the day. Then they sit there and wonder why they can't move their product. Smell sells... trust me! Make them as you need them, that way the smell will keep drawing people to you, and people will get them nice and hot when they're best. And if people get donuts that they think are really good, they'll be repeat customers. It took me 5 years selling at the same location to build my business to where it now is. That trailer is a stationary unit by the way... it stays at the market year-round, and has not moved from that spot since 2006. I usually sell between 150 and 200 bags of donuts on a typical day now... I think my record day in 2010 was 236 bags. There are days I cannot keep up with the demand... I've got people placing orders and waiting, and I just keep making them as fast as I can. It takes the machine about 1 minute to make 1 bag of donuts. So there are mornings I'm literally making $3 a minute for hours. And that's just on donuts. I sell so much coffee that I needed to invest in a second commercial airpot coffee maker. I could not keep up with just one machine. I sell usually around 30 airpots worth of coffee in a morning. I also do tea, hot chocolate, iced tea, iced coffee, smoothies, canned soda, and bottled water. It is a relatively simple menu, but the trailer runs like a well-oiled machine, and everything I sell is very high profit. I buy bottled water cases at Costco... it amounts to about 15 cents a bottle, and I sell it for $1.50. On a hot summer day, I could easily sell 50-70 bottles of water. Another thing I should mention, which I think is a large part of why I have been successful there at the market, is because I keep my trailer very clean. People like to see that. I also like to use all professional signage... I think hand made signage is tacky and looks unprofessional. I got those "Dave's Donuts" signs made up last year at a professional sign shop. People want to shop at a trailer that looks professional and clean, and if you have a good aroma coming from it, that's a plus as well.

Back in 2007, a fresh squeezed lemonade stand opened up 2 spots up from my donut trailer. It was a simple setup, just a table and umbrella and ice bucket, but damn... they did a good business! They'd have a line on any sunny hot day during the summer. That space had been vacant for a while, and I was kicking myself for not starting up something like that on my own. I told myself, if and when the time comes that they close, I'll take over. Well, 2009 came along and they never returned. 2010 came and the spot was still vacant. So I finally took some initiative and talked to the market manager, and he agreed to rent me the spot to sell lemonade. So then I had to find a trailer, outfit it how I would need it for lemonade, and get it to the market ASAP because the hot summer days were quickly ticking away. I found a used 6'x10' concession trailer on Craigslist that I thought would do the trick. It's my only "real" concession trailer... a Haulmark, not a homemade job. And what a difference in quality! I will NEVER buy another homemade concession trailer. The Haulmark is very well built. No leaks, and a solid floor. Here's a video of what it looked like when I first bought it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V2w5cNmDIU

Stay tuned tomorrow when Dave talks about the importance of your stand or trailer and why it should look good.  He gives you some advice on where to find wraps and things to make it look its best!

Still wondering where to start a successful concession business?   Below is an excellent site to get you started, it will help you answer a lot of questions you may have.  There is no limit to the number of questions a future business owner can ask,  this site really breaks it down for you.  Definitely a good read.

Click for Help with Starting  your Concession Business

Why start a concession business? Well, throughout history many people have been earning a very good living by satisfying the hunger of their customers. Purchasing food from a concession business is considered a tradition at various events and on special holidays. Millions of people across the country at fairs, concerts, sporting events and festivals enjoy filling up on their favorite foods and refreshments. So, why start a concession business? Because you will never be short of customers who will come to you and stand in long lines for their favorite food.

Owning your own business is almost everybody's dream but for many reasons, it is just not thought to be a possibility for most. However, for others, who really had the ambition to become self-employed and set themselves some goals, including students and retirees, they have found their niche for making a substantial amount of money in the concession business in a very short amount of time.

So, why start a concession business? Well, it is one of the few businesses that you can start with very little money and with or without a college degree. Also, virtually anyone with the dream of seeing the benefits of being self-employed can be successful in this business, whether you are young or old, retiree or someone just starting out in the job market.

Compared with other businesses, the concession food business will not fail just because the economy goes into a recession. There will always be special events where people will gather and will want to spend their money on their favorite food.

Looking for another answer to the question, “Why start a concession business?” It is one of the most fun jobs you can allow yourself to have. What could be a better job than one that is done in a fun and relaxed atmosphere where you are surrounded by interesting people who are there to have a good time? There are endless reasons why people start a concession business, what will be your reason?

Below is Part 3 of the email I received from Dave.  I am posting it for everyone to learn from, with his permission.

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share with you an email that I received from one of our blog readers...  I am posting it here with his permission.  I think our readers will gain a lot from his experience in the field.   It is a lenghtly, informative email so I am going to break it down into 3 or 4 sections posted in 3 or 4 days.  Hope you enjoy.  Below is discusses how he got started and a little advice for setting up your trailer.   A lot of people reading this blog are interesting in selling the donuts concession style, for example at flea markets and the like.   If you are interested in doing that,  there is a great website that will basically "hold your hand" and teach you the ropes in explicit detail,  head on over to:

Concession Trailer Business

I don't do a lot of promotion of the site, except in the forums I've added a banner.. but it truly is a good resource.   Here is Part 1 of the email,  thanks again Dave for your excellent advice!  I have found (and as I have told Dave) that people in the concession business are so secretive with their information so this is a rare glimpse in someone that is actually walking the walk.

Are you looking for a quick way to make money? Would you love to become self-employed but don't know where to begin? Do you want a business that will allow you to turn a profit fast? Surely you have seen concession trailers at fairs, festivals, parks, sporting events or even in parking lots or on busy streets. Chances are you have even been a patron at a few.

Has it ever occurred to you that a quick way to make money is to open your own concession trailer? This is a business that you can start up with a very low investment that offers high profitable returns. It can be a part time or full time job and the best part is you are guaranteed to make money. As long as you are setting up your business somewhere where there is foot traffic, the hungry people will come to you. Advertising costs aren't even necessary like with a traditional restaurant!

It doesn't matter if you have no experience in the food business or if you are a good cook or not. It really doesn't matter even what food you choose to sell. All concession food is popular and adored by the masses and of course, very profitable.

The concession food business is not only a quick way to make money, it is also a recession proof business. Even during financial downturns when other businesses fail, a concession food trailer will not. Unlike a restaurant where people have an unlimited choice of places to go, a concession food business is completely different. When you are set up at events, people have to eat, they come to spend money and there are no restaurants available. People will stand in long lines for your food because they have to and because they actually want to, its all part of the novelty of getting their favorite food.

If you are looking for a quick way to make money where you can finally set your own hours and work for yourself, open a concession food business and take control over your future.

Making money fast is easy to do if you open your own concession food business. It can be something as easy as starting an ice cream concession cart that you can set up at local parks or you may want to choose a business more extravagant such as a food concession trailer serving up funnel cakes, french fries, caramel apples or endless other food favorites.

If you are in need of making money fast whether it is just extra cash to pay for school, save up for a vacation or pay off some bills or something bigger like using it as your sole source of income, a concession food stand business is perfect.

The first thing that you need to do is choose what kind of business that you are going to open and where you will actually sell your product at. Will you move from location to location to different events where people are gathered or will you set up at a more permanent place where you can reap the many benefits of having loyal, returning customers? Both choices offer many methods of making money fast. The best part, opening your own concession food business takes very little start up capital. Many companies even allow you to rent carts and trailers so that you can try the business out before you purchase one for yourself.

Another benefit of making money fast with a concession business is that you do not have to spend money on advertising for you to generate business. All you need to do is open up and people will come to you. Also, if you would like to only carry one item so you do not have to invest or worry too much about inventory, making money fast is still possible. Many successful concession food businesses make phenomenal profits with a limited menu. If you are looking to become self-employed in a way that making money fast is possible, the concession food business is perfect for you.