Thinking about a pastry wagon

I own a pastry, catering, and party hall business…
 
We got a call this year and asked if we would come to the fair and sell our pastries.  After a lot of talking we end up in one of the fair grounds kitchens (8’x10’ block building with grill and sinks) and sold our pasties, cake by the slice, and bottled soda.  We made a killing and had our butts handed to us every day.  We ended up rent free and 10% of what we made.

 
Everything was made at the bakery so all they were doing was cutting cakes and topping some of the pasties as they were sold.  We did the bottled drinks in several large metal “livestock waters” filled with ice.
 
We had 3 staff working at all times and we sold 12,000 pasties, 8,500 slices of cake, and 16,000 bottled drinks in 5 days.  Every day was a sell out and every day there was a different theme with the pastries and cakes we made.  The only complaints we had was off the other venders that we were way to cheap, but we did pick up a lot of catering jobs and huge pastry orders.
 
I have some questions…
What’s the best method for keeping bolted drinks cold and for severing them fast?
Would you use propane for hot water or us electric?  If electric how many watts dose a tinny unit pull when being used?
How would other venders treat us at fairs and carnivals?

What was your costing like...............I would stick to fairs and farmers markets.............as for the other vendors...........They don't pay your bills, so don't worry about them.I think the livestock waters are a good idea...but you went thru a lot of water. The only way I could see is having a refer truck close by.............Bill

Welcome Sunset Pastries!
 
You never know how other vendors are going to treat you. Some (who may not be selling desserts) may think you are great for business. The funnel cake vendors may not care for you all that much...but this is the business of food and you bring your best as they bring their best (or not). One with excellent fresh creative unique food  should never avoid any food arena (when able to participate) just because some of the market is standardized  and some  might simply be in the business of food to make $$$. They could be selling sunglasses or t-shirts or flashlights or food. Some just happen to select food and not give a cool damn about the food other than for the $$$ they make.
 
Molecular Gastronomy is starting to make a show at some State Fairs and that showing will expand because it attracts an audience with a show and when done with safety skill & creativity can be delicious as well as interesting.

Most 6oz pastries cost about 28 cents and most 8oz slices of cake are about 25 cents to mass produce.  We were selling our pastries for $3.00, a slice of cake for $3.50, and bottled drinks were $1.50 like every one else.
We did use a ton of ice with keeping the drinks cold.  We did pre chill them in our refer truck.  I don’t think using Ice for drinks would work well in a trailer.
 
The funnel cake and ice cream venders were the ones that had problems with us being there.
 

I don't think the prices are low, I think you are priced just right. Great job....Nothing like selling something at a fair price and people are happy to pay it..WIN.....WIN. the ones that are mad because you are there are over priced.........Bill

Simple answer to the other vendor issue. Nobody is there to make friends or enemies. It is about business and that is all up to you or them to bring it or step it up. You never shy away from great business (nobody would) nor do you blame others for what you execute or do not execute...in terms of business.
 
As far as the livestock supplies and water. You save so much money by being supplied by the livestock industry for those water things (tanks or troughs...sorry I am not exactly a farmers daughter). The ones with a valve (feeding system) so you can drain and transfer water from one venue to another. Never rely on refrigeration for quick cooling. Ice and water with a way to drain off the very cold cold cold extra water to the next fresh ice batch. The drinks will be very cold in the matter of a minute or so. The only issue is the labels from the bottles may loosen or  seperate a little (when using bottles not cans).If you are doing quick turnover it is not too much of an issue.   You do not need a ton of water for this process. Just enough to cover the surface areas that using ice alone misses.
 
Sorry I am really not the go-to-girl for electricity advice. Not my area of expertise.

You’ll are right about other venders being mad because we brought a better game for a better price.
 
The cattle waters we use are troughs.  We use them all the time for different events for different purposes.  The water dripping of the drinks on the floor for hours on the end would be a huge issue inside a trailer I think.
 
I’m not that great with figuring out power requirements but I do understand most of the theories.

You could line and wrap them with large heavy duty contractor bags. Wet dry vac and either double lined contractor bags or paint tarps will work for the floor (if careful). You could also use the absorbent shamys found in any automotive sppply store...for quick wipe ups or wrap arounds for the tanks.

sunset pastries


You’ll are right about other venders being mad because we brought a better game for a better price.

 
This what it is about.

Are you talking condensation on outside of holding tank.

I used to used the same container for my drinks when I catered. The same issue too. I bought some ShamWow and used those. They suck up the water really fast and boy can they hold alot of liquid. I was thinking of dyeing them but never did. Hope that helps.

I’m not thinking that much about condensation but more about the amount of water that’s on the bottle when it comes out of the ice water.

Here they are in attractive colors....
 
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/ItemBrowse/c-10114/s-10101/p-100000468050/mediaCode-ZX/appId-100000468050/Pr-p_CATENTRY_ID:100000468050
 
The ones for drying a car do not pill. They can be cut down to wipe down bottles and absorb the extra water. There are mitts made too in the same material. Sporting goods/golf  suppliers will have smaller absorbent cloths as well.  There usually is no deep savings when using that route...because it is usually golf accessories and they tend to be on the radar and somewhat expensive.  
 

mehlinchan


I used to used the same container for my drinks when I catered. The same issue too. I bought some ShamWow and used those. They suck up the water really fast and boy can they hold alot of liquid. 

ShamWow one of the best products I have ever puchased anywhere.
 

Here is what I am putting on my Hot dog cart for hot water

http://www.productsthatsave.com/ptsl5.html

Its a tank less type an does not take up much room.
Propane is the way to go.

In cooler weather pastry cry, s out for hot coffee      ummm pastry 
Some thing to think about in early spring an late fall

Crazy Dave what are you in the mood for? 
This is what we have going on today…
 
Dissert orders
30 - 9” cakes
27 - 12” cakes
4 - half sheet cakes
2 – full sheet cakes
1 – 3 tear weeding cake
18 pans mixed brownies / bars
500 mixed cookies. 100 each penult butter, chocolate chip, no bakes, be creative, and something different
 
Catering jobs…
1 full size pan of buffalo lasagna (low fat with fresh noodles); spinach salad, and low fat brownies
30 pounds chopped barbecue, smashed taters, gravy, coleslaw, yeast rolls, and 200 mixed turnovers
 
In house lunch… in-service meeting for 150 people
fried chicken, Salisbury stakes, vegetable lasagna (fresh noodles), mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, 5 bean salad, waldorf salad, 250 mixed mine turnovers, and 5 half sheet cakes
 
In house afternoon / dinner… Italian wedding 60 people
Wedding by the pond / if rain under the gazebo dinner then party
SEMI  FORMAL
Tomato fresh, mozzarella, prosciutto, and basil salad
Fresh ciabatta
Italian wedding soup
Stuffed manicotti and wilted spinach salad,
Cannoli’s and 5 tear Italian cream wedding cake
 
 
 
This weekend we have 2 more weddings in house, 6 catering jobs, 4 wedding cakes, and with it being a holiday weekend the dissert orders will get larger.

Pastry, Nice job, nice menu............Nice to see someone thats doing it right.....Bill

Make that to go LOL

What size of trailer are you planing on  ?

You have to remember that the trailer pastry trailer thing would only be a side thing a few times a year, but also would be used for catering things also…
 
I can’t draw worth a darn but I draw a quick pick of what I’m thinking.
I’ll give some details to help out with the pic…
 
I’m thinking about a dual axle 7.5 x 14’ trailer.
Along the front wall would be the 3 compartment sink and the hand sink down the passenger side wall
4 or 6’ severing window
5’ deep well beer fridge
4.5’ work top fridge / freezer with a set of cabinets above


 
Fresh and grew water tanks below the sink unit.
air-conditioning
30 amp 220 “shore line”
2 sets of 6’ lights
6 baker racks on wheels in the back to hold pastries
 
 
This would work great with 3 people working.
#1 would pull pastries off quick pull racks and cut cakes placing them on to plates on the work top unit; would keep a few of each on the table (would help #2 with drizzling icing as needed)
#2 would drizzle icing and move the pastries to window as ordered (would help #3 with drinks as needed)
#3 would run cash box, take orders, get drinks
 
Yep when it’s cold have coffee and hot chocolate.

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Being a licensed caterer affords you the added bonus at events where you are doing event business...natural promotion for future private gigs.
 
On the personal  comfort front...with all of that water comes the potential of being very uncomfortable when it splashes on you during service.
 
Outfitting yourself with clothing such as Under Armour means comfort from the extreme  heat/cold...and breathable waterproof or dry fast technology means comfortable personal working conditions. Compression gear underneath whatever clothing you decide to wear also helps with the future tired or sore muscles. It is not inexpensive...but a real joy.

I don't care what size trailer your thinking about it's to small. If you need (in your planing) 14 feet you should really buy a 16 or 18 foot unit. If you buy a 20 foot trailer in 6 weeks you'll want a 26 foot trailer.

Trailer concession units are like a garage. If you buy a new house and go from a one car garage to a two car garage in 6 months the two car garage is still to small to get both cars in.

So buy the biggest trailer you can afford, I promise your hopes, recipes, and creations will grow to the size of your expectations.

Jack

What Dr said!!

I don’t want to go with a larger trailer.  We have a 12 by 7.5 mobile kitchen trailer that gets used about 90 days a year.  I would love for this one to be the same size but the 2 extra feet gives me 2 more backer racks.
 
This gives me 96 full size sheet pans.  Depending on what were selling I could get well over 1,100 pastries on the 6 racks.  Any large event we do we will have to have our refer truck on site.
 
 
As far as the under armor I don’t like there newer boxer briefs with the mesh fly.  But everything else I have got from the m I have loved. 

At this point your trailer is simply a business holding and delivery system. Product is made in the bakery so there is no need to expand size because there is no on-site production factor in terms of baking...correct?
Your product is complete (but for final non-baking factor applications like icing/garnish) by the time you are on-site.
 
It would be quite different if you were producing all of the goods within the trailer. More space would just mean more holding and working room for you. If anything (considering the same factors would apply) if business expanded in this venue it would make sense to add another indentical trailer to the fleet to work unrelated business at another location or if there was a huge private event at a  location that covered plently of ground...you park and work the trailers on opposite ends to cover the space more effectively.

Hey Pastry, I see your operation being all Pastry shelves and slicing/prep counters. Everything you have is going to be baked off and ready to ice/cut/top whatever...I feel you also need a way of showing your baked goods........Display counter of some kind showing people what ya got............You want to hear "Oh my Begeezers, I want one of those"......If I can't see it I may walk on by........I would think you would want a lot of your baked goods in a refer truck and use the serving trailer for some baking racks and prepping tables............The icing could be in 5 gal containers ready for use. I can't think of anything you have to make on site........................Bigger isn't always better..........Take care...................Bill

There would be no on site production with a quick bit of garnish before being sold.  I would use the KISS on everything we did; under 30 seconds to plate, can be stored at 75* without problems, and known items.  It would be way too hard to ice cakes the right way in a trailer like this.
 
I didn’t think about having some kind of display but one is needed.  But was thinking about having some 8” by 8” magnets made up with pics of different products to stick up on the side of the trailer.
 
My biggest issue would be keeping sodas cold and would need our refer or a van for that.
 

Pastries are a temperamental live display. I would get a professional photographer and display pics of selections at the peak condition. It is difficult to display finished (with garnish) pastries cakes etc. and have them remain looking in peak form and condition....as a customer would be getting them at time of service. Especially working in outside conditions (heat & humidity). Refrigerated (uncovered) displays will start to sit down in appearance...as well. When your product starts to look less attractive than it would look going out...you avoid live displays.
 
Cookies might hold up as a live display but if you are not displaying everything...people wonder where the rest of the good are hiding...or they expect you to present them on a dessert tray or  cart. Items on dessert carts have to be rotated constantly.  That will be time consuming...when customers are staring at the items when you are also in the middle of service.