MKT as a concession trailer

[ZiggyO]

Hello all,


So, the post about the recent mkt that sold for really big money and the comment that it was going to be used at a Braves game got me thinking--- how can I put my mkt to use for some extra income? For some background, my town has an event each year around July fourth at our local park, which starts late morning and goes to the evening ultimately ending with a fireworks display. They have a few concession stands selling hot dogs, burgers, etc. and I am guessing that with 5-10k people coming through over the course of the day that they must be making some decent money. I know from other posts that a number of people here have already cooked for large groups but has anyone done it in a more commercial “assembly line” type of setting like one would see at an event like a town event, carnival, or the like? I realize the issues with health codes, licensing, taxes, etc. but this post is geared more toward getting your opinions on how efficient the mkt is versus an actual concession trailer (though some may say that’s comparing apples and oranges). I figure that if food preparation and serving goes smoothly, the uniqueness of the mkt itself should draw a fair number of customers. So what do you guys think? Would you do it and how smoothly do you think it would go?

Ziggy

 

[wreckerman893]

We (Mike aka SCSG-G4 and me) set up and run an MKT at the GA Rally every year. This is a closed event (not advertised or promoted to the gen public) so we don't have issues with permits or health depts.

It is an exercise in logistics to run a kitchen and provide three meals a day for several days but it is a labor of love for us.

One issue you may have to check out when dealing with the general public is liability insurance....this is a sue happy society we are living in......if you have assets some ambulance chaser will come after you if opportunity presents itself (food posioning, slip and fall, etc.).

I agree that the MKT is a big draw...we have folks not associated with the rally stopping by and checking us out.

If you kept the menu simple you could prob turn a profit and present a positive image of the Green Iron Addiction.

 

[SCSG-G4]

Lets see if Mike (mmcooker) will make a comment. See what he has done at > www.mikesknotjustribs.com
with an MKT-75.

 

[davidkroberts]

and as an added benefit by using you addiction as a business you can right off a portion of your hobby as a business expense....

thats how the thing was designed and built for but as with any business the key is not in how much you sell (which you cant control) and how much you spent (overhead) to get there (which you can control).

If you found a good serviable MKT and it had the equipment designed for it then hotdogs, hamburgers, drinks, ect could pay for itself after a good day of selling. Your licensing might be a pain but the insurance shouldnt be all that bad.

 

[zout]

ZiggyO - interesting you brought this up. Been kicking around the idea of getting one of those steel tank from OK and making a big BBQ cooker out of it and pull it behind the 109 - head to wherever and BBQ - people would flock to it just out of interest.

But then reality struck me as and mentioned - there is always someone out there to put you out of business for something and complain about something.
Then again - I would acutally have to learn how to BBQ something and learn how to cook.

 

[MWMULES]

I was going to do that with my Sea Bee TFK250, "COMBAT CATERING" I have used it for club functions and various cook-offs as "COMBAT CONCARNE". When it comes to business the health codes, food handling laws are a lot of outlay. First thing was had to have a 3 sinks with with hot and cold running water, ect, ect. So did not go that route.

 

[SCSG-G4]

MW, that's what we are leaving for the Afgan Army to use for their field feeding. Do you have the TM's (navy version) for it?

 

[tigger]

Great now I'm hungry again!

 

[ZiggyO]

Hello again,


I realize that insurance, permits, etc will be a proverbial b*tch but I am willing to give it the old college try if it might make me a profit....... As for sinks, I was thinking a pair of the portable surgical scrub sinks setup onsite would serve me well and keep with the military theme...... I was also thinking along the lines of doing the actual serving on the ground and therefore no one would have to actually board the mkt....... I guess the plan would be to test the waters with one event and see how it goes......... I will admit though that I already had visions of this taking off and maybe even building a mobile pantry like SCSG-G4 talked about where I could keep a deep freezer and other stuff on hand (this would actually be easy since I could plug the truck in when parked and run the freezer off shore power and I already have a few inverter generators for on site use)


Ziggy

 

[mkcoen]

If you're going to try production style cooking you might want to pick up a second griddle to go over the stoves on the end next to the standard griddle. That'll double your cooking surface for burgers, dogs, sausage, etc. Another SSer in San Antonio sold sausage wraps at a recent living history event and sold out about halfway through.

 

[SCSG-G4]

Ziggy,
The pantry conversion is under the thread called 'a different kind of 109 conversion', and we used it at the 2010 GA Rally. If I can get motivated, there may be two of them there this year, with the second one pulling the FST (Field Sanitation Trailer), commonly known as the sink!

 

[MWMULES]

MW, that's what we are leaving for the Afgan Army to use for their field feeding. Do you have the TM's (navy version) for it?

I wish I did, all I have a the German manuals, recipes in one and user maintenance in the other. I converted 3 of the burners to propane as the only way to repair the regulators was to send them back to Germany.Did high and low BTU. The original burners looked like they were made for the V2!

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

I just KNEW I should have paid the extra $$$ for the SMELL-eVISION option on this new laptop

All this talk of FOOD and COOKING is making me HUNGRY

When is SUPPER going to be ready anywaze

After your concession ops, you could also drain the deepfryer into the fuel tank

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vxQqdFOeoM[/media]

 

[thtrev2001]

Thanks for the plug mkoen. We have used our MKT at commercial venues, such as the history event mkcoen mentioned but also at a parade and another festival. Although we have done these things as fundraisers for different organizations (special olympics, boy scouts, etc) not for personal profit, the rules regarding food vendors are the same. Here in San Antonio the health department requires a permit as well as an inspection. You do have to have a 3 station sink. a hand washing sink with running water, as well as a whole list of other things, but overall its not that hard to do. Check with your local health department. And yes, we did sell out of brisket sandwiches and sausage wraps halfway through the event. I'd say about half of the people came to our booth out of curiosity, and quite a few were veterans who shared some stories about their experiences with MKTs.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

RE: Safety & Liability Concerns...

Just thinking here.

Would posting a sign(s) help???

CAUTION:
Living History Experience
Board & Participate
At YOUR OWN RISK
This equipment and facility conform to
US Gov't Regulations in effect
at the time of manufacture, therefore:
SAFETY is YOUR
RESPONIBILITY !​

 

[usafe7ret]

No, warning signs just give you the semblance of being able to protect yourself by warning the public to use common sense. Any shyster worth his/her law degree would have you in court so fast, you'd need to pause and let time catch up with you.