Concession stands are one of the most popular booster club fundraising events and often the easiest to execute. Your members are already watching their children, so you have a ready customer base at every meet, game, or competition. Knowing how to start your booster club concession stand, including proper hygiene, money collection, and the right food and beverage items, can make your fundraising successful.
Tips for a Successful Booster Club Concession Stand
If your club has held concession stands in the past, gather any history from previous sales. Or, if other school groups have hosted concession stands, ask for information about their past sales. This information gives you a rough idea of how much the total sales and expenditures were, as well as popular items. Consider a mix of snacks and healthier items, plus dinner options. Many families eat their dinner from the concession stand, so offer some higher-end items, as well, if possible.
Your school district or other governing body may have stipulations for what kind of items may be sold. For example, alcoholic beverages are usually prohibited from school concession stands. There may also be prohibitions on things like gum inside a stadium to reduce damage.
Next, consider your payment options. Will you do cash-only or offer mobile pay and credit card sales? It's important to consider risk controls for the cash in the concession stands as it's one of the most common places for theft in a booster club. Having a formal reconcile system is important.
Send out a volunteer sign-up schedule for work shifts and create opening and closing checklists for the concession stand so that volunteers understand their duties. Running the concession stand is usually one of the biggest jobs in a booster club, so you may want to nominate a concession stand committee chair to help oversee operations.
