Was nice to make a few hundred and the bad thing was I could have sold triple what I cooked. I told everyone I would be ready and have plenty come the 4th .
Showing posts with label food trailer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food trailer. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
First BBQ in 18 months.
This weekend was the first time I have done BBQ since the Saturday after thanksgiving in 2016. WoW that is hard to believe . I had 2 customers come to the house last week to ask if I would cook them a couple of butts each. I had been thinking about it old habits and I am a little bored . I had put my trailer and a sign up on Friday when I would be selling Saturday. Well I cooked a couple of cases of butts and a few slabs of ribs hauled up to the HI way and sold out in 3 hours . My customers all said they missed me.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Dividing projects
I am no longer physically able to do big projects from start to finish like I want to. So I am looking around at stuff I want to get done before summer camping season gets here. 1 st up is clean out my old vending trailer and get it listed for sale. My son left it a pig sty even left peanuts in a 5 gallon pot and BBQ in the half pan in the oven. I spent today getting the bulk filth cleaned out . This project has been divided into 6 to 8 sections for easier work . It will take me a week or more at 2 to 3 hours a day. It's hard not getting in there and slamming it out in a day or 2.
This is what I have now and the inside is worst.
This one will be painted and set up for shave ice and hot dogs
This is the one I plan on keeping. I will expand the back window for serving. Clean and polish the aluminum shell and do a little exterior fixing I think the retro look will make it a great vendor !!! I am thinking a Chili bowl with grilled cheese, a good hotdog or beef slider combo.
It was a hard decision to sell the vending trailer but I have to be realistic I will never be able to go back to selling like I was . I will reset it for funnel cake or fried chicken with a shallow fryer I have in storage . The trailer will get a fresh coat of paint outside and be ready to go I plan on asking 6900 and taking any cash offer 5500 or better. I have 2 other trailers , One will be set up as a shaved Ice and hot dog unit and sold later . The last one is that 52 Yellowstone I bought last year. I may keep it incase I get a wild hair and decide to piddle with food vending later on. These are what the trailers look like now. It is embarrassing that my son let the first one that made me a good living degrade to this. I gave him a chance !
this is what it looked like when I let him have it.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
I'm frugal,Not cheap,a Treehugger, enviromentalist and what the hell is a carbon footprint?
Some people may have noticed I recycle, reuse and repurpose old junk . I repair what I can and even rebuild what appears to be to far gone. I invest a lot of time and effort into changing what I have into a new functional item.
Many may think doing this is environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible. It may be but it isn't why I do it. Some may think it leaves a smaller carbon foot print. Ok on this I don't know where to begin . My actions are not based on a belief in saving the planet (mother nature will shake her ass and we all will die one day). It is based on accomplishing what I need to do within a budget I can afford. My son's place is going to be 1500$ and it works out to 1.20 invested per square foot . Its a 1200 sq. Foot house and with land its 3200$ and will have a 10 year plus new life. My daughter property cost 4600 and is going to cost 2500 to 3000 in rehab on 700 foot home or 4 $ a foot for a total of 7,500. Her place is going to be good for 15 to 20 years of new life.
This wasn't done to save the structures from the dump It was because build cost range from 35 to ???? infinite on new. Even my vending trailer is going to come in at 1/10th new cost. We managed to acquire the properties at low cost and do low cost renovation's to make them work. This is what , Frugal means. Sparing or economical ,simple and plain and costing little
Now while all of my project have been environmentally friendly that was not the intent. I do think we are to quick to teardown old sound structures to build new lower quality one's in their place and most houses and businesses are built to only last the term of their mortgage.
Our great grand parents lived a frugal lifestyle because it was all they knew. We have as a society forgotten what a frugal lifestyle makes possible .
Many may think doing this is environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible. It may be but it isn't why I do it. Some may think it leaves a smaller carbon foot print. Ok on this I don't know where to begin . My actions are not based on a belief in saving the planet (mother nature will shake her ass and we all will die one day). It is based on accomplishing what I need to do within a budget I can afford. My son's place is going to be 1500$ and it works out to 1.20 invested per square foot . Its a 1200 sq. Foot house and with land its 3200$ and will have a 10 year plus new life. My daughter property cost 4600 and is going to cost 2500 to 3000 in rehab on 700 foot home or 4 $ a foot for a total of 7,500. Her place is going to be good for 15 to 20 years of new life.
This wasn't done to save the structures from the dump It was because build cost range from 35 to ???? infinite on new. Even my vending trailer is going to come in at 1/10th new cost. We managed to acquire the properties at low cost and do low cost renovation's to make them work. This is what , Frugal means. Sparing or economical ,simple and plain and costing little
Now while all of my project have been environmentally friendly that was not the intent. I do think we are to quick to teardown old sound structures to build new lower quality one's in their place and most houses and businesses are built to only last the term of their mortgage.
Our great grand parents lived a frugal lifestyle because it was all they knew. We have as a society forgotten what a frugal lifestyle makes possible .
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
The new House will never be a home.
The house we bought for taxes is to far gone to ever be a home again . Over the last 4 weeks we have spent 6 days at it cleaning and cutting . We stabilized a wall and have poked and inspected to see how we should attack the repairs. The water problems are more substantial than we thought. This place is still wet and we have had 6 dry days . It gets almost no sun it was built on the wrong side of a large hill that has huge Oaks and Pines that allow zero sun . I will fix its problems but the area has low resale on old homes so the cost benefit is to narrow .
It isn't a loss, me and my son have decided to make it into a food commissary with him a 4 room apartment attached. A commissary is just a place where food is stored and cooked and cleaning done on a mobile food truck. It is basically a normal kitchen with a floor drain , mop sink and if needed a vent hood with exhaust. All of which I have and can install. By doing the house into a commissary we can both get license to operate any where in the state in both of our vending trailers. When the new trailer is finished it will also be licensed and registered as based out of the commissary. To make it into a home would cost 5 times as much as a commissary
A home is about look feel and finish appeal. A commissary is about sanitation ,food handling and utility. The 4 room apartment is basically in good shape now. It will cost little to separate it from the kitchen unit . This plan will only cost about 800 in structure electrical and plumbing cost. Add 400 in flooring and counter cost should about do it. To get it to a rental level would be 3 times this and to a sale level would be over 5 times as much.
To rent a space in a set up commissary would be 500 a month per vending trailer and to my knowledge the nearest one is 40 miles away. That's 1500 a month FOREVER. Buying and remodeling this house will be 2500 to 3500 once and done! Plus the cost of license is 1200 less in Blount county and the units are only 50$ each instead of 200$ each. The apartment for my son is an added bonus :) till one of our other places becomes deedable. This plan is a lower cost and a higher return over the next 5 years for both me and my son than rental or sale could net.
It isn't a loss, me and my son have decided to make it into a food commissary with him a 4 room apartment attached. A commissary is just a place where food is stored and cooked and cleaning done on a mobile food truck. It is basically a normal kitchen with a floor drain , mop sink and if needed a vent hood with exhaust. All of which I have and can install. By doing the house into a commissary we can both get license to operate any where in the state in both of our vending trailers. When the new trailer is finished it will also be licensed and registered as based out of the commissary. To make it into a home would cost 5 times as much as a commissary
A home is about look feel and finish appeal. A commissary is about sanitation ,food handling and utility. The 4 room apartment is basically in good shape now. It will cost little to separate it from the kitchen unit . This plan will only cost about 800 in structure electrical and plumbing cost. Add 400 in flooring and counter cost should about do it. To get it to a rental level would be 3 times this and to a sale level would be over 5 times as much.
To rent a space in a set up commissary would be 500 a month per vending trailer and to my knowledge the nearest one is 40 miles away. That's 1500 a month FOREVER. Buying and remodeling this house will be 2500 to 3500 once and done! Plus the cost of license is 1200 less in Blount county and the units are only 50$ each instead of 200$ each. The apartment for my son is an added bonus :) till one of our other places becomes deedable. This plan is a lower cost and a higher return over the next 5 years for both me and my son than rental or sale could net.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Funnel cake for halloween.
This year for Halloween I was asked by one of the local churches to do funnel cakes for Halloween. They were having a Trunk or Treat for the kids .I was asked last year but I had a prior commitment. The weather was terrible a steady rain but the folk that did show up had a good time. The church members had hotdogs, drinks, Chili and games inside for the kids . I was outside in my trailer in one hour I did almost 60 funnel cakes. I had fun most of the people that came by recognized me and the trailer as the man that does the BBQ on the road. It is nice to give back to the community that has supported me. Some of the people had never stopped at the BBQ so may be I will pick up some new customers. The cost to me was less than 15$ to make over 80 people smile.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Re-purposing my Son's BBQ trailer for peanuts.
We are re-purposing my son's BBQ trailer for peanut's literally. He has wanted to get into something to earn some money that's legal. When he was out of his head crazy last year he wanted to scrap out the BBQ trailer we had built out of scrap on an old pop up trailer frame. It would have brought maybe 40$ . I went and got it from his friends house pushed it into the woods beside the house and DARED him to come get it.
After being clean and sane the last 6 or 7 months he has been working a little with a friend of mine and helping me on my new BBQ trailer. Everyday we walk by his old trailer. Friday I asked him think of something you could sell out of the old stand.
Well today we were out side and he asked what about boiled peanuts ? Hmmmm no one is doing it around here any more, its low cost, the trailer has the look. Ok I think he is on the right track, what else would you sell? Roasted, Cajun, Boiled, Raw . I tell him you need more to make enough money for his time. Ok pecans and homemade peanut brittle, spicy nuts and honey roasted. Sounds good you want to do hot dogs and smoked sausage ? NO !!! Why not? His answer surprised me . I can do peanuts and nuts with a peddlers license and be legal, it has a shelf life so no waste, the start up cost are doable with what I have saved.
It sounds like he thought it trough and has a doable plan. We cleared out around the trailer aired the tires and dragged it out, cleaned it up. Tomorrow we will add a window and go to the farmers market for a 25 lb. bag of peanuts and see how it goes this weekend. I am going to pay for the sign for his trailer in his honor.
THE NUT HOUSE.
P.S. We got 50 lb. of peanuts and shelled some for peanut brittle the window will have to wait till tomorrow .
Well today we were out side and he asked what about boiled peanuts ? Hmmmm no one is doing it around here any more, its low cost, the trailer has the look. Ok I think he is on the right track, what else would you sell? Roasted, Cajun, Boiled, Raw . I tell him you need more to make enough money for his time. Ok pecans and homemade peanut brittle, spicy nuts and honey roasted. Sounds good you want to do hot dogs and smoked sausage ? NO !!! Why not? His answer surprised me . I can do peanuts and nuts with a peddlers license and be legal, it has a shelf life so no waste, the start up cost are doable with what I have saved.
It sounds like he thought it trough and has a doable plan. We cleared out around the trailer aired the tires and dragged it out, cleaned it up. Tomorrow we will add a window and go to the farmers market for a 25 lb. bag of peanuts and see how it goes this weekend. I am going to pay for the sign for his trailer in his honor.
THE NUT HOUSE.
P.S. We got 50 lb. of peanuts and shelled some for peanut brittle the window will have to wait till tomorrow .
Friday, October 9, 2015
Roof on Dryed in.
This is where it was Monday night .
This is where I got it to by Wednesday night .
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Racing sundown .
This time of year the sun sets a little earlier every day. I finished the roof before lunch . Glad to be done and off those ladders my ankles are killing me . The climbing turning and stretching to attach the metal took a toll on my legs and ankles . My son kept saying your getting old dad . His feet won't let him on a ladder for 10 minutes I lasted 6 hour on the ladder yesterday and today.
After the roof was done I took a break ,yea I'm old remember . Laid the floor in place and got it screwed in ,no more give ready for linoleum . Above the windows I cut and fitted wood to cover the hole and paint it for a sign. Wanted to post a few pictures but the sun won and was to far down. Will post them tomorrow .
This project is going to be put on hold for a couple of weeks till I have more money. I had set aside 300$ for this building phase and I spent 336$ but I got the floor done which wasn't part of this push. I will piddle with running the electrical I have salvaged parts and wire on hand. Next push will be metal walls and Linoleum .
After the roof was done I took a break ,yea I'm old remember . Laid the floor in place and got it screwed in ,no more give ready for linoleum . Above the windows I cut and fitted wood to cover the hole and paint it for a sign. Wanted to post a few pictures but the sun won and was to far down. Will post them tomorrow .
This project is going to be put on hold for a couple of weeks till I have more money. I had set aside 300$ for this building phase and I spent 336$ but I got the floor done which wasn't part of this push. I will piddle with running the electrical I have salvaged parts and wire on hand. Next push will be metal walls and Linoleum .
Monday, October 5, 2015
New roof and salvaged flooring.
Today I went and got the metal roofing. We went into the office and a young lady asked what we needed ,I told her my order and asked when could I pick it up she said tomorrow, a man standing at the counter said pull out back he had what I ordered on the machine. I paid took my receipt and when I pulled out back he had already formed and cut my 14 sheets. He signed the ticket as filled, as I drove off I saw the name on the ticket was the one on the building. Nice to see an owner who runs his company from a production floor.
In addition to the roof a buddy of mine told me he had 6 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood and a dozen 1x6 boards for 50$ if I wanted them. The plywood was going to be 28$ a sheet so this saves another 120$. His new girl friend and him have been cleaning out her rental houses and storage buildings. It is amazing what people, myself included have stored that an be used or recycled . Will post some more pictures Wednesday after I finish the roof.
In addition to the roof a buddy of mine told me he had 6 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood and a dozen 1x6 boards for 50$ if I wanted them. The plywood was going to be 28$ a sheet so this saves another 120$. His new girl friend and him have been cleaning out her rental houses and storage buildings. It is amazing what people, myself included have stored that an be used or recycled . Will post some more pictures Wednesday after I finish the roof.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Sweat equity and reuse saves money.
We have all heard recycling saves money and is good for the environment . That isn't why I built this trailer the way I did . I AM CHEAP not in a bad way but if I can make something work at a lower cost I will. This build evolved from material from other projects that I have done and saved .
The frame is from a camper I got 8 years ago for storage.
It wasn't this nice but for 250$ it served for cheap storage.
Then I re roofed my shed/garage and saved the old tin.
Last year I disassembled the storage camper and sold the aluminum for around 160$ . This freed up the new camper its parking place and left me with a flat frame for a new vending trailer.
The weather got hot at this point so it was last week before I got back to work and framed it.
The frame is from a camper I got 8 years ago for storage.
Then I re roofed my shed/garage and saved the old tin.
At this point I have spent 270$ Monday I will order the roof metal it should be about 90$.
It will be dried in for 360$ cost less the 160$ in scrap money.200$
Friday, July 24, 2015
If i cant build i can cook .
This new food trailer is going to be my last venture in business . Now while its to hot to work on the trailer I have been looking and trying at many different food items to sell out of it . The basics of meat and 2 veggies are a no brainer due to this area having a large 60 plus population. But that is a lunch only crowd and has to be 6.99 price point. I need to decide on a tween menu for the 16 to 23 group and a menu for to go dinners for folks to take home after work for a family.
All I have come up with for the tweens is a fried assortment of
Chicken fingers 3, cheese sticks 4, mushrooms 8, loaded hushpuppies and fries.
Chicken Casa Dias large . Skillet personal pizza
The reason I need kiddy food is where I will be sitting is 1/2 a mile from a high and middle school . Lots of kids and moms will pass daily.
For the take home dinners I have to come up with dinners for 4 or 5 that is under 20$ and a cost point of 7 to 8.
For the last 4 years I have made it on BBQ only the new stand has to have more. I will keep searching the build is the easy part now I have to develop a menu to draw them in . Thinking about doing hot legs (same as hot wings but with legs)
All I have come up with for the tweens is a fried assortment of
Chicken fingers 3, cheese sticks 4, mushrooms 8, loaded hushpuppies and fries.
Chicken Casa Dias large . Skillet personal pizza
The reason I need kiddy food is where I will be sitting is 1/2 a mile from a high and middle school . Lots of kids and moms will pass daily.
For the take home dinners I have to come up with dinners for 4 or 5 that is under 20$ and a cost point of 7 to 8.
For the last 4 years I have made it on BBQ only the new stand has to have more. I will keep searching the build is the easy part now I have to develop a menu to draw them in . Thinking about doing hot legs (same as hot wings but with legs)
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Building in the heat and progress.
Wednesday I went and got the deck lumber for the new trailer. I decided to use 1/2in. OSB on 2x3s instead of 2x4s cost and weight .The OSB was 8.00each and 2x3s 2.15 each . So far I have spent 130.00 $ in lumber and hardware . I paid 8.49 for a pound of sure gripe 3inch screws with torx head . Great screws but damn pricey . I will not use any nails due to its a mobile tiny house. Here is what I have got done so far.
Not bad considering it has been 95 plus everyday .All I have been able to stand has been 2 hours in the morning and an hour in the evenings. The deck is 8 foot 3 inches wide and 19 feet long. That's almost 160 square feet .
Next will be tires since my truck needs new tires soon I will keep my old ones for the camper and have new ones put on the truck. After that I will lay vinyl flooring before the walls go up.
Not bad considering it has been 95 plus everyday .All I have been able to stand has been 2 hours in the morning and an hour in the evenings. The deck is 8 foot 3 inches wide and 19 feet long. That's almost 160 square feet .
Next will be tires since my truck needs new tires soon I will keep my old ones for the camper and have new ones put on the truck. After that I will lay vinyl flooring before the walls go up.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
The 4th and a new trailer in the works!
This year the 4th was un believable . Saturday I had 24 pork butts and 12 slabs of ribs sell in less than 2 hours. I had to stay up most the night to be ready by 10 o clock . The total for 3 days was a staggering 60 butts and 42 slabs of ribs. If I could have done 20 more of each they would have been gone to. With my setup as one man I was at my max to do GOOD BBQ . Yes I could have done more it I had took short cuts but I have a reputation and wont compromise . In the last year I have read a lot of BBQ books and know more now. There is a lot of different ways to cook great BBQ but the one thing all have in common is time and love of the end product. One line in BIG BOB GIBBSONS book rings true to a real pitman "what's the fire telling you" A fire talks to a pitman .
I spent this morning stripping the old deck off a camper frame and will post pictures of it tomorrow . This is going to be my BBQ trailer next year .I bought it 7 or 8 years ago for a storage building till a roof leak got to bad .Now its down to the frame and going to be rebuilt as a tiny house /cabin to sell and cook out of. It will take 2 months to get it done and cost 1500 to 2000 to finish but it will be a LEGAL full service kitchen capable of any type of food.
I had planned on a 6 week trip out west to all the national parks but my wife refuses to go. This build was going to take place next year and I as going to return to full time work but looks like I will move it up a year. The new trailer will be built for a complete breakfast lunch and dinner menu with propane stoves ovens fryers and smoker I already have on hand.
It will be very busy for a few weeks but I will be posting pictures of the build as I move forward .
I spent this morning stripping the old deck off a camper frame and will post pictures of it tomorrow . This is going to be my BBQ trailer next year .I bought it 7 or 8 years ago for a storage building till a roof leak got to bad .Now its down to the frame and going to be rebuilt as a tiny house /cabin to sell and cook out of. It will take 2 months to get it done and cost 1500 to 2000 to finish but it will be a LEGAL full service kitchen capable of any type of food.
I had planned on a 6 week trip out west to all the national parks but my wife refuses to go. This build was going to take place next year and I as going to return to full time work but looks like I will move it up a year. The new trailer will be built for a complete breakfast lunch and dinner menu with propane stoves ovens fryers and smoker I already have on hand.
It will be very busy for a few weeks but I will be posting pictures of the build as I move forward .
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Some friendships start on the wrong foot
Last summer about this time I had a conflict with a vendor selling produce where I have been selling BBQ. Now I have never had a problem with yard sales or others joining me on the road .The more selection the more traffic for both. But this man was setting up in the exact spot I always have been. For 2 weeks I never said a word to him and his grandkids . Finally he came over and asked why I seemed mad about him selling his extra produce ? Well your welcome to sell but that spot where your table is flat that's why I always have used it. This spot I have is sloped for water when I had the parking lot paved for the old gas station, in this trailer the tilt is terrible.
Danny climbed in and said it feels like he was sliding and could see the pots would slide on the stove. The next day we swapped spots and struck up a conversation . He told me he took that spot so I would be more visible he didn't know how sloped the ground was .I have been there so long customers know my spot.
By the end of the growing season he had a lot of regular customers also . This weekend he joined me selling nice to have a friend back . We trade food and lies back and forth between customers and have become friends. Today I cooked fried squash green tomatoes and had buttered new red potatoes. All picked yesterday morning. Next weekend he will have a bigger variety ripening and should do good .It could have turned out differently (in a bad way) I am glad it didn't .
Danny climbed in and said it feels like he was sliding and could see the pots would slide on the stove. The next day we swapped spots and struck up a conversation . He told me he took that spot so I would be more visible he didn't know how sloped the ground was .I have been there so long customers know my spot.
By the end of the growing season he had a lot of regular customers also . This weekend he joined me selling nice to have a friend back . We trade food and lies back and forth between customers and have become friends. Today I cooked fried squash green tomatoes and had buttered new red potatoes. All picked yesterday morning. Next weekend he will have a bigger variety ripening and should do good .It could have turned out differently (in a bad way) I am glad it didn't .
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
My sons trailerstead got reclaimed .
Been a busy week sorry for not posting. My sons property was on a tax claim that got reclaimed 45 days before it became his. So we had to move him off the place by the creek and in to the field next door to my house. I didn't think it would be reclaimed my son had paid 300$ over 3 years in a tax lien at 12% interest but the man that was behind found some one that was willing to buy the property for 1200$ so he paid to redeem and made 800$ at the last minute . The last day was going to be April 27 but we knew it was a chance.
Now the field next door isn't mine but I have not seen any of the owners family in 7 or 8 years. The old man is almost 90 and if he or his kids say anything its move it again . They live about 50 miles away now so I think we are safe till may. Come May there is another property we may move him on to as reclaim will be past.
This years tax sale I will be looking to buy a few tax liens and see if any go unclaimed for 3 years. I will not be looking for a house I want .5 to 2 acre parcels no buildings or utility's . My thinking is if it is raw, small and has a high building cost its more likely to be let go and suits my purpose .
Now don't think I have cash to gamble with, on these types of properties for 1 acre no improvements first year is about 150$ and 50$ a year for the next 2 . If they reclaim I get my money back plus 12% interest or the property for 250 to 300 $. If I can get 2 or 3 I will be happy. The risk reward is worth the gamble.
The one thing I have learned with my sons place is there is a way to make a place un reclaimable . If I had built a building on the property and had it assessed we would have been entitled to the cost back before title could be reclaimed. His place was in a flood plane and I would never have built on it, an old trailers one thing a building is another.
If I am lucky and get a nice piece of property 1 to 2 acre in size and it goes unclaimed for 2 years its time to build a pole barn shed and have a power pole put up. I will get a permit and an assessment and have a friend print a paid receipt as proof and make reclaiming it exceed 3000 or more . If a person had trouble with a 50$ tax bill a 3500$ reclaim would be out of the question . I have known men that buy tax sale deeds hoping only for the 12% they never touch an unimproved parcel . It is tax auction time if you ever wanted a bug out / homestead / hideaway its something to think about!
I need the storage room , my front yard has 4 cars, 1 jeep, 2 truck, 3 camper ,3 operating vending trailers, 2 smokers and 1 trailer frame for a monster kitchen trailer to be built. I feel the county inspectors eyes every time one drive by .
Now the field next door isn't mine but I have not seen any of the owners family in 7 or 8 years. The old man is almost 90 and if he or his kids say anything its move it again . They live about 50 miles away now so I think we are safe till may. Come May there is another property we may move him on to as reclaim will be past.
This years tax sale I will be looking to buy a few tax liens and see if any go unclaimed for 3 years. I will not be looking for a house I want .5 to 2 acre parcels no buildings or utility's . My thinking is if it is raw, small and has a high building cost its more likely to be let go and suits my purpose .
Now don't think I have cash to gamble with, on these types of properties for 1 acre no improvements first year is about 150$ and 50$ a year for the next 2 . If they reclaim I get my money back plus 12% interest or the property for 250 to 300 $. If I can get 2 or 3 I will be happy. The risk reward is worth the gamble.
The one thing I have learned with my sons place is there is a way to make a place un reclaimable . If I had built a building on the property and had it assessed we would have been entitled to the cost back before title could be reclaimed. His place was in a flood plane and I would never have built on it, an old trailers one thing a building is another.
If I am lucky and get a nice piece of property 1 to 2 acre in size and it goes unclaimed for 2 years its time to build a pole barn shed and have a power pole put up. I will get a permit and an assessment and have a friend print a paid receipt as proof and make reclaiming it exceed 3000 or more . If a person had trouble with a 50$ tax bill a 3500$ reclaim would be out of the question . I have known men that buy tax sale deeds hoping only for the 12% they never touch an unimproved parcel . It is tax auction time if you ever wanted a bug out / homestead / hideaway its something to think about!
I need the storage room , my front yard has 4 cars, 1 jeep, 2 truck, 3 camper ,3 operating vending trailers, 2 smokers and 1 trailer frame for a monster kitchen trailer to be built. I feel the county inspectors eyes every time one drive by .
Sunday, March 8, 2015
A change makes for nice profits.
This has been a long week ,last week was snow this week was rain and then ice. Friday was clear and the BBQ was busy. The last 4 weeks I have been cooking Baby back ribs along with Boston Butts I should have been cooking them all along been running through 10 or 12 slabs a weekend and the same amount of butts. The ribs have made a sales increase of 200$ a weekend . With a profit increase of 100$ plus . In the middle of the winter it has been a welcome surprise .
Normally I have to dip into savings from Christmas till mid April but this year I have been able to add a few hundred to savings . Next week I will be booking a 2 week stay for Big Lagoon campground in June and it will have to be paid for up front, nice to be able to.
I dragged the old trailer frame into the clearing out front today if the weather breaks will be starting on my last trailer build ever. I know the next 5 days it will rain but I will have it in place and can get it leveled . I promise lots of pictures once I start on it.
Normally I have to dip into savings from Christmas till mid April but this year I have been able to add a few hundred to savings . Next week I will be booking a 2 week stay for Big Lagoon campground in June and it will have to be paid for up front, nice to be able to.
I dragged the old trailer frame into the clearing out front today if the weather breaks will be starting on my last trailer build ever. I know the next 5 days it will rain but I will have it in place and can get it leveled . I promise lots of pictures once I start on it.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Great News.
Well got a call Thursday to do the haunted house. It will be the first 3 weekend's Friday and Saturday nights in October and was asked back for the November bike rally.Will be doing shaved ice and funnel cakes,burritos and tacos at the haunted house for the teens and tweens.It should do good and also going to have sodas and red bull and monster energy drinks.
Have decided for the bike rally To do shaved ice but use flavors geared to adults.Have ordered Bahama Momma ,Rum runner,Hurricane,Margarita and others will have some shine to add for those that want it.If i cant do BBQ I will do tacos also at the rally but for something different i will try a BLT taco and a spicy pork wrap with seracha sauce.The food is still up in the air a lot will have to do with if its cold at nite.
Getting back into this feels good.I have been in kinda isolation from people the last 3 years.Sure i have camped and done my BBQ but this is different.Perhaps I am getting old and have been in a rut but now i must learn what people want to buy again.What will sell and how to retain them in the future.What i do this fall is basically preparing for the spring festivals and getting a breakfast and lunch stand up and going.
Have decided for the bike rally To do shaved ice but use flavors geared to adults.Have ordered Bahama Momma ,Rum runner,Hurricane,Margarita and others will have some shine to add for those that want it.If i cant do BBQ I will do tacos also at the rally but for something different i will try a BLT taco and a spicy pork wrap with seracha sauce.The food is still up in the air a lot will have to do with if its cold at nite.
Getting back into this feels good.I have been in kinda isolation from people the last 3 years.Sure i have camped and done my BBQ but this is different.Perhaps I am getting old and have been in a rut but now i must learn what people want to buy again.What will sell and how to retain them in the future.What i do this fall is basically preparing for the spring festivals and getting a breakfast and lunch stand up and going.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Back to work.Sorta
I have been busy the last 2 weeks getting my vending trailer cleaned up and reset.I have decided to go legal as a food truck and to do that i had to deep clean my trailer repair some pluming and electrical issues.Me and my wife have talked at length about what to serve and if we wanted to just do festivals or set up around the city.
This weekend I am going to be working a biker rally that should have 1500 to 2000 people.Since this is my first non BBQ set up in a while and i will be health department inspected i will be doing Funnel Cakes.
Yes I know its standard fair food but I wanted to keep it simple because it my first time in 6 years of doing an event.I will be doing corn dogs and silver Dollar pancakes also.The Rally is a 4 day event but it is less than 20 minutes from home so i will be able to sleep at home (if you call leaving at 1 and being back at 6 sleep).
This is the first step in getting into a fully licensed and permitted food operation.The real start date will be October 1st that when i will get my annual license and permanent health permit this is a special event permit but the lady that will inspect my set up is the same one that will issue the permanent licensee.The event may be a gold mine and it may be a bust but it is a start.
The Family that puts on the rally also does a haunted house on weekend nit es all October and have asked me if i wanted to set up as a food snack stand outside.It has between 3 to 9 hundred teens on Saturday and Sunday niter.Between the rally and haunted house i should be on good ground opening up.
Will post first of the week and let you know how it went.
This weekend I am going to be working a biker rally that should have 1500 to 2000 people.Since this is my first non BBQ set up in a while and i will be health department inspected i will be doing Funnel Cakes.
Yes I know its standard fair food but I wanted to keep it simple because it my first time in 6 years of doing an event.I will be doing corn dogs and silver Dollar pancakes also.The Rally is a 4 day event but it is less than 20 minutes from home so i will be able to sleep at home (if you call leaving at 1 and being back at 6 sleep).
This is the first step in getting into a fully licensed and permitted food operation.The real start date will be October 1st that when i will get my annual license and permanent health permit this is a special event permit but the lady that will inspect my set up is the same one that will issue the permanent licensee.The event may be a gold mine and it may be a bust but it is a start.
The Family that puts on the rally also does a haunted house on weekend nit es all October and have asked me if i wanted to set up as a food snack stand outside.It has between 3 to 9 hundred teens on Saturday and Sunday niter.Between the rally and haunted house i should be on good ground opening up.
Will post first of the week and let you know how it went.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Do you have useful junk to.
At some point in every one's life we need to inventory what we have in our home and what purpose it serves.Anyone that is over 40 probably has a lot of stuff that has accumulated and no this isn't a post on having a yard sale.I have a packed house and 3 sheds.The sheds are my domain and the house is my wife's.I was thinking about building a new shed because the 3 were over flowing but i have changed my approach.USE OR GET RID OF THE CRAP!!!! If i haven't used it in 5 years it needs to go.Yard sale Craig's list E bay or dump.Now the part that kills me is I paid good money for some of the crap that is just sitting.The first thing i did was clean out an area in one building for stuff that i will need for my vending trailers.This was the inventory part.
I do BBQ for a living but i have 4 trailers not counting 3 campers.3 of the trailers need to be set up for something.When i was going through the sheds i found I had a ton of equipment not in use.
stoleing ice cream machine
funnel cake cooker
shaved ice maker/snowball
a 50 count hot dog/sausage cooker
cotton candy maker
nacho cheese and chip station
pizza oven commercial set up
full size propane stove/oven
2 box smokers capable of 400lb cooking
3 high output 2 burner stove tops
40lb 2 basket fryer
20lb 4 basket counter fryer
This list is'nt bragging it is STUPID that i have all this stored and not in use or sold.I closed down my store 3 years ago sure some of it was from it but most of this crap i just got for a steal.BUT what good is it doing in my shed.Between now and the first of the year I plan on setting up 4 trailers.My trailer is already in demolition stage and will be built by November(I told you in an earlier post i was building a LARGE multi use one)but i will have 3 trailers to set with
1. funnel cake and ice cream
2 shaved ice ,cotton candy, nachos
3 pizza hot dog/smoked sausage,Sub/hogies
This will clear out my sheds of a lot of large item's and my yard of vending trailers.First i will see if any of the kids or grand kids may be interested in using them.If that fails it is time to sell them.I am 1man i can't use 2 at once let alone 4.I hope the kids will try it my worst weekend in 3 year i made 180$ for 8 hours work and my best i made 1600$ in 10 hour of work.The kids think it is a waste of their time to even try.I love it, it isn't work its fun, smiling people make it worth doing.Its paid for equipment it needs to be put to use.I do not need to store stuff i want to clear out and not have the up keep.
What have you stuck back and got that needs to be used or got rid of ? I bet it is more than you think.For me it was an eye opener.
I do BBQ for a living but i have 4 trailers not counting 3 campers.3 of the trailers need to be set up for something.When i was going through the sheds i found I had a ton of equipment not in use.
stoleing ice cream machine
funnel cake cooker
shaved ice maker/snowball
a 50 count hot dog/sausage cooker
cotton candy maker
nacho cheese and chip station
pizza oven commercial set up
full size propane stove/oven
2 box smokers capable of 400lb cooking
3 high output 2 burner stove tops
40lb 2 basket fryer
20lb 4 basket counter fryer
This list is'nt bragging it is STUPID that i have all this stored and not in use or sold.I closed down my store 3 years ago sure some of it was from it but most of this crap i just got for a steal.BUT what good is it doing in my shed.Between now and the first of the year I plan on setting up 4 trailers.My trailer is already in demolition stage and will be built by November(I told you in an earlier post i was building a LARGE multi use one)but i will have 3 trailers to set with
1. funnel cake and ice cream
2 shaved ice ,cotton candy, nachos
3 pizza hot dog/smoked sausage,Sub/hogies
This will clear out my sheds of a lot of large item's and my yard of vending trailers.First i will see if any of the kids or grand kids may be interested in using them.If that fails it is time to sell them.I am 1man i can't use 2 at once let alone 4.I hope the kids will try it my worst weekend in 3 year i made 180$ for 8 hours work and my best i made 1600$ in 10 hour of work.The kids think it is a waste of their time to even try.I love it, it isn't work its fun, smiling people make it worth doing.Its paid for equipment it needs to be put to use.I do not need to store stuff i want to clear out and not have the up keep.
What have you stuck back and got that needs to be used or got rid of ? I bet it is more than you think.For me it was an eye opener.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
I survived the 4th.
Sorry i haven't posted but the week before the 4th was busy.Had a lot of cooking and serving to plan.I had as good a 4th as memorial weekend was.The main problem was everyone wanted to pick up between 10 and 12 o'clock last Friday.It was difficult to have 36 racks of ribs and 48 butts done and ready to go in such a rush.
In the spare seconds i had to chop make sandwiches fix plates.I am sure some things were not as hot as i like them the doors on the smoker was being opened and closed to much.Will fix some of my troubles this fall by building a new BBQ Trailer .
I have been planning on building a nice all in one trailer for a few years i have all the kitchen equipment and plumbing.I have had an old 1968 GEM camper 23 ft that I paid 200 for and have used as a storage shed.It was gutted but water tight.Now it will become a log cabin BBQ on wheels.This year has been hell on my legs and back the in out and up down of my present set up is taking a toll.This will be built for looks and easy of use. I plan on doing this for a long time so i better build it so i can operate it despite father times affects.I hope it will resemble this but with smokers on both ends .
In the spare seconds i had to chop make sandwiches fix plates.I am sure some things were not as hot as i like them the doors on the smoker was being opened and closed to much.Will fix some of my troubles this fall by building a new BBQ Trailer .
I have been planning on building a nice all in one trailer for a few years i have all the kitchen equipment and plumbing.I have had an old 1968 GEM camper 23 ft that I paid 200 for and have used as a storage shed.It was gutted but water tight.Now it will become a log cabin BBQ on wheels.This year has been hell on my legs and back the in out and up down of my present set up is taking a toll.This will be built for looks and easy of use. I plan on doing this for a long time so i better build it so i can operate it despite father times affects.I hope it will resemble this but with smokers on both ends .
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