Can a hot dog cart hold its own at a fair/carnival against the trailers and concessions?

Hello all.
I'm trying to research locally and get into local fairs and carnivals, etc and it hit me that I have no memory at all as a customer seeing a hot dog cart at a fair or carnival. This is not to say they are not there but I can't recall seeing any at all in my life. I can only remember trailers and or concession stands. It could also be because I didnt know what a hot dog cart was as a kid so I didnt look for any. Anyway, Can a hot dog cart work at these events or is it impossible to do because of the limits on a cart? Do promotors even let them in as a rule? (yes I know every promotor may be different) Also, when I say " hold its own" with the trailers in the title I mean to say can selling only dogs and sausage, chips and drinks from a cart bring in some numbers when many are cranking out burgers, nachos, funnel cakes, and many other fried items, etc big time from concession stands and or trailers at these events?
 
The fairs locally are very big as are carnivals, this is my first year in business and I'm trying to get into these things if possible to continue to get my name out there and grow my company.
 
A little about me is I take this very seriously from A to Z. I read and research a lot and continue to learn as I go. I learn from those who are doing great AND also from those that are not doing so great. I ask questions and always try to help others who ask questions. I focus on being clean, selling good food and being friendly and that is part of my company motto. My cart can kick out some product, it can store plenty for a cart and It has two tank storage (1 use, 1 backup). I could run for quite a while before needing tanks filled. I only have one cart currently and can't have a grill on a cart in my state.  I am building a brand and a word of mouth following that with time and work I plan to expand into trailers, etc. This is just to inform those that don't know me that this is not a passing fad for me and has been a year in the making to get me to where I am.  My family owned and ran a resteraunt when we were kids  here in Maryland for like 10 years or so and our apartment was above the store. Those over 30 from Frederick Maryland may have heard of it or remember it. I have been around this kinda thing my whole childhood and until the last few years never knew how much an impact that had on me wanting to get into this line of work and decided to stop BS-ing and get started over the last year.
 
At these events (if I can even get into them) I guess I would have a small storage trailer to store extra product for the crowds since a cart is only a cart and has limitations.  I also plan to have multple waste tanks so that I can switch them on the fly and have a family member do disposal runs, propane runs, etc when needed. My point to all this is do any of you guys do big events with just carts? THOSE THAT DON"T HAVE TRAILERS I know the trailer will work best but I am talking to those who don't have trailers yet. The storage trailer I mentioned earlier is just a small storage trailer and not a food trailer incase you wondered why I didnt use the other trailer.
 
If I cant get into these avents then I will continue to build my company until I can purchase a trailer but my eagerness to expand is calling my heart to these events. If its do-able I will do it, if not I will wait until I can but one way or another I will get there.
 
If I type every single thing I want to say then this thread will be longer than it already is so if you have a question that would help you advise me then ask because I probably just didn't want to make this any longer and left it out. Thanks to those that take the time and effort to offer any thoughts on this matter.
 
 
 
 

I will be interested to see the replies because I run a trailer and have never seen a cart at a large fair of festival.  Frankly, I don't thnk it could compete and I think you will have a tough time convincing the promoter into letting you try.  There are a lot of reasons I feel it wouldn't work but here are a couple.

Most fairs are family events and if you have a husband, wife and 4 kids, everyone is going to want something different.  Most trailers offer a fairly wide selection so everyone can get what they want in 1 stop.  I'm also afraid, from a visibility standpoint the trailers will overpower you but what do I know.  Give it a try and let us know.

Mike S.

No, I've seen one setup at a couple county fairs I do and they ended up leaving early.

lol can we compete? As Hotdog vendors, we are not limited to just hotdogs. We can provide any and all food that is precooked. So can we can we compete?? you bet your ass we can. Indeed trailers and all can pump out more product because of the storage space. In the west coast I have always seen at least one hotdog vendor at fairs and huge events.  And I am sure that “that vendor spent top dollar” to be in that location. I have competed against many BBQ businesses, and secured a location because of fast service and a unforgettable product. It is about your service and the taste of your product that you will stand out from the competition.

RD

The question is, can the lonely hotdog stand up to the food diversity at the fair. I would say no. I think what people look forward to is the diversity. Corndogs, Funnel cakes, elephant ears, BBQ everything and darn good. Buffalo this and that. all kinds of ice cream and snow cones.........................This is a once a year thing for most people and they look forward to getting something different. I have never taked with anyone that said I can't want to get to the fair so I could buy a hotdog.
   I think if someone wants to succeed at the fair you need to WOW them, just handing them a street corner dog doesn't WOW anybody. Dogs are an eveyday kind of thing. The Fair only come to town once  a year.......................Bill

 I think the success depends greatly on the setting. I agree with Bill that in a "once a year", State Fair or other annual event, it may be tough (I have gone to the Fletcher's Corney dog booth every year for the past 40 years). I'm counting on more of the monthly trade days and civic events like July 4th, Pioneer Days, etc. That being said, it's all about salesmanship.

Another thread talked about customer service. I look at the business like "dinner and a show". Draw them in, give them a free taste, close the deal. All done with a smile and a thank you. I thought of the idea of having a food challenge at my cart once a day in order to draw a crowd. Eat "dogzilla" in 30 minutes, it's free and you get a t-shirt. Dogzilla is two, one pound hot dogs, split and set on a french roll, all the trimmings. About 4lbs. of food. Just an idea to create a buzz around the cart.

David set up at the local "tea Party" protest.  600+ attended in a 2 hour time frame. He was the only food vendor and he was alone. He sold out & I had to restock him.  It taught us that we could handle something that was pretty good sized... with a little planning.  A small fair would be doable I think.  Something like the Hamilton County Fair (Chattanooga TN) would be doable.  Lots of vendors & attendees but like a small time country fair (no midway but lots of old-fashioned games for everyone). 

BillyB


The question is, can the lonely hotdog stand up to the food diversity at the fair. I would say no. I think what people look forward to is the diversity. Corndogs, Funnel cakes, elephant ears, BBQ everything and darn good. Buffalo this and that. all kinds of ice cream and snow cones.........................This is a once a year thing for most people and they look forward to getting something different. I have never taked with anyone that said I can't want to get to the fair so I could buy a hotdog.
   I think if someone wants to succeed at the fair you need to WOW them, just handing them a street corner dog doesn't WOW anybody. Dogs are an eveyday kind of thing. The Fair only come to town once  a year.......................Bill

Great opinions from those that have replied so far, I hope others will chime in with there take on it. I'll reply to those that have posted here so far. As for diversity and what Billy B mentioned, this was something I thought about in my head when considering this. I too, will seek out a funnle cake because at these events thats the only time I can get them however, I always will get a hot dog and soda at some point during the fair every single time. I don't look at that purchase as a once a year purchase (the hot dog), I look at it like I'm a hot dog lovin fool! Funnels, are like desert for me so that has its purpose. When I am walking around I want something I know taste good and will not overly fill me up so I don't want to walk around afterwards because I am stuffed. Lastly I want something that I feel as a rule will not cost much but taste good. (enter the hot dog)  
I am not catering to those that want a funnle cake, chicken wings, BBQ, etc. I am catering to the sausage and dog lovers attending. I am catering to the family that has a bunch of kids in tow and know there eyes are bigger than there stomachs but know they can handle a dog or sausage and a drink for a few bucks. My combo deals can target these familys that want mom and dad to get the bigger meals and the kids can all eat probably for the same price of mom & dads meal alone. When they purchase from me they get personal service, a smile, a thank you that I truely mean along with eye to eye contact. My food is quality and I expect them to see and taste that so they will remember the name "That's My Dawg" I don't think I can compete with a trailer blowing out everything, I simply want to hit my nitch market. Billy B made some very good points that did not turn me off from trying but did exactly the reverse by making me want to try even more.
 
NEXT REPLY @ WayDeg

I think the success depends greatly on the setting. I agree with Bill that in a "once a year", State Fair or other annual event, it may be tough (I have gone to the Fletcher's Corney dog booth every year for the past 40 years). I'm counting on more of the monthly trade days and civic events like July 4th, Pioneer Days, etc. That being said, it's all about salesmanship.

Another thread talked about customer service. I look at the business like "dinner and a show". Draw them in, give them a free taste, close the deal. All done with a smile and a thank you. I thought of the idea of having a food challenge at my cart once a day in order to draw a crowd. Eat "dogzilla" in 30 minutes, it's free and you get a t-shirt. Dogzilla is two, one pound hot dogs, split and set on a french roll, all the trimmings. About 4lbs. of food. Just an idea to create a buzz around the cart.

  
  
I agree totally that the setting will play a huge part. I have thought about the "show" part of this. I was considering babe girls with hot dog and sausage signs (like boxing end of round card girls) but not in bathing suits for fear of bothering a wife whos husbands eyes pop out of his head lol. I am thinking sexy, tight company shirts and shorts ala _ooters girls. I was also going to do a dog catch idea for the kids to add excitement and fun. Basically every so often as the family
(or whoever) is walking by the girls will grab them and try to get them to catch a dog (no bread just sample slices) in his or her mouth via me tossing one in the air. Big applause, bell ring thing if they catch one. Idea is besides fun is to get them to want to buy one after the sample, buzzz, buzzzzz. For the brave blokes in the crowd they can try to catch AND chew a fire pepper, if they catch And eat it with chewing (cant wimp out and just swallow) they get a free drink or what ever (que, bell ringing, applause, etc.) These are just some of the ideas I am thinking about to make this work.
 
Next reply-@ Royal

lol can we compete? As Hotdog vendors, we are not limited to just hotdogs. We can provide any and all food that is precooked. So can we can we compete?? you bet your ass we can. Indeed trailers and all can pump out more product because of the storage space. In the west coast I have always seen at least one hotdog vendor at fairs and huge events.  And I am sure that “that vendor spent top dollar” to be in that location. I have competed against many BBQ businesses, and secured a location because of fast service and a unforgettable product. It is about your service and the taste of your product that you will stand out from the competition.

When I say compete I mean make money not out sell them but you probably already know that. Here I can't sell any precooked food from my cart as you mentioned, my HD is clear about that or I would be doing meetballs and other precooked items now. I mentioned in the first post only, hotdogs, sausages, chips and drinks are what I can sell. I am working with the health Dept to allow me to sell chilli and cheese. THEY ARE trying to allow me to because I presented them with a well thought out articulate argument as to why I should be allowed to. (nobody was allowed here before) They (HD) is really considering it and I should know very soon. I know they are really considering it because they brought it up to me weeks after I made my case " I wanted you to know I am tryimg to get your chilli & cheese approved and I feel like it might fly but I can't promise you for sure yet but I am working on it". She brought this up to me without me saying a thing about it and since they have been 100% helpful to me the entire time I believe her. Having said that, I will kick the dawgs out as fast as I can and feel my prices and presentation will work if I can get in the door. It will be a learning experiance either way, I plan to take home more than just cash from any of these events like all the info I learned at the event. As you mentioned the service and taste will play a big part, I think I can handle those two items if I can get in the door but I just wanted to know if anyone has tried before or do all that try fail against the big wigs. Glad to hear some have been able to do it. Good feed back and support. Thanks!!
 
Next reply @ Porkchop...

No, I've seen one setup at a couple county fairs I do and they ended up leaving early.

A little feedback on the presentaion or lack thereof? How was the set up? How did the cart owner/worker look? Clean, neat, uniform? What about canopy? Did they have one? Type of cart did they have as in a little push? Rusted out 15 year old or nice, sparkling tow cart etc? Your info does not give me much to go on with how they attempted and failed so I can try not to repat the same. Got any of the mentioned info on what you saw? 
 
Keep the feedback rolling guys....
 

Thanks for the info

If anyone can and will succeed it will be you........ My answer to your question was the lonely hot. I am happy you are taking that lonely everyday dog and making it something to talk about. I think it needs special attention at the fair. Foot long chili cheese dog. When someone walks by with one of those people will say WOW I wonder where that booth is....Thinking outside the box when its needed.............
       I talk to the Health Dept alot..........They respect food knowledge and understanding how to cook,  reheat and keep food safe. The more you show them you know your business the more they will be in your corner.. I asked the Oregon Health dept if I would have any restrictions on an open hotdog cart, her answer was none at all.....She knows me and knows I run the cleanest operation around.
      ...If the lonely everyday dog wants to compete with the once a year diversity of foods at a fair, they need to dress up and come to town looking like they belong there. I looked up fair food and at some fairs the have 56 different things on a stick. I think I should go into the stick business................Good luck.............Bill

Avoid fairs and carnivals if you can, the upfront will eat you alive. Plus when the kiwani / charity gang see you with dogs they will sell them and grind your business into the dirt. You are in a different market at a fair or carnival, try to find interesting events that will not be as expensive. My last fair was $700 for the 5 days - this is cheap compared to a lot of bigger fairs. I barely made my money back, promoters just flat lie. 
An event I did here in October was popular and had a hotdog guy, everyone did well , I did funnel cakes and was very busy all day. . Plus it was $75 to get in! 
 ##Beware of corn dog stands- here they suck up all the dollars, you see a line all the time##

I have a friend who has a cart and he only does small events. Carnivals, festivals, etc. He has tried a couple of fairs and he really gets overlooked because of the large food stands. At the smaller venues, he stands out a little better and actaully makes a good profit.
I was at an Arts festival this past weekend and tried a few dogs from the other vendors and they were awful compared to what he sells. No name brand dogs I guess.
We had hot dogs this weekend and used a local brand, I wish I would have tried what he uses.

The large fairs will kill your profit with entry fees as well.

Good luck with whatever you try this year!

Jeff

I haven't read all the comments above, .........    but can a hot dog cart  hold its own at a fair/carnival?   ....... as a single person operator, I would say "no".     But the cart basicly no different than a BBQ grill and other cooking equipment.     ..... Setup with a popup tent, tables, plenty of help and supplies the same as other vendors, then you should be able to hold your own. 

JacksSnacks


Avoid fairs and carnivals if you can, the upfront will eat you alive. Plus when the kiwani / charity gang see you with dogs they will sell them and grind your business into the dirt. You are in a different market at a fair or carnival, try to find interesting events that will not be as expensive. My last fair was $700 for the 5 days - this is cheap compared to a lot of bigger fairs. I barely made my money back, promoters just flat lie. 
An event I did here in October was popular and had a hotdog guy, everyone did well , I did funnel cakes and was very busy all day. . Plus it was $75 to get in! 
 ##Beware of corn dog stands- here they suck up all the dollars, you see a line all the time##

Good to know because I never knew an entry fee could be so much. That would make me think twice or more about trying it. $700 would be a lot of money if I could not make it back and them some so that I could turn a profit. hmmmmmmm, interesting. Good info.
 
 

If anyone can and will succeed it will be you........ My answer to your question was the lonely hot. I am happy you are taking that lonely everyday dog and making it something to talk about. I think it needs special attention at the fair. Foot long chili cheese dog. When someone walks by with one of those people will say WOW I wonder where that booth is....Thinking outside the box when its needed.............
       I talk to the Health Dept alot..........They respect food knowledge and understanding how to cook,  reheat and keep food safe. The more you show them you know your business the more they will be in your corner.. I asked the Oregon Health dept if I would have any restrictions on an open hotdog cart, her answer was none at all.....She knows me and knows I run the cleanest operation around.
      ...If the lonely everyday dog wants to compete with the once a year diversity of foods at a fair, they need to dress up and come to town looking like they belong there. I looked up fair food and at some fairs the have 56 different things on a stick. I think I should go into the stick business................Good luck.............Bill

 
  
 

The large fairs will kill your profit with entry fees as well.

Good luck with whatever you try this year!

Jeff

  
  
edwmax 

But the cart basicly no different than a BBQ grill and other cooking equipment.     ..... Setup with a popup tent, tables, plenty of help and supplies the same as other vendors, then you should be able to hold your own.

  
 
Exactly what I planned to do, I covered some of this above but I know you mentioned you did not read everything...
  
 
Thanks to all, good info from different points of view. Can't wait to get back in town and make some calls to check further..  
   
   
 

I did an celebration of the arts fair this last weekend ... 5 real vendors, 1 scout troop - 4 others dropped out
Eeked out a small profit but had a boy scout troop next to me selling hot dogs for $1 among other items, all under priced. They decided that their 25 ft of space wasn't enough and started to use my 4ft at my back window for their "condiment" table that somehow included large drink dispensers and placed up against my trailer. I asked them to move it and got a very un-scout like response, very rude. They ended up moving it anyway when I complained to the organizer, so for the rest of the event my back window became their walk way to a "rest area" they sent up behind the tent. I just loved looking out my back window to see their customers using my back window shelf as a table for their food. They also put up a large handmade sign that said " Help us go back to camp" .... I felt like putting up a equally large sign that said "Help me pay my mortgage" ... 

BigRedLunchbox


I did an celebration of the arts fair this last weekend ... 5 real vendors, 1 scout troop - 4 others dropped out
Eeked out a small profit but had a boy scout troop next to me selling hot dogs for $1 among other items, all under priced. They decided that their 25 ft of space wasn't enough and started to use my 4ft at my back window for their "condiment" table that somehow included large drink dispensers and placed up against my trailer. I asked them to move it and got a very un-scout like response, very rude. They ended up moving it anyway when I complained to the organizer, so for the rest of the event my back window became their walk way to a "rest area" they sent up behind the tent. I just loved looking out my back window to see their customers using my back window shelf as a table for their food. They also put up a large handmade sign that said " Help us go back to camp" .... I felt like putting up a equally large sign that said "Help me pay my mortgage" ... 

Geeez, I would have had to ask them to move as well. If I would have got a rude reply from the "boyscouts" of all people I would have made a point to point out how it was a very un-scout like reply. I would have sooooooooo put up a sign like you mentioned.
 
What can you do dude? FYI- lovin your trailer. One day Big Red, one day......."said with puppy dog eyes and heart felt emotion"
 
 

Yes they can, I only use a cart and pick and choose events almost every weekend. Will not say works in your area, tractor pulls,truck pulls, city events,small craft fairs and my favorite, lawn mower racing, go cart racing. sell more sausages than anything. Do monthly local car drive ins get to getters shows , three counties 1st ,2nd, and 3rd fri nites of the month, each county different but same group mostly. they love hot dogs and soda. do annual car shows, all this adds up. Do more at these events than can do during a weeks lunch. Get with your local car club and see where this goes. Usally 6-10pm. My events may -oct.
Have to add that I am the only vendor at the car drive in's.
Everybody has tried  BBQ, Hamburgers , Fish Fryers, they all tried crashed and burned.  They asked me and could not be happier.
Summer months sell more water than soda, more dogs than sausage. but the outcome is smaller venue, the better. Name travels, have my niche in this area, turn down more than I can handle. Could not do the local fish tournament since has changed to state park instead of local lake.

My experience says that a small cart doesn't get as much attention as a big booth at big events. Also, I can keep up with hot dogs easily but steaming buns is another story. Sometimes when getting pounded I have to hit my Vienna buns in a small microwave for 15 seconds. This makes them almost as good as steamed. My cart just can't put enough steam out fast enough sometimes.

I'm building a 10/20 canopy for special events with lot's of signage. I will also be expanding my menu since I'll have more room. Look big = big $$$.... at least from what I've seen around my neck of the woods.

Arnie

You know, I'd always just assumed a small cart couldn't make it at a big festival for every reason mentioned. There's no way a small cart can offer the menu and you are competing with neon lights and a huge crew. How is anyone even going to see your little cart? Especially in the dark?

There is one thing, I've done a larger event or two and stressed our ability to set up ANYWHERE, over soft grass or rough terrain so if you are where the other vendors AREN'T,  then you might do OK. But as someone already said, the organizers can screw you.

I'm listening to some opinions here and seeing some pics of these big canopy tents with the tables and chairs set up, and it is possible to get more "frontage" with a small cart in a festival than we can do on the street. But it seems like a gamble. I've heard the horror stories. The event that got rained out is proverbial. An Arizona twist on it is the event organizer that sprayed so much water in an attempt to keep dust down that the whole area the vendor was in turned to mud.

I guess we gamble every time we go out there. So the question to any gambler is how much can you afford to loose?

Brings up a whole other subject: night lighting. Really important for.....you know....like selling at night?

I got one of those propane wands that you can screw a regular Coleman lantern on top. The thing is great because it charges up off the tank and you can go ahead and burn with your one tank. This gives you enough light to work. I'm thinking of throwing a battery on the rig and hooking up some lights around the rim of the umbrella. I think that would look pretty inviting at night. Good enough for the street or private events.

this is an old thread I cam across so maybe it is old news, but as spring is aproaching it may be time to revisit it.

we are all, of course free to make our own decisions. but I have extensive experience with carnivaks , fairs etc.

east of the mississippi. from main to florida, I have seen only one hot dog cart on the midway, that was in fort myers florida, it lasted 3 days before the cart equipment tables and chairs all belonged to the carnival owner as payment for rent , past do.  for those who have done it sicessfully with a cart, my hats off to you.  But my advise is don,t even think about it, move on to smaller events, craft shows for community festivals with out a midway, the midway draws many negatives, the enspection is many times more intense and often, the compitition is, a killer. and the volume, is just not capable of overiding the expences, if you are going to try this, make sure you know all the hidden expences. i.e. tipping (bribes) electricity, trash, camping, electricity, and trash for camping , and on and on and on.  I wrote about this extensivly in the book.

The basic fact remains is, for any size outfit, you can only put out so much product in a specific time frame.  What you can potentially make (potential $$ profit based on max amount you can sell), compared to how much you will pay to get into the event.  How much will you have to sell to cover your costs?  When we did SocorroFest last fall, we were up against 3 big trailers, plus 4 smaller outfits and 1 school outfit.  We were the only ones who were street vendors.  What we got stuck with was sold the following week (unlike the big boys who tossed it).  Nighttime lighting is very important (we didn't have any).  That year's Fest did poorly, according to one of the big boys who was a local guy and had set up for several years.  The only one who did better than us was the roasted corn lady... and for what she was selling, it wasn't that good.  Attendance was poor and spending was worse.  When we broke down how much we profited per hour, we found we made more on the street for the same hours of setup involved.  Bear in mind this was a small local event and many of our customers were folks who had patronized us on the street.  BTW, we are self contained and need no electrical hookups or water.  Lesson learned... we do not want to do a 2 day event.  Friday night was late cleaning up and Saturday started early and ended late.  That was a lot of work for not enough money.   We are also family run (David, me and our daughter).  On the street, just one of us operates the cart. For a bigger event (including flea markets) David makes the dogs, sausages & BBQ sandwiches, and another takes care of stocking the bun pan, making change, serving canned drinks/chips. A third person is good to spell the other two for rest and bathroom breaks.

First this post should have never been brought back up it belongs in the Hot Dog Forum. And should have been moved "As it Stands over there". Or the poster should have reformatted the question and started a new thread to deal with small volume vendors vs larger volume vendors, in the professional section.

But that said and it's just my opinion, Lorna I have to ask, don't you get customers that come to your regular spot because they tasted your food at a local event?

I know I do get several after each downtown event I vend and many have become regulars.

Jack

Dr of BBQ


... Lorna I have to ask, don't you get customers that come to your regular spot because they tasted your food at a local event?

I know I do get several after each downtown event I vend and many have become regulars.

Jack

Yes we do.  My point is that the smaller local events tend to be more profitable than the "big" event.  At some point you have to decide is it worth the high $$ to set up VS. the profit.  Any set up fee that runs over $100 is too high in our opinion in OUR current setup (please note that that is for US in our current set up, I'm not saying that everyone should use that guideline... it's just our maximum fee we decided on). Regarding SocorroFest... We did get a few new customers... mostly because they had seen us set up on the Plaza but did not stop.  The event was held on the same Plaza that we normally set up on.  I believe these customers bought from us over the other food vendors because we were "familiar".  Many of our customers wanted to know if we planned on setting up at the county fair that fall.  We couldn't get in as all the "spaces" had been filled... something our customers didn't understand since the food vendors were set up in an open area.  Just as well we didn't... it rained... lots of mud... we heard the food vendors did poorly because the fair officials wouldn't drain off the water nor bring in gravel. 

As far as the relevance of this thread.  I do believe that this is a thread that should be revisited periodically.  Both new and established food vendors would benefit from the updates.  With the normal ups & downs of our economy, there will be folks who want to try different things.  By keeping this thread updated, they can see how the situation evolves over the time span of the thread.  This thread was originally started in May 2009 (I've been involved in threads on RV forums that ran years... the subjects tend to be "Wallydocking" and "grey water disposal" so your post is kind of odd to me).  We started our cart in March 2009.  We have learned a lot in that short time frame.  We have thought about the events, worked a few, and learned a great deal in our limited experience with them.  We have also learned that our experiences with events are both the same and different from others experiences.  Our experiences with events in the West are different than our experiences with events in the East.  I believe that the information that can be gleaned from this thread is applicable not only to the small vendor and the large vendor but the guy in the middle who has decided to get just a little bigger yet still doesn't want to work 15 people per event. I think my reference to the "big boys" at the SocorroFest would really not be considered "big" but more "medium".  I understand that we are in a different situation than most , if not all, of the other posters on this forum.  I have learned a lot from the older threads but have often wished they contained some recent info on the same subject.  I have also learned that many of the posters on this forum do not like having the same question asked twice, even if it is to try to get current info on the same subject, so I often simply do not ask a question here.  In the past year we have sold in 4 states (when your home has wheel, you tend to roll and the economy sucked in SW NC and will not recover for a while after the rest of the country does).  Luckily, I have found  a few other vendors (food & other stuff) on RV forums that understand some of the situations that we run into being more mobile than the typical food vendor on this forum.  The lack of a home base is why we have decided to build a mobile kitchen suited to our situation (it has to be accepted into a campground).  This decision was based partly on the info gleaned from this forum and mostly from info gleaned from full-time travelers.   I have also discovered that many on this forum look down their noses at "different" ideas.  Expecting everyone to sell the same hot dog selection, expecting everyone to offer the same condiments, having very rigid ideas on what goes on a hot dog (despite what the customer wants), even what a food cart should look like!  Why should food served out of a cargo trailer be any better than food served out of a converted camping trailer?  And why should one look more "professional" than the other?  BTW, The RV vs. cargo trailer one is something that I have been checking out at various events that we go to (we always checkout the food vendors). I have noticed that the customers don't seem to mind the RVs and will buy from them if they look clean and have what the people want to buy at the price the people want to pay. And an RV converted into a mobile kitchen will be more accepted in a campground than a cargo trailer  converted into a mobile kitchen... I will have enough problems getting my converted BlueBird skoolie into a campground.   But I may be wrong... after all I firmly believe that convertible cars contribute to male baldness (based on my unscientific observation one Chattanooga summer that 8 of 10 convertibles with hatless men in them were either bald or seriously thinning on top).

Very Interesting, Never realized that campgrounds could accecpt or deny based on what you bring in, but I guess it makes sense.

There are private campgrounds that will not allow anything that is older than 10 years!  And I have been turned away (sight unseen) when we had a 1974 hard sided popup (Shipp's and Best Holiday in Chattanooga in 1998) because my popup was "too old". Shipps  could give lessons to KOA's ( also known as Keep On Adding) based on the price of $75/night by the time they finished adding up all the charges (extra keys, xtra people, pets, "gate" fees because David worked and would have to park outside the gate if he was late coming in, and that's not counting the "guest" fees if we had company). Some private campgrounds won't allow you in if you are too young, like here in Corpus when we were turned away because my daughter who is with us is 23 yo (it was a 55+ park and David & I are also too young for it as well).  Some private campgrounds will only accept Class A RV's.  And many private campgrounds will not allow a converted school bus in.  That is way we like public campgrounds.  But it's hard to live in a public campground for months on end.  Although we have stayed in a GA state park (and the rangers allowed it) thru the winter for 3 or 4 months straight without moving.  Generally we would had to have moved out for 24 hours every 28 days.  And it would have required all our stays to be thru reservations.

very interesting never new that

I had a similar problem with a festival I have been vending at for the last few years. The first year they begged us to set up. We were the only primary food vendor along with a lady selling cotton candy & popcorn. The second year they added a couple of more fun food vendors and non profits doing bake sales. Last year, our last, they had four primary food vendors, three fun food vendors, a couple of non profits selling baked goods and a nonprofit ladies club selling a combo consisting of a chicken sandwich, chips, brownie, and a drink. They started out selling the combo for $5.00 but as the food got older they lowered their price to $3.00. We were selling a hamburger plate with chips & drink for $5.50. Needless to say we didn’t even come close to breaking even.  Then to top it off they separated the craft / art vendors from the food vendors. We not only lost sales to the vendors but most of the attendees didn’t cross the road to the food vendors.
I also have been looking at purchasing a hotdog cart to replace my food booth.  I am not sure if I would set up at a fair or carnival.  Most of the fairs that I have researched charge a lot of money and require you to be present during opening times. I know that several of the fairs around here usually start on a Friday and run through the following Sunday, a total of 10 days.  I think logistically that you could utilize enough space around the tongue area to store enough supplies to get you through the day. If you are proposing a multi cart operation then you can re supply form a designated storage area. The biggest drawback I see is that most fairs are in the fall, harvest time, and you have to deal with the weather. Our yearly County Fair always loses days due to rain.
Fortunately I will soon have an HD approved commercial kitchen / commissary. We have been given a 9’ x 18’ area in a soon to open new antique auction house.  The county will let me build a smoke shack out back. The kitchen is basically being set up as a non-cooking kitchen due the cost of the exhaust / fire hood. I will be able to use a table top convection oven and electric burners to warm with. This is the reason I am looking at the hotdog cart.  Having my own commissary opens up several serving ideas. We will open the kitchen to serve the auction house one night a week and one weekend a month. If the city lets me I might sell off the hotdog cart on weekends in front of the auction house. I still in the planning stages at this point. The owner will give me a dining area and has no problem with me opening full time. Just don’t want to quit the day job just yet. If I don’t do the hotdog cart I may open for coffee / sandwiches on the weekends.

really don't know why you are askinf on the restaurant site butif you would have done a search of the topic you would have seen a huge discussion of this very topic in the hot dog sight.  But any way here goes.

Fairs (like the song says) are a brand  new game.  Unless you want to jepordise your cart and your business I suggest you stay as far away from the midway as you can, . I have extensive experience with fairs for over 8 years we did the 14 bigist fairs in the country.  Not with a cart,  The only cart I ever saw on the midway was confiscated by the fair.  Blue Grass shows  three days after setting up for non payment of rent.  the fair was the county fair in fort myers fl.  the year was about 1999 or 2000 some where in there.  Our fair rout was Iowa state fair nebraska tenn. indiana mi. wi Ionia mi, lancaster in. and many more I have forgotten. but you get the picture,I just completed a vending manual, that tell whole story about this, the good the bad and the ugly.  Any one who dosn't read that book then tries to do a county or large fair, with a hot dog cart, deserves what they get. sorry to be so blunt, but I know what I'm talking about.
fairs today may look like the one your dad took you to when you were a kid, but they are a whole new ball game, they are about renting realestate, and extracting as much from each vendor as they can.  The midway used to be like a family, every one had their specialty, that is no longer the case, they will sell whatever makes a buck, most midway vendors are set up in such a way with equipment and signage so if some one comes up with the hot item, an hour later ever joint on the midway will be selling it, and the owner will NOT protect you reguardless of what he tells you to get your money.  The rediculis rent is the only the beginning of the money pit.  I have seen broken people hitch hike home after loseing their stand and their transportation and worse.  As a side note if you want to see inspection, and regulation at it's finest, just show up on any midway.  If you decidse not to do this just send me a thank you here, if you go ahead with it, tell me the story and Ill add another chapter to the book.
Again sorry to be so blunt, but been there, done that and have the shirts to proove it.  Thats another story, $50 shirts required from the midway operator $50 I d tags for each Employee, and on and on and on and on.

 
"Summer months sell more water than soda"
I agree, and what I have used in the past is to give away Free Ice Water. Good way to get people to at least stop by your stand, but was expensive and difficult to transport around at first. Now I go buy a large 5 gallon jug of bottled water from DiamondSpringsCarolinas.com and use a bottled water dispenser got from FreshWaterSystems.com which both have increased sales and decreased the headache with using small personal bottled water.