The food concession business is a practical and worthwhile business opportunity for many kinds people, for many different reasons. In addition to using a food booth as a launching pad to a traditional restaurant, there are an unlimited variety of situations that might inspire someone to start a concession business. For example, on the midway of any fair or festival you might find a family working together to acquire the special things that are otherwise hard to save for. They might be earning college tuition for the kids, cash for a family vacation, a down payment on a home, or money to keep the usual bills paid on time. In another booth you might find someone earning extra cash because his or her regular wages are inadequate, or as insurance against job loss. In another booth could be a student earning his or her way through college, or a senior couple earning money while they also travel and enjoy their retirement. In the next booth might be a free spirit who is unhappy with their job or simply wants the personal rewards of self-employment. And, further down could be someone who has a hard time finding employment because they lack a college degree or have a criminal record. The concession business has been, and continues to be, a viable route to financial independence and a rare financial opportunity for all kinds of unlikely entrepreneurs. However, selling food from a food booth is not a new idea.

Throughout history people have enjoyed the tradition of grabbing a quick snack while on the run down city streets, or gathered at special events such as fairs, festivals, concerts, and sporting events. Unfortunately, (or perhaps fortunately) unlike in ancient times, the occupation of street food vending is not as simple as a bag of chickens and a butcher knife. Today, the business of selling food from a food booth requires business moxie, and following all the procedures of licensing and regulations, as does any business start-up.

However, though owning one's own business is the American dream, for a variety of reasons, not everyone can do it. Inadequate capital, an inability to make a full time commitment to the venture, or fear of financial risk are just some of the reasons many people don't reach for the brass ring of self-employment. However, many of these same individuals such as retirees, students, seasonal employees, and the "hard to employ", have found they too can participate in business ownership by starting a food concession business. The unique possibility of making a relatively large amount of money in a short period of time, a moderate investment of time and capital, and the ambiguity of a cash business with minimal licensing requirements, are some of the unique benefits that make this unconventional enterprise accessible and attractive to people who otherwise would not consider self-employment.

The food concession business is unique in other ways as well. Compared with nearly any other business with the same potential earnings a food concession can be started with very little start-up capital. Better still, substantial full- time income can be generated with part-time effort. A concession operator has the freedom and independence to build their business as large as they wish without needing to settle for what their time is worth at a regular job.

However, anyone who has started a concession business can tell you that it is not as simple as it may first appear. The inside world of the concession business is a well-guarded secret. There are no trade associations or library books to help guide the newcomer past the start-up obstacles. Additionally, veteran concessionaires are inherently reticent about providing information that might encourage others to enter the field. As a result, the typical outcome for many new concessionaires is failure.

The most effective way for a concession startup to improve the odds of their success is by working for an established concessionaire. First hand experience of the management, operations and lifestyle activities of a seasoned operator will provide insight into the otherwise unknown aspects of operating a successful concession business. Further, when starting a concession business, many of the necessary decisions a startup faces don't have a right or wrong conclusion. Questions such as; what kind of booth to buy, menu to serve, events to attend, and equipment to use, have pro and con answers that only the individual vendor can decide. Unfortunately, without prior "hands-on" research new concessionaires must address these important considerations in ignorance all while learning the business by trial and error during the critical period when they are also competing against experienced vendors for events, booth space and customers.

It's no surprise that studies indicate the two most frequently stated reasons people give for seeking self-employment are a desire to be one's own boss and have more personal freedom. As a food concessionaire, satisfying these two important desires is just the tip of the snow cone.

Copyright 2008 by Barb Fitzgerald. Permission is granted to reprint this article provided no words are changed, the whole article is reprinted in its entirety, and the author's information and link box is include.