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re: One vendor's food offerings at the Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula

Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:27 am to
Posted by tigerfan84
Member since Dec 2003
21777 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:27 am to
$12 for Oreos?
Posted by STigers
Gulf Coast
Member since Nov 2022
2286 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:29 am to
How much for a flat of strawberries?
Posted by kywildcatfanone
Wildcat Country!
Member since Oct 2012
123771 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:34 am to
Inflation? What inflation?
Posted by alphaandomega
Tuscaloosa-Here to Serve
Member since Aug 2012
14446 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:40 am to
quote:

They know they have you trapped, you paid to enter the festival.


Those prices are ridiculous.


When Here to Serve went to Madison Florida after Hurricane Idalia last year, on our third day the sheriff came to ask us how long we were planning on staying. We said our trips are usually a week or so.

He said we needed to wind it up faster. That they had received complaints from a couple of local restaurants about us. The restaurants were mad that we were giving food away and taking money out of their pockets. Now keep in mind power was out everywhere that didnt have generators. And this area is probably one of the poorest in the entire state.

I laughed at him thinking he was joking. He was not. The next day a state health inspector came by and checked us out. We have never been checked anywhere (we have been in LA, AL FL) before. We passed all the checks, food temps were perfect, the only thing he could cite us for was not having a dumpster in a fenced area or on site restroom facilities. We were using the hosting churches dumpster and restrooms.

Its awful for people to take advantage of people. But I guess its not any different than Bryant Denny or Tiger stadium selling beers for $20
Posted by LegendInMyMind
Member since Apr 2019
59480 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:40 am to
$40 for a hamburger, fries, and a lemonade (including the $3 if you pay with a card).
This post was edited on 4/13/24 at 11:41 am
Posted by Mr Clean
Pit Bull Paradise (Da Berry)
Member since Aug 2006
51116 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:42 am to
When I was a young lad practicing law in Hammond, I made out with the Ponchatoula Strawberry Queen, a lovely SLU undergrad from Mandeville.
Posted by diat150
Louisiana
Member since Jun 2005
44863 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:44 am to
the festival might be charging out of the arse for the spot or getting a commission on sales which forces the vendor to raise prices. not to mention the cost of doing business has went up in every avenue.
Posted by Who_Dat_Tiger
Member since Nov 2015
19556 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:45 am to
quote:

Prices seem like self sabotage
vendors at festivals are up and working nonstop all day with lines dozens of people long constantly.

Maybe this a-hole vendor is figuring by pricing this way he can do a fifth of the work with less customers and still get the same take at the end of the day. Fools and their money are easily parted if they’re willing to pay $25 for a turkey leg.
This post was edited on 4/13/24 at 11:47 am
Posted by GreatLakesTiger24
One State Solution
Member since May 2012
56693 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:45 am to
Genuine question: is strawberry festival a family thing or is it trashy?
Posted by GreatLakesTiger24
One State Solution
Member since May 2012
56693 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:47 am to
quote:

$40 for a hamburger, fries, and a lemonade (including the $3 if you pay with a card).

ive spent way too much money on drinks and food at events many times, but i would never do this in Ponchatoula, LA.
Posted by ShoeBang
Member since May 2012
20320 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:49 am to
quote:

Genuine question: is strawberry festival a family thing or is it trashy?


If your family is trashy then you’re good to go.
Posted by kcpizzle
Member since Mar 2022
590 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:54 am to
quote:

When I was a young lad practicing law in Hammond, I made out with the Ponchatoula Strawberry Queen, a lovely SLU undergrad from Mandeville.


K, thanks for sharing.
Posted by nicholastiger
Member since Jan 2004
46844 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:55 am to
Those vendors go from fair to fair in the spring
It’s their livelihood
Like others said, don’t pay if you don’t want
It’s the price of food these days if they want to make a profit

French quarter festival always kept food prices down as it showcases their food but wonder what their prices are this weekend?
It’s not your typical vendors though
Posted by Dirk Dawgler
Where I Am
Member since Nov 2011
2893 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:56 am to
Typically, a fair and profitable price is food cost being 20%-25% of selling price.

Blooming Onion Example:
Colossal Onion- $2.00
Batter- .15
Dipping sauce- .25
Disposable Serving Bowl and fork- .20

In this case you have a $2.60 cost per unit for a blooming onion.

Most decent festival organizers with high attendance (15,000+ over a couple of days) charge around $2500 for a 10 x 20 space. That is paid 3-4 months in advance. Some events don’t do an up front reservation fee. Instead, they take 25% of sales. Those are few because it is hard for them to get a true account of your multi-day sales and they also can get burnt if there is inclement weather. That’s why most get their guaranteed money months in advance. They want you to be the one getting burnt if there is bad weather.

Assuming this event charges a space fee, you have to estimate the crowd and how many units you will sell best weather scenario. Let’s pretend that he is not selling other items, just specializing in onions and expects to sell 1200 over a couple of days. Now he needs to add $2.00 to the food cost to cover the space fee putting his cost at $4.60. Add in help (usually family members) and you are at $5.00. Setup like that doesn’t have a bunch of cost. Fryers, tent, propane, tables, etc. used repeatedly from event to event.

A reasonable price for that onion would be $10-$12. On a good weekend that guy could clear near $7,000 on onions alone at that price point. And he still might with 400 idiots paying $25 and do it working less.

If this is some small event with less than 1,000 attendees, he likely only got charged $250 for a space. He could sell 50 of them at $25 and make a little change. He has a bunch of overpriced stuff on that menu. But suckers will buy anyway.
Posted by SWLA92
SWLA
Member since Feb 2015
2676 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 11:59 am to
You can buy a 16 count box of corn dogs at the store for $8, yet they are charging $12 for a single corn dog unbelievable
Posted by mtntiger
Asheville, NC
Member since Oct 2003
27444 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 12:00 pm to
Holy crap! There were cheaper offerings at The Players Championship last month.
Posted by High C
viewing the fall....
Member since Nov 2012
55622 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 12:01 pm to
quote:

the festival might be charging out of the arse for the spot or getting a commission on sales which forces the vendor to raise prices.


Maybe the vendor should find another source of income. Paying those prices for those items is insane.
Posted by Dixie2023
Member since Mar 2023
2638 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 12:01 pm to
None for me! LoL.
Posted by Louie T
HTX
Member since Dec 2006
36384 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 12:01 pm to
quote:

It’s the price of food these days if they want to make a profit



no, it most certainly is not. the only way you can justify this is if they're charging thousands upon thousands for the booth. $12 corndog, $25 turkey leg, or $40 burger + fries + drink combo... sure, totally normal food costs

hope you wouldn't complain over $15/gallon gas, bc that's about the same markup.
This post was edited on 4/13/24 at 12:03 pm
Posted by Dixie2023
Member since Mar 2023
2638 posts
Posted on 4/13/24 at 12:04 pm to
Fairs and festivals aren’t worth attending anymore. Used to be some decent stuff and good cost. Now it’s rows of the same stuff and prices I’d spend at the store.
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