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 by Robert Berman
For many of us spring is the time to
dust off and freshen up our concession trailers and food carts in
preparation to once again head out on the festival circuit.
A coat of paint, some axle grease and
air in the tires may be all that is needed to ensure a safe and
prosperous journey on the open roads. However, now is also the time
to consider your menu; the assorted food, and beverages that you
offer your clientèle.
We live in an ever-changing society,
especially in the area of fast food consumption. In 1954, McDonald's
menu primarily consisted of hamburgers, fries, soft drinks, and
milkshakes. Today the McDonald's menu has expanded to include,
salad, chicken, fish, juices and water. Fast food operations
prominently display specify caloric content and other health
information about their menu offerings.
New methods of fast freezing and
storing food coupled with our ethnic diversities have brought a
multitude of new and exciting offerings to food concessionaires.
Although the fast food industry is always under pressure from health
advocates, it has improved dramatically over the years. The use of
oil containing trans fats is all but history in the food industry.
Even McDonald's recently announced that it would be eliminating all
oils that contain trans fats from its restaurants over the next two
years.
Many people have the desire to eat
healthier and will look for opportunities to fulfill that goal. One
of the newest, eat healthier fast food concession items to be
launched is organic products. Products that are based on organic
agriculture are taking over the shelf space of supermarkets faster
than any other products ever have. Very few businesses consider
shelf space return on investment more than supermarkets and for these
companies to dedicate more and more space to organic products can
only mean that the consumers are buying them.
Food concessionaires and vending cart
operators have to be careful when considering diversifying their
menus. In general, the more items on a menu, the greater the amount
of food that will not be sold and will need to be disposed of. It
also usually means a longer service time for each customer. Combined
these two items can prove to be an economic disaster for the
operator.
In order to add some diversification to
your menu and avoid the problems associated with wasted product and
longer service lines, consider items that require little if any
preparation and have long storage lives. Fruit flavored yogurts in
individual serving containers and packaged energy bars both have long
storage lives, require little service effort and are considered by
most to be very healthy products.
As a side benefit, festivals and fairs
are always looking for unique vendors to enhance their overall
attendance. Diversity in food is one way to standout amongst other
food vendors.
Of course, you have to cater to the
tastes of your customers and the needs of the festivals and fairs
that you attend. Change for the sake of change is never a good
business decision. Consider your menu and your alternatives and then
do what is best for you.
Article provided by:
Robert Berman owner
of the website Mobile Catering Business, the only website and forums
exclusively for food concession, vending cart and mobile catering
businesses.
For more info visit: http://www.mobilecateringbusiness.com
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