Opportunity to provide lunch at businesses...

Well today was better!  41!  I was happy about that....again these are all first days so I think it will just grow and grow.  I'm amazed at how many of these guys get the full meal deal...I guess I shouldn't be surprised though.  And same as yesterday, sold just a few weiners and way more smoked brats and polish.  I think that will probably be the usual pattern. 
 
Jcheese....just been throwing out extra dogs, sausages, etc.  I'll be able to fine tune this of course as I go along but not knowing how many people will come out, I'm tossing in a buttload of dogs because I honestly wasn't sure if I'd get a rush of 50 people and they aren't going to wait around 15 mins while more dogs cook...so I cooked way more dogs then was needed...but again, I didn't know what to expect.  First impressions being what they are I didn't want to seem like I didn't come prepared.
 
Next new one is Thursday...report to follow! 

I had a idea. until your know your prep levels, instead of throwing food away. get a dog, err, real dog, or give them to homeless/low income. it's a shame to waste food.

So today was the third new business of the week....after the first two this week I decided to not set up the secondary bun warmer station that I used for the other two.
 
Big mistake!  70 dogs later!  I would've sold more but ran out of buns....
 
I'm gonna like the corporate account thing  : )   

Congrats!  Sounds like it ended up a great week.  And I'm sure it will only get better as you figure out the numbers at each location.

I'm going to hijack my own thread... has anyone ever heard of an aluminum spillage pan? It's the only kind available at my local Cash and Carry. I've never seen them in aluminum before... pros and cons?

I need to set up a secondary bun warming station for this corporate stuff.

cheaper.
I wouldnt use them. here in vegas, almost no hotel uses them. I think it changes the food taste and discolors.
you will always be scrubing them.
 

Thanks Blake...would you have the same concern when using it as a true spillage pan?  I mean only water will be in it...and I'll be putting two 1/2 perf pans in it to warm buns....

If no food goes in it, it should be fine. it will discolor. but fine for the spillage pan. I have seen good deals for steam pans on bens carts web site. thats were I am going to get a extra set of pans. I have 3 wholesale places here, plus restaurant suppliers. but the seem to be the cheapest.

Cool...thanks for the tip about Bens....he does have good deals.  I eventually want to get a stainless steel pan...this will be only temporary and I need it by Monday....

Thought I was going to puke when I saw the water (while it was warming up) in the cart at my local Home Depot a couple days ago. I'm sure they never drain it. I can't figure those people out, you would think they would take advantage of their opportunity and capitalize on it. Instead they read books or phone all day tucked up in the corner trying to stay warm. Never say hi, smile. I would like to see them try it outside. 

Those are called dirty water dogs. but you would hope they change the water once in a while, even just to dump the grease out.
 

Were we not talking about spillage pans?

were they cooking dogs in the spillage pan?
might as well use a mop bucket.
 

The SP I got from Ben I believe is Aluminum. It tends to warp from the heat and cold, but it still works.

djdawg, the alum spillage pan will work fine. They come in different depths so watch that when you order...

Thanks guys...I'll pick up the alum one tomorrow at Cash & Carry locally.  It always kills me buying pans because they always seem more expensive then I think they should be but what do I know?  LOL  The one here is $30 for a 6"....I need it by Mon so no time to order a stainless one at a decent price....

I just bought a cart from bens carts and it seems all the pans that came with my cart are lightweight aluminum. I was expecting stainless

wow, I wonder why he changed. prolly cheaper to include with a cart. then the customer can get what they want to use.

Hey guys....hijacking my own thread again..ha ha.
So I'm going to have to get a secondary burner set up for buns just due to volume and assumed I was going to do a camping stove with the small Coleman size tanks.  I did that for a few days and seemed to work well.  However I have this very large battery on my cart (100 amp with an inverter too of course) and not using it to power anything during the day so what does everyone think of using an electric burner set up like this? 

 
It would save on $ not buying the little gas cylinders for sure....and I realize I don't have as much control over an electric burner as I do a gas burner but for what I'm using it for I think it might work well.  And it will only be for a couple hours at a time so I think my battery will do the job and then some. 
 
Anything that I'm missing here?

Holy Crap!  This is the place I go to tomorrow....the credit card issue is not an issue but I need to put my thinking cap on for this one...
 
"Kevin,
Some of our folks want to buy hot dogs for groups of people (ranging 10-30). They want to use a company credit card but I'm not sure if that is possible. If not, we can think creatively how to do it (perhaps they can buy a punch card of something like that). Also, if they want to do that, need to know how much lead time you would need, particularly for my crew of 30+ folks.

Thanks and see you tomorrow!

Melinda"
 
I've already written to my hot dog guru on how to solve this one....looks like my corporate stuff is about to blow up.  : )

good luck at finding a routine for how many items to make ..wedo a factory setting been here for 2 years 5 days a week to this day  no 2 days are the same, we do offer a bit more varity tho: bfast = eggs, bacon,sausage, bfast sammi, omletts, bisc. & gravy, home fries hash browns, pancakes, french toast, croissants,juices,coffee,milks,fruits, coffee cakes, energy drinks, oatmeal, grits,...lunch= burgers,fries,o-rings, chicken,fish, cold sandwich's, pulled pork, pork tenderloin, varity of salads, B.L.T,corned beef, pastrami, ETC.ETC, we do this out of a 8x20 foot trailer, 3 people and then a forth on wed,thurs, fri.its crowded hot,,,,we arrive at 3:00a.m. open at 5:45a.m. close at 12:45p.m. our busy time is 7-9 and 10:45 -12:00.......but its great ! (is my nose growing??) lol

djdawg


Hey guys....hijacking my own thread again..ha ha.
So I'm going to have to get a secondary burner set up for buns just due to volume and assumed I was going to do a camping stove with the small Coleman size tanks.  I did that for a few days and seemed to work well.  However I have this very large battery on my cart (100 amp with an inverter too of course) and not using it to power anything during the day so what does everyone think of using an electric burner set up like this? 


It would save on $ not buying the little gas cylinders for sure....and I realize I don't have as much control over an electric burner as I do a gas burner but for what I'm using it for I think it might work well.  And it will only be for a couple hours at a time so I think my battery will do the job and then some. 

Anything that I'm missing here?

You may want to investigate using a second battery for this and use a battery isolator switch, google:
battery isolator wiring diagram
 
That way you will not run the risk of running your engine starting battery down with your accessories.

I vend fairs six months a year and one thing I learn if you want to blow though a crowd fast,keep your prices in even numbers with tax.I.E 2.00 not 1.79 + tax and then you have to count change and bills.

Thanks guys....
 
Rod, I have an auxiliary battery on my cart....completely separate from my van.  Daddy....yeah I agree...my price points have been in whole dollar amounts since day 1. 
 
I just need a larger inverter to handle the electric burner.  The last two nights I've been working outside of a different bar for a 3-day St. Patricks Day party and I've been using the burner with their power....so it's done a great job as an aux burner...just need to get the larger inverter now.
 
 

You can always get an adapter to run the gas grill off a tank.

So my current set up that I use for the companies that I have on board has been working well.  There was one company that I went after months ago that finally came around and I'll be starting with them towards the end of May....she is saying once a month but she's also saying if it goes well frequency would increase....I'm confident (and hopeful) it will turn into a once a week visit.
 
My current set up is I have most of the condiments on a table set up for employees to put on themselves.  Mustard, ketchup, relish, bbq, etc.  (in bottles)  but I also have chili, cream cheese, grilled onions and shredded cheese that I offer to put on for customers before moving them along to the secondary condiment table.  The challenge that I have with the new company is I'm looking at about 80-100 sales with the majority of them wanting food from 11-12 or so.  The employees only have 30 mins for lunch and some will leave at 10:45 and the others at 11am. 
 
My contact person is really wanting me to have as many options as possible....I was planning on NOT offering chili or grilled onions but they want it.  So now I'm debating....do I put chili on the other table to allow the customers to put it on themselves?  (which sounds like a nightmare to me)  I would still need to do the grilled onions but I could put the shredded cheese out for them which I know they will pile on like crazy but it might be necessary.  I'm also considering giving them the condiments in little packets instead of bottles...that would move them out of the way quicker.  And something that has been mentioned before is wrapping the dogs in the bun and then in foil but that just sounds horrible to me...when I've seen that the buns sticks to the dog and it just looks like a mess. 
 
Any thoughts on this would be great....thanks for your help people!  

Absolutely don't let them do their own chili and cheese. Ever been behind a fat girl at a salad bar? They will pile on as much as possible and spill half of it. How you gonna control temps and refill? My HD would absolutely forbid it.
I don't see how putting a dog in a bun then in foil is such a problem.If you do it right before the "rush hour", I don't see the issue. Make these the DIY dogs that use your condiment table. Have multable bottles of mustard, etc. Single serve packs could be available, but not as the only option. Have chips and soda self serve.
Maybe even two lines, one for basic dog, second for custom dogs. Are you workin alone? Makes a dfference.
 

Thanks Cheese...I'll have my son with me the first day to see how things go.  It never seems to be as crazy as anticipated but you never know. 
 
I really don't care for the pre-wrapped dog in the bun thing.  I've gotten one before and it's really unappetizing to me at least.  I tried one the other day at my cart just to see and it wasn't even 3 mins and the bun was stuck to the dog....impossible to spread it for condiments without tearing it up.
 
I'll put the chili and cheese on myself and just work as fast as I can.  I can do a chili dog with cheese and do the money in a little bit under a minute.  I was thinking about the portion packets of condiments but it looks too much like a 7-11 to me so I'll do the bottles.  I MIGHT give them cream cheese in the packets but I'm getting really quick with that since I use frosting bags. 
 
My biggest concern of course is getting to everyone before their 30 min lunch hour ends....really not a long time but we'll see.