You are on the board of your booster club, but your club does not run a concession stand. Should you start one? This is a daunting question for someone unfamiliar with running a concession stand. However, it is not as difficult as it may seem. Keep in mind that thousands of booster clubs run concession stands all over the country, so if they can do it, you can too!Concession stands are one of the most popular booster club fundraising events and often the easiest to schedule volunteers for. Learning 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
Learn from Others
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.
Learn the Rules
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. A quick check in the school leadership puts any problem issues to rest right off the bat.
Consider What to Sell
For a brand new concession stand, it is recommended that you start with pre-packaged food only. Using pre-packaged food eliminates any need for food preparation training and vigilance, tax issues, cooking issues such as propane, and temperature and storage considerations. With items such as chips, candy, soft drinks, you can get your concession stand up and running, learn the ropes, and then, at a later date, add some complexity by trying barbecue or nachos or hot chocolate or any other items that require some kind of preparation.
Consider how to Accept Payments
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. Booster software and payment systems such as BoosterHub allow the club to have guardrails on accepting cash, tracking payments, and keeping the flow of customers to the concession stand efficient. It is recommended that you move to a cashless concession stand, as each year it becomes more and more common for your customers to not carry any cash with them at all.
Consider how to Engage Volunteers
Your members are already attending the sporting event or music event to watch their students participate, so you already have a ready customer base at every meet, game, or competition. You will want to schedule the varsity parents during the JV game and vice versa. These types of overlapping volunteer slots allow parents to work just before or just after their own child is out on the field. Parents are typically happy to volunteer for these shifts as it is efficient for them to be there.
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. Software platforms such as BoosterHub have integrated volunteer, calendar, and communication systems, so that it is easy to schedule, make changes, and communicate with your volunteers.
