Pizza Delivery Please

Just a few days ago, I had the opportunity to explain how it came to be that a major pizza company's sign was above a vendor's tent.

This information is covered in the book Festival and Fair Vending 101 by Michael Wier, but I have also been involved in this situation myself.  It works!  Believe me, it does!

Here is a excerpt from Festival and Fair Vending 101;  (Please note the guys in the story below are not wanting people to know they have ordered their pizza from a local joint!)

The Pizza Kings

While doing a fair in Ft. Myers, Florida I decided to have some pizza for lunch so I went to the pizza trailer I saw earlier on the midway and ordered a slice.  While I was waiting I looked over the trailer as I always do, it wasn't anything fancy just a Waymatic with three serving sides, two counters, two ovens or, what I thought were ovens, and a fountain drink machine, drink cups and the usual paraphernalia.  After two or three trips over the week, it occurred to me I never saw these guys making pizza, so on my next trip I took a close look.  I found no refrigerator, no dough mixer or really any other equipment it took to make pizza.  Being an inquisitive (nosey) type, I decided to keep a quiet eye on the situation.  What I discovered was so simple yet so ingenious I was flabbergasted.

I did two shows with these two guys in south central Florida and here is their operation.  Before the show opens they go to a local pizza chain or store that has at least two locations, and contract for large regular pizza at $5 ea. and supreme multi topping pizza at $6.  They then sell the pizza at $2.50 per slice and usually every one buys a drink at $1.50 for small and $2.50 for large.  They sliced the pizza into six slices at a gross of $15 per pie plus $1 and usually $2 per profit on the drinks, pretty good profit, but here is the real story.  I found where they were stashing the empty pizza boxes behind the midway line ups.  These great entrepreneurs were selling 50 to 70 pizzas on a week day and 125 to 175 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Let’s just use the lower numbers,

4,400 slices of pizza at an average of $1.50 per slice

= $6,600 gross profit

not bad, but we forgot to add the drinks, so lets say not every one bought a drink, and average the profit on drinks at only $1 per customer another $6,600, $12,000 to $15,000 gross profit per show. Not bad for two waiters serving pizza.

This is a simple how-to listed in Festivals and Fairs Vending 101.  Be sure to order your copy!

You can purchase either the book or ebook at Lulu.com. 

Just click here.

Have a great day scheduling your events!

Cindy

Why We are Here!

Having been in the show vending business over 30 years, and still active on occasion, I have often greased some of the 22 million plus sites listed on the net.  I realized hundreds of thousands of them have little bits of info here and there.  Some deal with specific items, jewelry, art, crafts, food etc.  Most give you a morsel of info, a few paragraphs here and there about how to get started.  The majority are trying to get you to sign up for a show two thousand miles away. 

After all of that, until now, there has not been a comprehensive Vendor site.

It is true that most vendors are accidental, meaning they produce a product and someone says, “Hey that's pretty neat, you should go try to sell it”.  Off you go to the local town festival with table and chairs, with no idea what to do.  A few vendors will be persistent or lucky, or both.  Many will fall by the wayside.  The reason is simple.  Vending is a business like any other, it’s not much different than buying or renting a building on Main Street, stocking it with inventory, and dedicating your time and hoping the customers come.

You can find a school, brick and mortar or go online to teach you how to do any thing you can imagine...... except for vending.  We will change that.  We recently completed a 244 page book of my 30 years of vending on the road.  It’s for sale, but that is not all this blog is about.  With what you learn, you will be able to earn just as much money as anyone with a degree from the top ivy covered walls.  Of course, you could just move on and spend the next 3 years learning by trial and error.

We will cover food vending, craft vending, straight sales, and children's entertainment.  In addition, there are regulations, regulators, promoters, amateur and professional big shows, small shows, small fairs and big mega fairs; including the differences and why you should and shouldn't.

We will offer help including items for sale, like books, pamphlets, recipes, organizers and other items, to support the site.  We will also accept donations to keep it going and to expand your education.  But remember, the main focus, Fair Vendor, Festival Vendor will be the most helpful vendor site on line.  We will try to answer all of your questions.  For the time being, we will post twice a week with new info, stories, suggestions, and ideas. 

If you have questions, please leave them in the comment section.  They will be addressed.

So tune in often.  We may even throw in a few surprise posts.

Thanks,

M.C. Wier

Cindy Buttles

Welcome!

Welcome to Fair Vendor, Festival Vendor

This is the place to come for the latest and most up-to-date information on vending at fairs, festivals and craft shows.  Also stop by if you have a cart for selling ice cream, hot dogs or anything inbetween!

Be sure to let us know if you have any questions.  We would love to help!  That is our reason for being!

Welcome aboard!