Blog: Festival Food Vendors

FestivalNet

Starting a food concession business can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to deciding where to begin. Start with researching and understanding the different types of events at which you plan to operate. This is important because different concessions are better suited for different types of events. We always recommend attending many events and environments with mobile food operators are set up to do your own reconnaissance before making purchases and planning menus! 

There are various tools and options available which make the process of creating your logo easier and more affordable than ever. Now you can get a stunning logo which you can be proud of, without breaking the bank. It’s not unheard of for a marketing agency to charge up to $25,000 for a logo design. But, it’s possible to get something which meets your needs as a small business owner, for much less.

Let's begin with  a few basic elements of logo design:

• The Food: Most food businesses have a small and focused menu like grilled cheese sandwiches or hot dogs. If you have a clear food identity like this, ask the designer to integrate the food type into the logo. This will make it clear to prospective customers what you’re offering. 

As a mobile food vendor, you may assume you should put everything you make back into the business. Not so. The first thing you should do with your money is pay yourself, first.

Many food business owners who bootstrapped their companies feel that paying themselves is a luxury; however, we feel (and will show you why) that it is a necessity to pay yourself first to be a successful food vendor.

Why You Deserve a Salary

If you’ve got a nice cushion of savings, you may not need a salary right now to pay your bills. But that could change, so it’s best to prepare for the day when your funds run out. Getting into the habit of paying yourself, even just a little bit, will give you money for personal expenses when things get tight or you don't sell food as much as you used to.

Running a food stand at a festival can be an exciting venture that allows you to showcase your culinary skills and create a memorable dining experience for festival-goers. However, with numerous food vendors competing for attention, it's essential to stand out and maximize your sales. In this blog post, we'll provide you with our top ten tips for running a food stand at a festival, with a focus on increasing sales and achieving success.

Plan your menu carefully

Crafting a well-thought-out menu is crucial to attracting customers and maximizing sales. Consider offering a diverse range of items that cater to different dietary preferences and restrictions. In addition to your signature dishes, incorporate vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free options to accommodate various tastes. Unique twists on classic festival foods can also give your stand an edge, such as specialty sauces or unexpected flavor combinations.

Running a food stand at a music festival or any large scale event is a great way to create tons of exposure for your business. Just ask Jessica Perjes, who owns Tacotlan, a Chicago-Mexican restaurant that sold food at Suenos Festival in 2022. It was the restaurant's first time ever participating in a festival, and according to Perjes, brand awareness was the biggest incentive for their business to be a vendor at the 2-day event. Since an estimated 45,000 were in attendance at this particular event, it's no wonder why food vendors are seeing music festivals as a prime marketing opportunity. Not only do you get to promote your culinary skills and amazing food, but you also get to earn a decent income. 

As the sun kisses the horizon and the air hums with the unmistakable energy of summer, the much-anticipated festival season explodes into life, marking the start of an unparalleled gastronomic journey. Amid the sea of vibrant music, spirited dance, and kaleidoscopic artistry, the savory scents and sweet indulgences offered by food vendors take center stage. Keeping up with the dynamic trends for festival food vendors is a must for those seeking to make a lasting impression on the ever-evolving palate of festival-goers.

There are approximately 600,000 words in the English language, but not all words are created equal. Even some which are commonly used or well-intentioned, can hurt to the point of being toxic. Toxic words can inflame emotions, impact how you're perceived, and hurt communication in your food truck.

As a business owner, you want to use words that build rapport. You want your staff to speak to co-workers and customers respectfully. Even when offering needed criticism, you can do it positively.

Many food concessionaires feel that hiring and managing good help is one of the most difficult and frustrating aspects of managing a food concession business. It is also one of the most important.

Hands down, one of my favorite times of the day is after the booth is closed when I trot off to the camper, crack open my favorite snack (chocolate), and get down to counting the money. That is, unless sales were poor. Then, I can't wait to finish the day so I can slink away to scrub the big capital "L" off my forehead in private.

Food trucks have been around since the early 20th century but evolved into an exciting new venture for foodies and first-time restaurateurs during the mid-2000s. This exciting phenomenon provided an opportunity for budding businesses to operate with low costs while remaining mobile. These capabilities, in turn, reached new customers and profitable locations.

According to SD Food Truck Pros, the food truck industry had an annual growth rate of 7.5% from 2015 to 2020 and is a two-billion-dollar industry. If you’re thinking about joining this community, here are some of our best tips for launching a successful food truck business.

Providing successful food service at festivals & fairs presents various challenges. Having good or unique food at a competitive (fair) price is not enough. Consistently providing quality food items that are not under or overcooked takes significant planning. Knowing how much to buy and prep, as well as maintaining proper refrigeration and heated service temperatures in a temporary environment add more challenge to getting it right every time for hungry patrons!

Looking for a spring event? The historic city of St. Augustine Florida is the home of a wonderful Seafood Festival. This year the event will be held on March 25th and 26th. Both vendors and visitors should check out this exciting Festival. Not only is it a great event, but it supports the charitable work of the Lions Club International.

This event has it all, food festival, crafts show, music, entertainment, and rides, no wonder it draws over 20,000 visitors in just one weekend. 

The Festival will offer a number of children’s, adult, and family events and activities, including axe throwing, face-painting, music, clowns, magic, character meet-and-greets, an interactive fire engine exhibition, arts and crafts, and balloon fun.

There are spots for 100 juried arts and crafts vendors to display their wares at this beautiful park location. There is a February deadline for both craft and food vendors.

Musicians can apply until the schedule is full. Visitors expect to hear Jazz, Latin, Country, Folk, Classic Rock, Motown, and Contemporary, so whatever your style this is an event for you.

As a food truck owner, you embrace the challenge of driving from town to town and setting up shop for the day. Your unique type of business gives you the opportunity to increase your market and gain new customers along the way.

Because you have the ability to interact and serve a diverse group of people, it's best you make sure your marketing plan is on point. In case it needs some work, or if you want more ideas, we put together four food truck marketing tips that are easy to implement.

Upgrading kitchen equipment can be a tough task for food vendors who haven't planned ahead. But, without good equipment your business suffers! So, start planning now and use these tips so that the upgrade won't be so costly.

First, set a budget: Create a budget and a separate bank account which you use only for upgrading kitchen equipment. The budget will tell you how much to set aside every week. While you may not have 100 percent of the money you need when it is time to upgrade, you'll have a big chunk of it.

Becoming a city-certified festival food vendor is enough to turn anyone off the idea of eating giant turkey legs.

"Has anyone ever eaten something and shortly after you feel a gurgling in your stomach?" Daria Kulczycky asks her Summer Festival Food Vendor Sanitation Seminar one afternoon last week at Harold Washington College. The stern, middle-aged woman in a blue turtleneck is attempting to stir some gastrointestinal empathy in her students-myself included.

We will soon join the ranks of 2,200 vendors certified annually by the city to serve fried dough and meats on a stick to the masses at music festivals, neighborhood street fetes, farmers' markets and church fund-raisers. The workshop quickly feels like an episode of MTV's Scared Straight for summer food vendors.

Depending on your local health regulations, certain pieces of equipment must be NSF certified for your food truck to pass health inspection. As an example, the countertop in your home kitchen would not typically pass NSF as it can’t be sanitized as effectively as stainless steel.

If you think you want to operate your food truck kitchen without NSF rated equipment and you are caught, you could face huge fines and in some case may even have to remodel and replace the pieces found inadequate. If you need to replace your interior workspaces or appliances this will typically require downtime, and thus you’ll lose revenue and potentially customers if the non-compliance gets publicized.

Using non-NSF certified equipment will also affect your insurance coverage. If you add a piece of restaurant equipment that doesn’t meet commercial guidelines, any accidents, fires, or loss resulting from that item, and in some cases even the presence of that item in your kitchen, can void your insurance policy.

Finding success as a food vendor at festivals involves much more than having the best food the grounds have to offer. A lot of what influences a festival-goer’s decision on which food to eat includes things like recognizing booths from prior years, being drawn in by ambiance and experience they’ve created, and finding something that piques their interest.

That’s where branding comes into play.

Branding is a powerful sales and marketing tool that any food business, especially one that wants to be profitable at a festival, should incorporate. If you need to boost productivity at your business and generate more revenue, branding should be at the top of your list, and here is why.