Equipment for Starting a Concession Stand Business
Getting started in the concession business isn’t all that hard to do. Once you’ve found the right spots to stake out, places with high traffic that will provide plenty of customers, you just need to stock up on the right food machines and equipment to handle a variety of tastes. Depending on where you plan on setting up your concession stand, cart or mobile truck you may need a city or state permit to operate so be sure to check with your local business councils to ensure you are operating within the law.
After all the paperwork is in order for operating a concession stand and your territory is marked out you will need to purchase several food machines, warmers and makers to be ready for your customers. Unless you operate a specialty concession stand your best bet for starting out is to have several popular food makers on hand including hot dog machines, popcorn poppers, pretzel and nacho machines, frozen drink machines, soda fountains and cotton candy machines. It’s best to stick with basics that everyone enjoys to get your business off to a good start.
Location is your next concern. Not everyone can simply open up shop in a crowded NFL stadium and start raking in the cash. Most stadium concession stands are run through large corporations and getting in on that action can take years. However there are plenty of other spots that can draw large hungry crowds that will keep your business humming. If you have a mobile food truck or trailer it’s very easy to park outside hospitals, construction sites, carnivals, fairs, factories and other places known for high traffic where your fresh made popcorn, hot dogs and pretzels will be in demand. Again, some places may require permits to operate on city or state property and you may also need to be in agreement with other concession vendors in the area to avoid encroaching on another person’s territory.
Once you have the right popcorn machines, hot dog warmers and food fryer machines the next step is to stock up on machine cleaning supplies, plastic serving utensils, food wrappers and drink cups and other convenient supplies that will ensure a smoothly run operation.
