Escoffier On Line

I've just read George's blog posts about food trucking in NYC-- can't say I'm surprised...  I've been running a trailer on a part-time basis since '09, and I've encountered a mixed bag of rules & regulations from different municipalities.  (I'm actually contemplating the creation of a video to recap all of the lessons learned -- it's been a lot in a short period of time!)  In '09 and '10 I was in southwest Ohio, now I'm in central Texas.

There are a lot of different ways to apply your mobile kitchen to make $$, but it sounds like the preference so far on this site is the "restaurant surrogate" approach, which happens to be the same path I have taken.  My first 2 years have been a loss, but I'm happy doing it, and am still confident I can make it work with the right combination of food, location, marketing...  all of the things you need in a B&M restaurant.

My impressions of the business so far is that, yes, the financial risk is MUCH less than starting up a fixed location.  However, other challenges arise to prevent it from being easy money.  In my mind, these are not deterrents, but do need to be considered.

1)  As George illustrates in his blog, being mobile can actually make it *more difficult* to find a good location!  The zoning code in most areas is much more restrictive for "itinerant" vendors than it is for fixed structures.  I agree that setting up on privately-owned, commercially-zoned property is the way to go.  But, you're going to be getting into a lease/rental agreement, and you'll have that expense.  Moving to a new location is certainly possible, but you can't just do it on a whim one day.  So scope your spot carefully.

2)  People don't normally expect high-quality, gourmet food out of a trailer.  As George reports, only 10 out of 1000 in NYC are gourmet.  The business is still dominated by the questionably-safe gut trucks, and in some areas, the only place you can find a food truck at all is the local carnival.  This leaves people with the impression that you are serving hot dogs & funnel cakes, and many will pass you by (or ask you for a hot dog).  It takes time to get the word out that you are doing something new, different, better.  But once you do that, you will start developing a following.

3)  It's hard to develop enough volume to get the best food pricing.  This will cut into your sales & profits until you get some momentum.

4)  Storage, water, power, all need to be sorted out, and may not be available at your desired location.  On-board generators are great, but they are loud, have to be filled every day (gas being expensive), and probably can't run all night.  So you have to get your food transferred to a refrigerated location (or the entire unit to another power source).  Fresh water has to come from somewhere, and gray water has to go somewhere.  Utilities will be expensive to install.  I've been quoted everywhere from $600 to $5000 to run electricity -- it depends on what is available at the site.

5)  Your guests are not protected from the weather, so your business is susceptible to heat, cold, rain, snow, wind, etc.  Most people, looking for the indoor, sit-down experience will go elsewhere to eat.  You'll be limited to the intrepid outdoor diners and the takeaway crowd.

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The way to go... Part Three

Another opportunity to do Mobil Food in NYC is street fairs.  There are hundreds of street fairs in and around NYC and its Boroughs each year.  You can purchase a spot at many of these for between $195 and $400 but some get sold out.  You do have to jump through a lot of hoops to do these- “Food Vendors: FOOD VENDORS MUST Register in Person and present their VALID, FOOD HANDLERS CERTIFICATE and NYS SALES TAX ID. We will document your FOOD HANLDERS CERTIFICATE and SALES TAX ID and once your SPACE is booked you will receive an EVENT PERMIT. With your EVENT PERMIT you will need to go to the Department of Health to get a TEMP FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT to participate in the EVENT and you MUST present this PERMIT”

In the early 90’s I spent a summer doing these as “Bubba’s Baby Back Ribs”,  in between other off premises catering events.  The street fair was a 14 hour day and two days prep at my commissary and another day dealing with the show sponsor(no internet sales back then) and yet another day getting the NYC HD permit.  You have to do the NYC HD permit dance for each event and you have to go to their HQ It was a lot of work and fun but not profitable.  The biggest problem was and is that spaces are assigned by seniority.  Booths that have been clients for decades get the good spots and newbie’s get sent into the Siberia of the fair.

Another alternative to do Mobil Food in NYC is to find a privately owned commercial location to place your truck there (IMHO this is the way to go) You will still need ‘The Restricted Area MFV unit permit” from the NYC HD but this opens you to a much less regulated opportunity to seek your fortune.  With the state of the economy there are many locations with great traffic that are available because the previous occupant has gone out of business.  Other possibilities are gas stations with extra space, business with parking lots that will be closed when you will be operating (think across from that busy night spot) or just about any other commercial location that has the traffic and fits your profile. Just find a location that fits your niche and contact the owner of the lot and make them an offer. 

This concludes a brief overview of doing mobil food vending in NYC.  In my next blogs I’ll go over my progress with getting my Mobil Food Truck started in Nassau County NY.

Cheers,

G

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Part Two-  “Mobile Food Vendors with Deep Pockets”

First in my opinion don’t even consider doing a Food Truck in NYC as a “Street  Vendor”, defined as someone vending on the public streets of NYC.  There are just too many issues- no permits legally available, a vicious bureaucracy looking to fine you and a myriad of other obstacles.

However I’m not saying not to do a Food Truck in NYC.  There are several other ways to do it without going to the public streets.  To do this you need what is called ‘The Restricted Area MFV unit permit”

This type of permit “authorizes vending on private property in a commercially zoned area or on property under the jurisdiction of the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation; it does not authorize street vending. This permit does not require a waiting list.”

The NYC P&D Department permits are sold by auction and give you a two year permit to use a specific location.  The price and value of these locations vary widely, and yes there are locations currently available. Perhaps the current most famous one is in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art where- “Cake & Shake will pay the city $108,000 a year for the museum spot, going up 10% each year.”  That’s a LOT of Cupcakes.  Locations that are cheep or are available are probably in locations that might jeopardize you health just walking around let alone sell anything, that’s an exaggeration, NYC is safer now than it has been in 40 years but you get the gist.

In the next edition I will give a couple of other possible alternative and what I really think is the best opportunity!

Cheers,

G

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Being a Street Vendor in NYC is easy and fun- NOT

Last night I went into NYC for the “Street Vending 101” course given by the “Street Vendor Project” www.streetvendor.org .  It was presented by Sean Basinski one of the founder of the project.  The SVP was started to help out the 10,000 people with Street Vendor Licenses in NYC, over 1000 are members.  After listening to Sean describe the way the city treats street vendors it is obvious that they desperately need this representation.  99% of it’s members are hot dog cart, nut cart, fruit cart, books cd’s and hat and glove type vendors and most are recent immigrants.  The most prominent ethnicity is Bangladeshi.  Only 10 of the members have “Gourmet Food Trucks”

The city does everything it can do to make life miserable for these vendors.  The most onerous one is the Health Department fine structure and what a fine can be given for.  The fine structure is $50  for the first ticket. $100 for the second, $250 for the third. $500 for the fourth and $1000 for the fifth.  As is that isn’t bad enough the nature of the violations are ridiculous.  If a vendor is setting up their booth (not even selling food yet) and they don’t have their license in plain sight it’s a ticket.  Too close to a  entrance to a building a ticket. Too far or too close from the curb a ticket. And the list goes on.  The time period for the tickets to escalate is 2 years.

What even is more absurd is in order to get a Mobil Food Vendor license you have to take a mickey mouse course that takes a week and pass a test that is all pictures, along the lines of a picture of a gloved hand and one without a glove picking up food, you have to select the correct one.  I’m fine with requiring food safety instruction and wish it went a little further, but there is one additional requirement-  each vendor has to get their own NY State Tax number,  in their name.  If you are working for an employer why do you need a tax number?  In NYS you have file quarterly reports with the tax office, even if you had no sales. Every employee on a truck has to have a license, even a driver or gofer. If every one on the vehicle doesn’t have their license of if it not visible guess what- ticket.  This makes no sense at all.

Oh well have to go, will continue with the dificulties involved with being a street vendor in NYC in the next entry

Cheers,

G

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Moving Forward!

Well I must say my first impressions of dealing with the NC Health Department were way off the mark.  I talked to the gentleman who is in charge of regulating Mobile Food and he was very friendly and helpful. 

He asked me what I was planning on selling and went over the requirements.  It’s all pretty much the same as a brick and mortar place but his biggest concern seemed to be the water supply.  They have several different volume requirements depending on what type of truck you are doing. The lowest for a truck dong packages products, then more progressively for a hot dog truck, full serve and finally more if you are be a dipping (that’s what they call the thing with the slow stream of water the you dip ice cream scoops into, live and learn).  I’d have to have 70 gallons of potable water and a waste water storage container that is 15% bigger.  No big deal.

IN NYC you have to have your truck garaged and work out of a commissary, restaurant of some type of licensed foodservice establishment.  NOT IN NASSAU COUNTY !  The only requirements are that I have to tell then where I am parking the truck, have a waste water disposal point and buy my food from a licensed purveyor.  The beauty is that purveyor can be BJ’s, Costco or my local favorite Restaurant Depot.  Just to keep everything running right I’m going to have to rent space in a licensed facility of some sort to do prep and storage but that shouldn’t be an issue.

Good news all around.

I’m excited because tonight I’m going into NYC for “Street Food Vending 101”, a seminar being given by the “Street Vendor Project”, the organization that represents about 1000 of NYC’s street vendors.  I have no immediate plans to work in the big city but I’m sure the information will be enlightening.  I also plan to buy tickets to the Vendy’s- “Called “the Oscars of food for the real New York” by Chef Mario Batali, the Vendy Awards are New York City’s annual competition for the title of Best Street Food Vendor”  http://streetvendor.org/vendys/  which are beheld on September 25th on Governors Island, and incredibly cool venue that is a short ferry ride from lower Manhattan.

Cheers,

G

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George Starts a Food Truck

I’ve decided to get back into the trenches.  I really don’t want to work for someone and want my own food business.  I don’t have the capital to open a brick and mortar business like a restaurant or deli but I still want to do food.  I’ve decided to start a “Mobile Food Truck”.

This whole segment has been going nuts for years on the left coast and is really starting to get legs here on the right coast, especially in NYC.  I’m in Nassau County just outside of the Apple and the only thing you see out here are hot dog wagons.  I don’t want a hot dog wagon.  I have nothing against them, in fact when I was weighing my options after I decided to leave EMS in NYC a dog wagon was one of my top three choices.  I am so happy I chose to go to the CIA in Hyde Park instead, best 2 year vacation I have ever had.

 

I have a lot of experience doing catering, on and off premises, have been a Chef/Manager for an off premises catering business and even done street fairs in NYC.  I also have a large local following from when I did weekly BBQ’s at a local marina.  We did 120 to 160 covers under a tent with a grill, coolers and some chafers and the town loved it.

The food is the easy part.  The royal PITA is dealing with the system here in NC NY.  You have to get a permit to brush your teeth around here and if you try to do anything on the slide you will get caught if you are lucky, and sued and loose your house if your not.  I’m doing this thing by the book, period.

My first step is to write a business plan and do a lot of research to flush it out.   So far I have touched base with the local town and the County Health Department.  Getting the permits from the town will be pretty easy (at least it appears that way, we’ll see) but the real hurdle is getting legal through the Health Department.  I have a name and number to call this morning to get the scoop on what they require.  Should be interesting.  (note: called and left a message and they have not called back yet.)

That’s about it for this installment.  I’ll update later on the call to the HD.

Have you done and mobile food or a food truck or are you considering it?  Post a comment and let me know your experiences.

Cheers,

G

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NRA Show 2010 Report

This years NRA show in Chicago was a great event. According to the NRA- “The NRA Show attracted more than 58,000 registrants – a six percent increase over 2009 – from 120 countries, up from 107 countries in 2009. Approximately 1,700 exhibitors, covering more than 480,000-square-feet, showcased the most innovative new products and services on the market today.”  The educational seminars were numerous and very informative.  There were many new and exciting products and great cooking demos.

I attended several of the seminars including- Show Me the Money! Which discussed the realities of getting financing for your restaurant start up or expansion, Plant a Garden and Harvest Profits a very informative discussion on the costs, issues and benefits of  adding an organic roof top garden to your restaurant and  Mobile Restaurants - Restaurants Get Rolling: Chefs Take It to the Streets, an overview of  one of the hottest trends- Mobile “Gourmet” Food Trucks.  Over the next few weeks will be recounting them here in my blog. 

The biggest problem with the seminars was that there were so many excellent ones, and unlike the the Javits IHMRS last November there was no repetition, so I had to make hard choices on which to attend. 

One big change in products lines was the amount and variety of different types of induction cooking equipment being offered.  At the Javits Show in November I was only able to find a couple of vendors offering anything at all, and when I asked the big boys about stove tops etc they looked at me like I had two heads, and then if they had anything  it was on the back shelf.  At this show you couldn’t swing a dead  cat (no I would never do that) without hitting some new type of  equipment with induction as it’s heat source.  From large stock pots to pizza delivery bags, from gigantic woks to 5 star buffet counters the variety was incredible, more on this later.

Possibly my favorite new innovation- Vegawatt, an innovative new cogeneration system for restaurants and food service facilities, that uses  waste cooking oil as the fuel to generate on-site electricity and hot water.

Well that’s it for now.  Have a healthy safe and profitable Memorial Day Weekend. If you see a Service Member or a Veteran be sure to thank then for their service, that is what this weekend is really about!

Cheers,

G

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The NRA Show is this Weekend!

The National Restaurant Show is this weekend, May 22-25 2010 at McCormack Place in Chicago.  This is the first time I will be able to attend and I’m like a 7 year old waiting for Christmas.  The show has so much to offer and so many great educational sessions that I can’t seem to be able to figure out how to do it all, even though I’m lucky enough to be doing all four days.

The show is being held along side the International Wine Spirits and Beer Event.  I’m excited about their tasting area where “IWSB exhibitors will team up with some of Chicago’s top restaurants in the IWSB Restaurant Menu Pairings Program. Chefs will work side by side with sommeliers, mixologists and brew masters to create a frenzy of flavors and taste experiences in tasting stations on the Event floor.” Here is a list of the Restaurants that will be participating,   What could be more fun (and of course educational) than that?  I hope to share photos and some of the pairings they have to offer.  If you are going to the show contact me, perhaps I could follow you around and get your reactions to the pairings, it never hurts to get a little free press.

There are several themes or pavilions in this years NRA Show.  There is an area dedicated to Food Trucks- “The Food Truck Spot”  This is especially interesting to me as a long time on and off premises caterer and former NYC Street Food Vendor, who still has the dream of having my own place, this seems like a very interesting way to do it without the expenses and limitations of  doing a brick and mortar restaurant.

There are over 70 educational sessions.  I’m hoping to do some of the ones on alternative venues for Non Traditional Venues for Restaurants, Green and Sustainability and naturally some on the New Media.  Just wish I could be in two places at once because so many great sessions are run simultaneously and there is very little duplication.  

Special Pavilions include-  The World Culinary Showcase, , The American Food Fair for domestic producers looking to increase exports, Conservation Solutions Center focusing on all things Green and Sustainable,  the Franchise Pavilion,  Hot New Products, Organic and Natural Pavilion, Smart Design  and the Technology  pavilions.

The above are just events going on at McCormack Place, there are many other events off site including a road trip   (two actually) going behind the scenes of trendy local eateries, an “After Hours Party” for the IWS&B event and CIA Alumni Reception that should be great.

I have no Idea how I am going to be able to cram all the above into my time in Chicago but I can’t wait to give it a go!

Are you going to the show?  Drop me a note maybe we can get together!

Cheers,

G

 

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Food Trucks, Mobile Restaurants and Food Carts are hot!

One of the hottest trends in food and restaurants is Food Trucks and Food Carts. The big appeal to chefs and restaurateurs for these mobile eateries is the ability to start up with much less capital than a brick and mortar location and open more quickly. If a location does not work out just jump in the driver’s seat or snap the cart on the hitch and find a new one. Do a quick Tweet and update your Facebook Fan page and your loyal customers know where to find you.  Having  mobile kitchen allows you to do different locations on different days, and even times of the day, allowing you to go where your customers are.

 

Current restaurant owners love them because they provide a way to increase their reach without the expense or risk of opening an entirely new location. Having a fully equipped kitchen to go is gigantic if you do any type of off-premises catering.

The upcoming NRA show in Chicago has a dedicated area just for Food trucks- The Food Truck Spot. There are also several educational sessions that cover this topic-

Mobile Restaurants — Restaurants Get Rolling: Chefs Take It to the Streets Monday, May 24, 2:00 p.m. and Expanding Your Brand into Non-Traditional Locations Sunday, May 23, 10:00 a.m.

Food Trucks and Food Carts will also be discussed at the Restaurant Executive Breakfast - Blazing New Revenue Streams Saturday, May 22, 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Food trucks and carts in the form of hot dog wagons and the like have been around forever, but what’s new is the quality and variety of the food that’s out there. This movement is so big that according to Tripadvisor, the #10 restaurant in the New York City is a cart that serves Middle Easter Cuisine called “53rd & 6th Halal” (guess where its located)

There are even awards for this street cuisine “The Vendy Awards”.

The “NY Vendy Awards” have been around since 2005. This year’s event will be held on Governors Island, NY  September 25, 2010. Early bird tickets are available for $70 until May 31, 2010.

The first "LA Vendy Awards" are being given out this Saturday May 15th 2010. 6 finalists will serve food at a benefit event at MacArthur Park. For a $50 donation you get all you can eat and drink, and its tax deductible. As of this date tickets are still available.

Here is a video featuring the finalists.

I will be attending the NRA show and plan to attend the sessions and hopefully report back here.

Boy I’m hungry, wish I was near 53rd and 6th.

Cheers,

G

 

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An interesting weekend

by Chef Jack Fernely

I finally took a day off today. The first in quite a while.

Despite my Sous Chef slipping in grease on Saturday and losing a full pan of tri-tips right out of the oven, all is well generally and the wedding on Saturday went off almost-flawlessly, at least from my perspective.

There were far too many kids for my liking, I don't understand parents today, they seem to be clueless about their children and discipline. I cannot blame the kids, they're dragged along to these social occasions in clothes they don't like to mingle all day with people they don't know, naturally they are going to be rebellious. I felt sorry for the floor-staff having to contend with a plated service.

I tried telling the catering manager weeks earlier that a plated service for 400+ guests can very quickly become a complete nightmare for both ends of the house, next time, push for a self-serve buffet agenda and make it easier on everyone. She expected to be able to pull off synchronized table service with a minimum serving crew. I ended up throwing several kitchen people out on the floor to help keep my lines moving in the kitchen, narrowly avoiding a disaster of my own.

The catering manager came to me and said "No one is sitting where they should be!" I just smiled. and shoved two full plates into her empty hands and pushed her back onto the floor. Welcome to plated service 101. Most of the guests will table hop regardless, expecting chicken Marsala and being given baked salmon or tri-tip. Sorry, not my problem. Next time, buffet anything over 100 guests.

She's a nice enough lady but not very experienced. She made promises which were impossible to keep and paid the price. You have to keep the guest who is hosting the event cognizant of the realities involved with large scale catering functions and guide their expectations to fit what is possible.

You have to be strong enough to say 'no, that won't work for us' instead of trying to fulfill their every idiotic wish or desire. Ah well, that's life in the food chain. All well and good, an interesting day.

I hope you had an equally interesting weekend,

Chef Jack

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Chef Jack Fernely- Author of The Working Chef's Edition of Classical and Traditional Sauces, Relishes, and Dressing. http://www.workingchefseditions.com

 

 

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