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Contents • August 2020 Articles & Features AdvertiSers 04 This Month’s Newest & Renewing Members 05 President’s Message 05 Director’s Voice 07 Riffing with Rey 09 Association Announcements 10 Thoughts from a CCE 14 Are You Open for Business? 16 Ask the Candidates 19 How Do We Stay Open? 22 Just a Few Words from the Newly Formed Central East Regional Council 24 A Driving Success! Interviewing Both Sides of the Fair Industry

CONTESTS

27 Berk Concession Supply 21 Brakebush Brothers 23 Fanestil Meats 12 Fare Foods 06 Firestone Financial 30 Hummel Group 21 JKJ Workforce 13 K&K Insurance 21 McGowan Allied Insurance 26 Member Classifieds

27 Mr. G’s Quality Cut Meats 02 Pepsi 23 Perfect Stix 09 Rio Syrup 10 Schantz Mfg. 29 Sugardale Food Service 30 Swanel Beverage 13 TasteMaker 08 Valley/J&B Meats 28 WhirleyDrinkWorks!

29 2020 NICA Membership Contest Leaderboard

Dedicated to strengthening relationships with the Fair, Festival, and Special Events Industries through effective communication, education, benefits, leadership, and solutions The National Independent Concessionaires Association, Inc. is a Florida Corporation with an Editorial and General Office located at 1043 E. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, FL 33511 • Off ice: (813) 438-8926 • Fax: (813) 803-8460 • Online: www.nicainc.org The information contained in this Publication is based upon sources believed to be reliable. Readers should not act without professional advice. Cover to Cover © 1993-2020 NICA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. We are staying successful together! August 2020 NICA News

This Month’s Newest Member! Dan Finley

West Coast Events, LLC Vancouver, WA

We wish a warm welcome to our New Member! This year all of the Renewing Members’ names will be placed in the Coca-Cola drawing for the $2,000 Gift of Travel instead of the New or Former Member recruiters. The recruiters will still be entered into the $500 cash awards! See page 29 for the NICA Membership Contest Leaderboard, sponsored by Coca-Cola Refreshments. “Together We Can!”

This Month’s Member Renewals Danny Alfonso

Manatee River Fair Association Palmetto, FL (1994)

Danny Andreini

Pronto Pup Company Memphis, TN (1993)

Brent Bair

Bair’s Concessions, Inc. Lancaster, OH (1993)

Nikki Bair

Frank Boeck

Chance Boeger

Michael Broetsky

Soda Parts Express Annandale, NJ (2010)

Ashley Brown

Tommy D’s Enterprises Cave Creek, AZ (2011)

Happy Day Pony Ride, Inc. Cherokee, CA (1998) Broetsky’s Family Ent. Ocean City, MD (2006)

Michael Curci

Tommy Davis

Peggy Fraser

Walworth County Fair Elkhorn, WI (2000)

Chris Giordano, CFE

State Fair of Louisiana Shreveport, LA (2002)

Fred Giovannoni, Sr.

Mr. G’s Concessions New Boston, MI (1993)

Dale Greenzweig

Bair’s Concessions, Inc. Lancaster, OH (1996)

Georgia National Fair & Agricenter Perry, GA (1997)

Ania Delahoyde

Constance Barham

Leon Carachilo

Michael Demarco

Gary Barham

Art ‘Eagle’ Carroll II

Todd Desgranges

Alan Barr

Clay Chester

William DiMondi

Kim Barr, CCE

George David Ciganovich

David Easterwood

Cliff Barton

Vicki Clements

Barry Floyd

Stardust Drive-In Theatre Lebanon, TN (2008)

Clay County Fair Association, Inc. Green Cove Springs, FL (2009)

Chris Conkle, CCE

John Ford

Christine Iannotti

Hot Dog on a Stick San Marcos, CA (2007) Hot Dog on a Stick San Marcos, CA (2007) Pacific Crest Concessions Kuna, ID (2012) Pacific Crest Concessions Caldwell, ID (2012) Greater Baton Rouge State Fair Baton Rouge, LA (1995)

Mark Becker

Becker Concessions, LLC Waterloo, IA (1996)

Joseph Blume

Stuart Confections, Inc. Stuart, FL (2017)

Carachilo, Inc. Hawley, PA (2009) Eagle Food Service Connersville, IN (1993) Chester Foods South Vienna, OH (2005) Croessmann Wholesale, Inc. DuQuoin, IL (2012) Triple Treat Shows, Inc. Cincinnati, OH (1996) Conkle’s Concessions Lakeport, CA (2016)

Clark Converse

Pasco County Fair Association, Inc. Dade City, FL (2009)

Advertise Your Business in

Don Crutchfield

Don Crutchfield Concessions Brookston, TX (2007)

D & F Enterprises North Tonawanda, NY (1999)

August 2020 NICA News

Extreme Food & Beverage Ukia, CA (2019) Houston Livestock Show Houston, TX (1993) Stuart Confections, Inc. Stuart, FL (2014) The Delaware State Fair, Inc. Harrington, DE (2011) Waymatic, Inc. South Fulton, TN (1993)

Ford Foods English, IN (1993)

Dale’s Concessions Kunkletown, PA (2010)

Mark Harvey

North Florida Fair Tallahassee, FL (2018)

Dale Hershberger

Audio Innovators Riverview, FL (2010)

Leroy Hildebrand Classy Caboose Slaton, TX (2010)

Lori Hull

Hillsdale County Fair Hillsdale, MI (2004)

Tasha Hyder

St. Lucie County Fair Ft. Pierce, FL (2007)

►► “Renewals” continued on page 11 Year: 1993-2000 2001-2005 2006-2010 2010-2019

We have a variety of sizes to suit your ad—contact us at (813) 438-8926, communications@nicainc.org, or www.nicainc.org/advertising for additional information on sizes, prices, bulk rates, and options for ad opportunities on our website and NICA Now!

President’s Message

Don Delahoyde, CCE, President

times you came to the Fair. 8 to 11 AM was free admission, 11 AM to 4 PM was half price, and from 4 PM on it was full price. All this to encourage Today as I write this, it is people to not all rush there at the same time. so hard to imagine that our I spoke with Courtny Conkle, CCE, who is the businesses and lives can be so General Manager of the Wyoming State Fair. Their drastically changed in such a brief period of time. I hope all of scheduled dates are August 7 to 16. Courtny was very excited about the 2020 Fair. She talked about you are surviving and are well. I am happy to report our family their Carnival backing out a few weeks before the show, as well as the headline entertainment. is well and getting to do a few Luckily, she has been able to secure a Carnival events. (Carnival Midway Attractions) to replace Crabtree I continually get asked, “What will the new Amusements, who had been at the Fair for normal will be for the Fair Industry?” I wish I had a crystal ball and could answer that question. Today decades. She says the Carnival will have done several events with COVID-19 precautions before I thought I would give some observations I have arriving at the Wyoming State Fair. made from Fairs and events across the country The Fair has a coalition of state, county, and that have managed to open! local health officials that have been working on The first Fair I want to discuss is the Delaware State Fair, which ran July 23 to August 1 this year. the plan. She sent me the plan which is 145 pages I have looked at their website, which is interesting; long. Their goal is to set a good precedent for other Fairs to follow. She told me for the first time by opening the website and/or buying tickets, you in many years they have sold out their Commercial agree to hold the Fair harmless for liability in any space. There is a plan for just allowing a certain COVID-19 case. I also viewed a video the Carnival number of Guests into the buildings at a time. Owner from Wade Shows made showing how the Regarding entertainment, they have several Carnival was handling sterilizing, social distancing, roaming Fairgrounds acts (triple of last year) as layout of the midway, face coverings, plexiglass well as several nights in the grandstands, including enclosures for ticket takers at rides, and more. two nights of the PRCA rodeo. I suggest checking out the sites of both Wade Shows as well as the Delaware State Fair. One of the interesting things I observed was the Fair had ►► “Message” continued on page 6 three different price structures depending on the

Director’s Voice

Jacqueline Bradbury, Director

Thank you for being a part of the NICA Fair family. “Zane, when is your birthday again?” I am constantly asking my family when their birthdays are. For me and many others in this Industry, we remember when birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or other special events are by the Fair that we are attending during that time of year. An example of this is my birthday

is during Houston, Savannah’s birthday is during Sydney, Helen’s is at the beginning of Alameda, Zane’s is during Sacramento, Brian’s is during Clark, and Emily’s is during the two weeks we have off between Utah and Phoenix. I know many other families that keep track of events this way too, so it may have been a little harder to keep track of when the events are this year, especially with no Fair season this year and feeling like the days are growing together.

►► “Voice” continued on page 8 August 2020 NICA News

Officers

President: Don Delahoyde, CCE 1st Vice President: Sandy Class, CCE 2nd Vice President: Daryl Whicheloe, CCE Treasurer: Jay “Rocko” Russell, CCE Secretary: Vincent Nelson, CCE

Directors

Kim Barr, CCE Jacqueline Bradbury Andrew “Bruno” Broomfield Carmel Dyer-Pittroff, CCE Kelly Grout Kevin McGrath, CCE Jeff Thornberry, CCE

Immediate Past President

Kathy Ross, CCE

Past Presidents’ Council

Dan Lusenhop Dominic Palmieri, CCE Paulette Keene, CCE

Joe Potillo, Jr. Greg Miller, CCE Tom Sattler, CCE Russ Harrison, CCE Richard Busse, CCE Tom Hodson, CCE Jim Hodson, CCE (Deceased) Tim O’Brien, CCE Ron Smith Adam McKinney, CCE Mike Pence, CCE Jack Woods, II, CCE Bob Hallifax, CCE Frank Parnell, CCE Larry Orme (Deceased) Larry Sivori Rich Wright Bill McKinney, CCE Arthur Pokorny, Jr. Gene O’Brien, CCE (Deceased)

OFFICE STAFF

Executive Director & West Council Coordinator : Rey O’Day rey@nicainc.org

Communications & Marketing Manager: Jesse Willard communications@nicainc.org

Office & Membership Manager: Linda Frisco nica@nicainc.org

East Council Coordinator & Social Media Coordinator: Jessica Gottsche jessica@nicainc.org

Central East Council Coordinator: Dennis Larson, CFE dennis@nicainc.org

east Council

Lindsey Constantine Thomas Hodson, CCE Gentry Miller Henry Mitchell Cameron Murray Kelley Myers Vincent Nelson, CCE Joshua Nicholson

West Council

Brandy Arredondo Kim Barr, CCE Irene Dugan Jan Gary, CCE Ryan Long Kara Moederndorfer Ryann Newman Erica Quintero Steve Vartanian Jay Wells

National Reps

Duane Fischer John Harkey David Higginbottom Charles Ivory, CCE Mike McGrath Kevin McGrath, II Etta Pence, CCE David Spann R. Josh Stremmel George Wandrey, Jr. Ted Wentz Nick White

Do you have any questions or would like to get involved with NICA? Contact us at (813) 438-8926 or nica@nicainc.org today!

“Message” continued from page 5 ►► I asked her how they were handling the COVID-19 liability issues. They have a statement that was prepared by the state legal counsel on every ticket sold that tells the Customer they are at their own risk and understand the potential problems with COVID-19. I asked Courtny if she had one statement she would like to have included in this interview and her answer was “I hope people will stop asking ‘if’ we will continue to have Fairs and the Industry, and instead ask ‘How we will have Fairs?’” I thought that was very appropriate. As of late July, it was reported that there were no outbreaks associated with the opening of Florida Theme Parks, according to the state’s Health Department. Fairs share the same DNA as these Theme Parks. Maybe they have the blueprint for opening of Fairs. California Fairs have started to cancel 2021; the Riverside County Fair has canceled their February show already. I hope this is not the trend for 2021, but I think we all need to be prepared that it could happen. Enjoy your summer as much as possible; spend time with family and “Together We Can!” ▲ 6

August 2020 NICA News

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Riffing With Rey

Rey O’Day, Executive Director

Stronger Together Than Apart

too afraid to change; and sometimes Haw, being open-minded enough to learn something new, laughing at myself, and adapting in time to help. The overarching call-to-action question is, “What would I do if I was not afraid?” No judgment, simply answer the question. Many of us are trying different things this summer… not the least of which is having one in which we can make plans. We will keep sharing your stories each month: I have learned that ball is confused. hamburgers and French fries are still top What I understand is that COVID-19 is sellers; Fair Food is good for the first mostly spread by respiratory droplets weekend, and then you need to released when people talk, cough, move it (to which someone else or sneeze, so wearing a mask “...sharing, observed “now I know why is definitely a good idea. It is Fairs are only ten days long”); also thought that the virus learning, packaging food to go is timemay spread to hands from a grieving, and consuming and expensive; contaminated surface and delivering condiments and then to the nose or mouth, celebrating plasticware from the inside causing infection; therefore, with each other is a pain; and staying focused wash your hands a lot, use on keeping people and fellow sanitizer and do not touch your one day at a Concessionaires working is very face at all. I think alleviating the time.” satisfying. spread of COVID-19 for the long Here are some of NICA’s term will take a publicly accepted suggested summer actitivies: Watch vaccine or effective therapy. for the ongoing NICA Photo Contest on In the meantime, I am personally Facebook… you might win a gift card and have a committed to do what I can to stop the spread little fun! Read NICA News—next month we will of this very infectious disease and be creative about how we live our lives during it. That includes proudly introduce our 2020 Scholarship Recipients. Help a Fair start a Communication Committee to sharing, learning, grieving, and celebrating with discuss plans to reopen Fairs... you want to be at each other one day at a time. the table when decisions are being made. Please Last week I took out Who Moved My Cheese renew your NICA membership. and re-read it in an hour. Not only are WE making In closing, “Trust. Honesty. Hard work. world history right now… everyone’s cheese has Understanding.” Coach “Andy” Reid of the Kansas moved. Change is all around us in our work and City Chiefs sees these as non-negotiable. In a personal lives. I think we will do better and be healthier when we can hang onto our basic values game in which, as he says, “The ball is not round, so there is some luck involved,” the one thing and adjust as quickly as possible to the rest of players must count on is each other. “We all have what is going on around us. strengths and weaknesses in what we do... maybe I don’t know about you, but sometimes I am my weaknesses you can take care of, and maybe I Sniff, looking ahead and paying attention to can help take care of yours.” This is our playbook what’s coming; sometimes Scurry, getting things for today—STRONGER TOGETHER THAN APART— done quickly and without overthinking them; on or off of all of life’s playing fields. ▲ sometimes Hem, feeling too comfortable and “How long will this be going on?” I am asked that every day… I have people tell me that it will all disappear when the election is over, and I have read Music Festival producers say it will be spring of 2022 before large gatherings will be regularly happening again. My crystal

August 2020 NICA News

Right now, I am in Oregon. Brian and I have opened a Drive-Thru of Fair Foods and we are currently located at the Oregon State Fairgrounds. Each This is the first in my life and my children’s lives weekend we try to switch up the menu a bit, so that we have not moved from spot to spot every the locals have something new each week. This couple weeks during the summer. I grew up in the is giving us a small step in the right direction of Carnival Industry over in Australia. Every weekend trying to get the Fair Industry up and running again. I would get out of school and catch either the bus My children used to complain about how they do or the train to the show that my parents were set not want to work; they want to spend time with up at. Then I would go back to school on Monday their friends at home or have a “normal” summer morning right before first period would start. Then like their friends. But, this year, with the time we I would be out working during the prime of our spent at home and the time we spent not working, season when on school holiday. The same goes the kids kept saying “I wish we were working.” for my children nowadays. I would have them fly You never know how much you are losing until out on the weekends to help bring in the money or a pandemic hits and you lose your whole work push the weekend lines. My three children don’t season. know anything different than driving to California During this time, keep your loved ones close the day they got out of school. Over the summer and make sure you are checking up on your friends they would become my cashiers, managers, or and family. We have all lost something during this line busters. But this year that was a bit different time, so let’s make sure you are talking to someone since school ended before spring break was even when you need to get weight off of your chest finished. This meant getting to be at home more or checking up on someone to see how they are than we have ever spent and getting to spend doing and remind them that they are not alone and some amazing quality time with the kids and you are here for them if they need you. “Together other family. Brian and I also got to enjoy throwing We Can!” ▲ Savannah an amazing graduation party where some of our Fair and NICA family were able to come and celebrate. I always enjoy getting to spend time with my Fair and NICA family each year, especially Serve the best. if I only get to see them once or twice a year. In this Industry we have our certain friends we look forward to seeing at a certain Fair because this is the only time we can spend with them. Each Fair that we get to see our friends at brings joy Valley Meats is an innovative food safety leader, committed to my children and me with their friends. A major to producing the highest quality beef and pork products. enjoyment for my family is the Alameda County Providing center-of-the-plate, portion controlled processed meat Fair. The reason for this is because we have both products to the food service market is our number one priority. NICA and Fair family there. Each year we throw a Our J-Burger is lightly NICA event, whether it is going to a baseball game, seasoned, then tender-formed going on a wine tour, or throwing a poker and to bite like a handmade bingo night. For the kids, they will get with their burger. This unique process Fair friends that they grew up with since before creates a tender, fluffy patty they could even walk and play softball in the dirt that cooks quickly and evenly. parking lot. After the game I would cook dinner for all of the kids and everyone else in our Fair family. Item No. Patty Shape Pack/Portion Net Wt. I enjoy cooking a home cooked meal for our NICA 11372TF 5.5” Natural 20/8 oz. 10 LB and Fair family as much as I can Monday through 11373TF 5” Natural 30/5.33 oz. 10 LB 11374TF 4.75” Natural 40/4 oz. 10 LB Thursday. I wish I could spend some time with my NICA Distributed Through Fare Foods and Fair family but COVID-19 has messed that up. 800-651-1601 • www.farefoods.com

“Voice” continued from page 5 ►►

J-Burger Seasoned Beef Patties

August 2020 NICA News

Association Announcements

Do you have any announcements you would like to share? Contact us at (813) 438-8926 or nica@nicainc.org

Introducing the Dell Member Benefit for NICA Members We are proud to present a new money saving opportunity for NICA members with Dell. NICA members will have access to exclusive savings (an additional five to ten percent off sale price on Dell branded computer products on Dell.com), a dedicated US-based Membership Sales Team, Dell financial services for low monthly payments, a Partner Outreach Program for small business and entrepreneurs, and more. We are currently working with Dell to launch an online portal to activate the discount, so stay tuned to NICA communications this month for more information. â–˛

Congratulations to the Alcantara & Constantine Families NICA members Andrew Alcantara and Lindsey Constantine welcomed their newborn baby boy, Andrew, on July 3, 2020 at 12:46 PM at eight pounds, one ounce. Prior to his arrival, Lindsey held a drive-by baby shower, followed by one on Zoom. Welcome Andrew John Alcantara to the NICA family and congratulations to all! â–˛

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August 2020 NICA News

Thoughts from a This month’s Statement of Communications & Management Philosophy is from NICA Board Member Jeff Thornberry, CCE, Pristine Systems, Inc. DBA Gadgets and Neat Stuff:

Jeff Thornberry, CCE

“Jeff-isms” are but one way for me to project the code of ethics that I hold dear. I believe that we CCE Earned in 2015 choose how we will conduct our business and that “Doing well by doing good.” we have influence over the environment around “A rising tide raises all ships.” us. This influence impacts the way people behave “Treat everyone around you well, and treat one another. Therefore, by setting high including the janitor; they might expectations for myself and those around me, I end up being Fair Manager positively shape the Industry and the quality of one day!” My crew calls these the lives that I touch. My enterprise becomes a sayings “Jeff-isms” and I have channel to project my values and strong code of a bunch of them. I do not claim to have invented ethics to a larger audience. I believe that by taking any of them; I simply use them to project and this “high road,” I position myself and my company reinforce my philosophy for business and life. I for success! ▲ feel that for my company to grow and succeed, I must use every opportunity to communicate my Visit the CCE website for more information vision for what is fundamentally important to my about how to apply: www.nicainc.org/CCE organization.

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August 2020 NICA News

“Renewals” continued from page 4 ►► Andrew Imperati

Dutchess County Fair Rhinebeck, NY (2010)

Schuyler MacPherson

Jennifer Murad

Antelope Valley Fair Lancaster, CA (2013)

Ronald Netterfield

Moxie & Drive Marketing White Bear Township, MN (2018)

Karen Nicklas

Three Rivers Concessions, LLC Grove City, PA (2008)

Bill Olson

Big Bubba’s Bad BBQ Paso Robles, CA (2004)

Charles Ivory, CCE

Ten Pound Buns / SDM Concessions, LLC Long Beach, CA (2011)

Brian Jones

Mike’s Concessions Inglis, FL (1996)

Kenneth Kasinak

BJ’s Concessions Groveland, FL (2004)

Sheila Kedrowicz

Crown & Associates, Inc. Claremore, OK (2007)

Dan Keough

Fun Times Inc. Ukiah, CA (2019)

Marshall County Blueberry Festival Plymouth, IN (2009)

Jim McGuire

Laurie Keough

Du Page County Fair Association Wheaton, IL (1997)

Mick Orosz

Famous Gabby’s, Inc. Brooksville, FL (1993) BCSS Concessions Avon, IL (2003) Golden West Concessions San Diego, CA (2007) Midway Sweets, LLC Custer, WI (2009) North Country Specialty Foods, Inc. Milton, VT (2017)

Stacia Markowitz

Bob Matthews

Gary McBrien

Staci McGrew

Brienna Schuette

Netterfields Popcorn & Lemonade, Inc. Land O’ Lakes, FL (1994) The Great Frederick Fair Inc. Frederick, MD (2018)

Josh Seivers

Susan Sharp-Farias

Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair Jacksonville, FL (2011)

Bruce Short

Karen Oneal

Renate Skinner

Short’s Hardware Archbold, OH (2007) Skinner’s Amusements Harvard, IL (1998)

Jay Spicer

Hoover Concession Salem, OH (2009)

Martin County Fair Association Stuart, FL (2003)

Jim Pardini

David Strum

Jerry Phillips

Scott Suchomski

Audrey Poole

Martin Svrcek

Pardini’s Fair Ventures, L.P. Fresno, CA (2010)

North Country Specialty Foods, Inc. Milton, VT (2017)

Shawn McKinney

Renae Korslien

Helen McPeak

James Kropp

John Meigs

James La Fratta

Kathleen Meigs

Siegrid La Fratta

Ralph Mellard

Coastal Carolina Fair Ladson, SC (1997)

Sweet and Salty Concessions, LLC Wilmington, NC (1999)

Monica Urick

Mark Lancaster

Dennis Merigian

Lynette Rawlings

Matt Wardlow

Bill Lauther

Letrice Midgett

Mike Rutana

Dick Wardlow Insurance Brokers Moorpark, CA (1998)

North Dakota State Fair Minot, ND (1993) Kropp Enterprises, Inc. Green Bay, WI (2000) Perfection Confections, Inc Ruskin, FL (1993) Perfection Confections, Inc Ruskin, FL (1996) Vista Mobility Milwaukee, WI (2015) Griff’s Catering Gibsonton, FL (2006)

McKinney Food Services Hughes Springs, TX (1995) Wilson County Fair Lebanon, TN (1999) Meigs Concessions Homosassa, FL (1993) Meigs Concessions Inc Homosassa, FL (2003)

Merigian’s Caramel Corn, Inc. Grand Rapids, MI (1993) North Carolina State Fair Raleigh, NC (1994)

Action Food Peoria, AZ (2011) Fare Foods DuQuoin, IL (2007)

Pretzel Factory Aurora, CO (2002) Tennessee Valley Fair Knoxville, TN (1995)

Ron Porter

Montgomery County Agricultural Fair Gaithersburg, MD (2010)

Amy Powers

Hopkins Food Service, Inc. Thomasville, GA (2007)

Fare Foods DuQuoin, IL (1994)

Rawlings Concessions Atwater, CA (2000) Rutana Concessions New Middletown, OH (2003)

Jay Tyson

Urick Concessions, LLC Carmel, IN (2001)

David Wilson

Don Long, CCE

Saree Miller

Kenny Ryals

Chautauqua County Fair Dunkirk, NY (2009)

Darin Lusenhop

Sarah Minter

Kris Ryan

Porter County Fair Valparaiso, IN (2011)

Soni Ryan-Hochmuth

Victor Products Co. Richmond, VA (1998)

L & L Concessions, Inc. La Verne, CA (2007) Jeanne’s Artichokes Camarillo, CA (2013)

Brian Lynn

Victor Products Co. Richmond, VA (2016)

Allegan County Fair Allegan, MI (2004) Santa Clara County Fairgrounds FMC San Jose, CA (2019)

Phil Mostaccio

Completely Nuts, Inc. Arlington Heights, IL (2011)

Lemonade and More Riverview, FL (2008) K & R Concessions Harrington, DE (2014) K & R Concessions LLC Harrington, DE (2018)

Cheryl Wilson

Mitch Zinder

Marty Zinder

Victor Products Co. Richmond, VA (2016)

Wow! Thank you to all 106 Renewal Members for your continued support. “Together We Can!”

August 2020 NICA News

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Are You OPEN for Business? During this challenging time, we can count on the entrepreneurial spirit of Concessionaires to inspire others. We have heard stories of how successful some of our members are doing during this time, and we want to know if there’s anything you’d like to share regarding your experiences. In this edition, we take a look at two NICA Members who have showcased their businesses at Fair Food Drive-Thrus.

Sometimes in Life You Just Have to Pivot! Monica Urick, Urick Concessions During the COVID-19 shutdown and cancellation of events, there was a lot of time to think of ways to make money. We had a few requests from people to come to their neighborhoods and set up a concession trailer so they could get their Fair Food fix. That wasn’t practical. We started toying with the idea of how to cater or sell Fair Food for delivery. I came across a company in Canada that was selling a box of Fair Food. We thought it was a great idea and ran with it! We selected our items, designed a label for a bag, added an online store to our website, and we were in business! We started by advertising on Facebook and Instagram. We pointed people to our website where they could purchase each week until Wednesday at midnight. We filled the orders on Thursday and delivered them on Friday. Once word got out, I received a call from one of our Town Councilmen. He wanted to promote the Fair Food bag for the July 4th fireworks. We agreed to donate a percentage of the sales to a local

Corey and William Urick in front of their stand

August 2020 NICA News

Urick Concessions at the Indiana State Fairgrounds

charity. People ordered the bags online and we had a Drive-Thru pick-up on July 4th. The response was awesome! We donated $700 to the Carmel Youth Assistance Program. Now we have added fundraising opportunities. Many parents are missing out on volunteering in Concession stands to raise money for their kids’ sports, dance, or bands. We are partnering with them to sell the bags. They can choose the price point and contents of their bags. We pay them 20% of everything they sell. It’s a win-win for all of us! We are blessed with the chance to generate revenue, the parents get to raise money for their organizations, and people get their favorite Fair Foods. Sometimes in life, you just have to pivot! We also opened another Business during this time: Window Fashion and Décor in Carmel, IN. Twenty years ago, before we were in the Concessions business, we had a retail showroom in Fishers, IN specializing in custom window treatments (blinds, shades, shutters, and drapery). Like everyone else, we had no idea how long the event business would be impacted by COVID-19. There was an opportunity for us to bring that back, so we jumped at it. Our team pitched in and did the build out on the space while there were no events going on. We can all keep busy between the events doing time at the new store. We have another

Urick brother, Mark, who is not in the Concessions business and when events come back full-force, he will run the store along with a great friend of ours, Roy LeBlanc. We have integrated our Fair Food into that business as well! As we make sales calls on model homes and builders, we bring them popcorn and carmel corn with our business cards attached. That gets everyone’s attention! Events are coming back here in Indiana— slowly but surely. We have been open at Lucas Oil Raceway for a few NHRA events. We also just wrapped up the Mecum Car Auction at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. We followed all of the safety protocols that the Fairgrounds put in place and it was very successful. In August we have the Indy 500 still on the books. So, fingers crossed; things are looking up! The biggest take away from COVID for us has been to be versatile, keep an open mind, and think outside the box. We prayed a lot and God has answered our prayers. If we can help anyone else try to figure out their next move, don’t hesitate to reach out! We are all in this together and sometimes the answers come in the strangest ways— “Together We Can!” ▲

The Apple Cart’s Drive-Thru crew ready to serve you!

in the air. COVID-19 was now in the news daily, bleach and hand sanitizer were gone from store shelves, and CVS was out of masks. The weekends were cold, attendance was down, and the Fair had scaled back to two weekends. Bam! We were down over 50% from 2019. We finished Orlando and moved the trailer to Inverness where we were to open at the Citrus County Fair two weeks later. We had no Drive-Thru Festivals Are a Whole anticipation that our entire Industry would grind to New Affair a halt that following weekend! Our friends in Miami, Sarasota, and Vero Beach never opened and Naples Bary Bunts, CCE, The Apple Cart, LLC opened to dismal crowds and was called after the Back in February it looked as though 2020 had initial weekend. We hunkered down in isolation the potential to be the best year in The Apple Cart’s with everyone else and waited... 66-year history! I had just received my CCE at the After several weeks, we finally moved the NICA Business Expo and Fare Foods Food Show, equipment home to Ohio at the end of April. we were preparing to open for our second year at Then, almost immediately, cancellations starting Florida State Fair, and we had secured some new coming in one after another. It looked like the prime locations at upcoming events. Even the season was over! Then around Memorial Day, I calendar seemed to be in our favor, with minimal received a call from Bev Fisher, Fair Manager of overlaps and nearly every weekend booked from Canfield Fair: “Hey, we’re going to try a Drive-Thru Memorial Day through October! Fair Food Festival. Do you want to participate?” We had a good run in Tampa, down only Hmm, I haven’t worked since March, it’s five miles slightly from last year, despite the poor weather, from home, “What do I have to lose?” Then all the thanks in a large part to the publicity and success questions popped into my head: “Are people going of our piña colada candy apple we created for to show up?” “How much stock do we order?” “How that location. We assisted our friends, TBA much Staff do we need?” The trailer hasn’t even Concessions, with a very successful weekend been licensed yet... there’s not enough time for the at Swamp Cabbage Festival and then moved on to Orlando to continue our season at the Central ►► “Business” continued on page 18 Florida Fair. Suddenly the winds of change were August 2020 NICA News

Ask the Candidates Last month we looked at the nomination statements of this year’s candidates: Phillip Delahoyde, Extreme Food and Beverage, Kelly Grout, Jack’s Fries, and Vincent Nelson, CCE, Vinnie’s Fine Foods. This month we look at each candidates’ answers to four important questions regarding challenges facing Concessionaires, their solutions to these challenges, and NICA’s future.

Phillip Delahoyde

Extreme Food & Beverage • Ukiah, CA What is the single most important challenge facing Concessionaires today? The most important challenge facing Concessionaires today has got to be COVID-19. Never in our lives or history have we seen the financial problems this pandemic has created. Between Fairs and events canceling, at probably the worst time of the year possible, it has turned life upside-down. In the few places where Fairs are able to open, it has played havoc on routes, the supply chain for supplies, the need to wear masks, social distancing, and everyone’s ability to make money and provide for their workers and families.

As a Board Member, how would you help overcome this challenge? How do these problems get solved? I am not sure anyone has a definite answer for that. I believe we, as Concessionaires, need to reinvent ourselves; we will need to find locations on streets or participate with Fairs for Fair Food events. My company has done this in several towns, and it has proved to be successful. As a Director, I feel I can pass on my experiences and knowledge about rules, laws, permits and operating procedures that I have learned from doing these events.

Where do you see NICA in five years? I am not sure where NICA will be in five years. I believe that the pandemic will put a lot of NICA members out of business or into other jobs or businesses. I think NICA is a good vehicle for members to keep track of what is happening nationally and a place where members can share their thoughts, problems, and solutions. I think NICA will have to work hard on cutting their costs and making the organization as smooth and efficient as possible. I think it will be a struggle to obtain new members as well as retain the current ones.

Attention Voting Members! Ballots were sent out on July 15th to all active Voting Members, so you should have received your ballot by now, or soon in case your mail is being forwarded. If you have not received your ballot for any reason by August 31st, you can contact the NICA Office at (813) 438-8926 or nica@nicainc.org to be sent a duplicate. All votes must be sent in no later than September 30th, 2020 to be counted. Good luck to all Candidates! ▲ 16

August 2020 NICA News

What would you plan to help NICA get there? I would help NICA brave the storm by working hard with the Board and Councils to meet the needs of the membership. I think it is especially important to communicate and be transparent to the members, so they are aware of what the Board is doing.

Kelly Grout

Jack’s Fries • Ware, MA What is the single most important challenge facing Concessionaires today? The most challenging thing facing Concessionaires today are the costs of doing business, which includes payroll, over-the-road transportation, insurance and product costs.

As a Board Member, how would you help overcome this challenge? As a Board Member, I would work to increase the benefits package so that we can all save money wherever possible.

Where do you see NICA in five years? In five years, I see NICA being bigger, stronger, and even more connected with our Industry.

What would you plan to help NICA get there? I plan to help by listening to not only the members of NICA, but by also listening to everyone in our Industry so I can help keep everyone in the loop, because communication is key: “Together We Can!”

Vincent Nelson, CCE

Vinnie’s Fine Foods • Kingston, NY What is the single most important challenge facing Concessionaires today? Today the single most challenging factor is events getting canceled due to COVID-19. This is a hard time for every Concession Owner, Fair, and Carnival. It is out of our hands, which is hard since we have all built our businesses from the ground up.

As a Board Member, how would you help overcome this challenge? There is nothing we can do to prevent events from being canceled. I do feel a strong business plan for the future is important for all Vendors. Going forward, as a group, we need to work on this by building a plan. It is not easy but it is worth the effort; the plan needs to suit you as a Business Owner.

Where do you see NICA in five years? I believe NICA will become stronger, with a larger membership, and more communication to our members.

What would you plan to help NICA get there? We need to promote our brand by showing the value of a NICA membership. We also need to work with younger members and work on retention of our members. NICA needs each and every member to feel that they are valued. I will work hard on keeping the members that we have and recruiting new ones. August 2020 NICA News

“Business” continued from page 15 ►► annual pre-licensing inspection! How on Earth are we going to do this? Well everyone—the Fair, Health Department, Suppliers, other Vendors—we all worked together and made it happen. In less than 10 days we were opening at our first Drive-Thru Festival! Other than our company motto, “To serve the freshest products, from the cleanest stands in a courteous and professional manner,” almost every other operational aspect was different. Here’s what we learned: Location didn’t matter! Even if you have a traditionally “take-home” item. People were in their cars, not spending the day at the Fair. They didn’t have to carry anything around. You didn’t need to be by the grandstand, free show, gate, restroom, or any specific spot; every car was going to drive by you! A large quantity of product had to be ready the moment the gates opened! There was no ramping up of sales through the day. We had several cars in line before the gates opened and they were ready to load their cars up with Fair treats. Also, orders were much larger. Many people weren’t just buying items for their family in the car, but taking food home to friends. You had to make sure everything could be made “to go.” The more distance between stands the better! Since the Canfield Fairgrounds is over 350 acres with wide Midways, this was easily accommodated. Vehicles could pass by a line at a particular Vendor if they wanted to proceed to others. The Fair did an excellent job of providing signage, traffic cones, and personnel to direct traffic. Cars entered the main parking lot and were cued up, then zigzagged through the Fairgrounds and exited on the opposite side. Ideally, have a minimum of two team members outside taking and processing orders! We found that having one person collecting and delivering

Bary Bunts, CCE getting media coverage at the Canfield Fair

August 2020 NICA News

A line of cars at the Portage County Randolph Fair event

the order to the car while another processed the credit card or took the cash speeded up the process. Some Vendors had as many as six runners delivering orders to vehicles. Be prepared to work beyond the advertised hours! On our first day, the gates closed at 6 PM. However, it took another three hours to get all of the vehicles already in line through the queue! Even on our slowest days it took about 30 minutes to allow cars in line to complete their purchases. The best thing the Fair did was print a menu and map and hand them out as cars entered. I can’t emphasize this enough! Most people knew what we had and what they wanted when they rolled up to our location. It was amazing not to hear “What do have here?” For us, it also greatly increased sales of our secondary “sideline” items that normally don’t sell well. We’ve now done three of these events in Ohio: two at Canfield Fair and one at Portage County Randolph Fair. They were all successful, although the first one was a bit overwhelming as business was brisk and we had to learn to navigate this new experience! Each event had about eight to thirteen Vendors and menu items were limited at each stand. We can’t thank these Fairs enough for their efforts; both did an excellent job working with concessionaires and our public Health Departments to organize and safely provide the events. Local media coverage was outstanding, with coverage by several newspapers and both Youngstown and Cleveland television stations. These are certainly trying times during an unprecedented year, but I still have faith that our Industry can survive. We just need to be creative and work together with our partners to pull through. #TogetherWeCan #FairStrong ▲ Are you open? We would love to hear about it. You can submit your story, photos, and other content to communications@nicainc.org or at www.nicainc.org/submit-your-content

How Do We STAY Open? As you navigate a complex maze of guidelines and advice, NICA Sysco Marketplace is here to partner with you on the long road ahead.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the Fair and Foodservice Industry like never before, causing many businesses to turn to takeout and delivery only or close down completely. More than eight million workers in our Industry were laid off or furloughed, and the restaurant business is expected to lose $80 billion by the end of 2020, according to the National Restaurant Association. Starting in May, restaurants began to open back up: turning on the lights, firing up the flattops and ovens, welcoming back Staff and greeting Guests—albeit in a limited capacity. As we move into high summer and beyond, what does this reopening look like, especially for Concessionaires? People have been at home for so long that many are clamoring to dine out, even if that requires doing things a little differently. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a safety guide to help Operators ensure the health and safety of Staff and Customers, which is the top priority for restaurants reopening at this time. But the road ahead is more complicated than just a blueprint. At Sysco, the Marketing Services team is here to be your partner through every step of reopening, from consulting on logistics to setting up online ordering and printing customized safety and hygiene signs. You can use the oneon-one “Concierge” service by phone or online, or use Sysco Studio, your do-it-yourself marketing services platform. In addition, you can access a vast number of “Snapback” resources to guide you through the reopening process.

Safe Service In its guidelines—which are meant to supplement, not replace, any applicable local regulations—the CDC recommends that Staff be required to wear cloth masks. “If I were reopening a restaurant right now, I would think of it as if I were serving people who are immunocompromised,” says Chef Neil Doherty, Sysco’s Senior Director of Culinary Development. “It would be that tied down—masks, gloves, everything—because people could be affected by one slip-up.” Using face coverings helps protect your Staff and Customers and communicates that you’re taking the necessary steps. The mask also presents a great opportunity boost your brand;

►► “Open” continued on page 20

August 2020 NICA News

“Open” continued from page 19 ►► you can order custom masks that are emblazoned with your operation’s logo. Every aspect of the dining experience is changing, beginning before the Customer even steps into the restaurant or in the Drive-Thru pickup line. If you don’t already have a reservation system, you may want to set one up as a way of controlling crowd size. Next, your menu should be online, disposable, or laminated so that it can be easily sanitized. (Sysco Marketing Services can help you set up a contactless menu that uses a QR code to let Customers order with their phones.) When serving food, safety has to be top-of-mind. Some Operators have started using food coverings such as the old-fashioned dome. Open containers of sauces and condiments on the table or pick-up area should be replaced with single-use, disposable options. Tables, if available at your operation, should no longer be preset with cutlery. Instead, consider including disposable cutlery bundles with each order along with the food. And, of course, tables and/or any surfaces should be wiped down and disinfected between Customers. These changes are all intended to minimize Guests’ exposure to germs, as well as interaction between Customers and Staff. The CDC recommends monitoring your Employees for signs of illness—including testing for fever— and sending them home if they are sick. (Some restaurants are even taking Customers’ temperatures before allowing them inside.) It is better for a sick Employee to stay home entirely, so it’s helpful to have a sick leave program in place to make sure they feel comfortable doing so. In addition, you’ll want to have some backup workers—perhaps from other shifts—who can step in if someone gets sick. You don’t want to be left in the lurch. Finally, once you’ve implemented your health, safety and hygiene controls, let your Customers know about it. Place signs in your establishment and send out messages on social media. Tell— and show—Guests that you are open and ready to welcome them back! Post your menu and specials, plus photos of your food, dining/pickup areas, kitchen, and Staff. Assuage fears by explaining what you’re doing to be safe. 20

August 2020 NICA News

A Simplified Menu Now is the time to go minimal. Highlight signature dishes plus a few low-cost, low-labor favorites. When you have fewer items on the menu, you can maintain a simpler inventory and use some of the same ingredients across several dishes to optimize supply. “I would open up with no more than eight or nine main dishes on the menu,” Chef Doherty says. “I can limit my Staff and execute quickly.” In any economic down-turn, Guests are looking for value—and craving comfort food. “People want honest food they can understand,” says Doherty. “Burgers, pizzas. No one wants to roll the dice on ego-driven plates right now.” Dawn Fitzgerald, Sysco’s Senior Director of Marketing Services, suggests this is a good time to “eliminate the slower- moving items from your menu and focus on the four P’s: profitable, easy to prepare, portable (if a dish is being served offpremise), and popular. Ask yourself if a dish fits those four criteria before adding it to your menu.”

Takeout Tips Although more restaurants are now open for dine-in, takeout and delivery continue to be critical parts of an operation’s bottom line. When creating your takeout menu, concentrate on those dishes that will travel well and even reheat well, as many diners are putting entrées in the oven or microwave once they get them home. You need to choose the right dish and packaging. “Old favorites like pizzas, burgers and pastas— baked or made with short shapes—work great. And Asian noodle dishes such as lo mein are very forgiving,” Chef Doherty says. Other foods may need more attention, like placing separate components in small containers to keep the hot and cold apart and to keep anything from getting soggy.

The New (Ab)normal Not many Industries have been as hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic as the Fair, restaurant, and hospitality businesses. But Sysco is #FoodServiceStrong and is rising to the challenge! Though the dining landscape might never be exactly as it was before 2020, if everyone works together, we will grow from this disruption and find a better road forward—together. ▲

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August 2020 NICA News

Just a Few Words from the Newly Formed Central East Regional Council Dennis Larson, CFE, Central East Council Coordinator From VFW’s, big box home improvement stores, grocery stores, regional malls and even Harley Davidson dealerships, the creative Food Concessionaires of NICA find ways to peddle their Fair Foods directly to the appetites of the many people who are starved for their classic products that have all but been shelved due to Fair and Festival virus cancellations. Stacey Barona with Giant Ride, of Roseville, MN, is a longtime NICA member found an opportunity to sell her classic lemonade, cheese on a stick and corn dogs at her local VFW. Stacey said that it was a real win-win, as she got a great location, parking for her operation, and was able to help out the VFW with a donation, as they are also hurting during the shutdown. She said, “It’s a different operation at Fairs; I sell more lemonade than food, but at my temporary location I sell far more cheese and corn dogs. Its been a fun, simple adjustment to give these die-hard Fair Foodies what they desire.” Dave Westrum, Owner of Westrums Quality Foods, runs a large multi-state operation out of Delano, MN and found a temporary home at a large grocery store lot in Elk River, MN. Dave said, “As a large operator it was a tough call to release my

Stacey Barona, Giant Ride, providing cheese on a stick, fresh lemonade, and corn dogs to Guests at her local VFW

H-2B Staff but just couldn’t justify keeping them.” He is still hoping for a couple larger dates like the South Dakota State Fair and the Sioux Empire Fair of South Dakota that as if this writing are still a go. He further stated that now the challenge will be staffing those larger dates with local help along with all the new and necessary virus-related disciplines. Joe and Matt Cranstron are brothers from River Falls, WI who found a multi-weekend opportunity at a regional shopping mall in Maplewood, MN, a first-ring suburb of St. Paul. They said it worked out well for a reasonable percentage of their gross to the mall. The mall would do some marketing and they had a great live remote coverage on a local NBC affiliate Saturday morning show that brought them added attention and traffic. Matt runs A&M Concessions, specializing in blooming onions, and Joe runs Cranston Concessions, specializing in a unique “Scotch Eggs” trailer. Joe and Matt both longtime Concessionaires and first year NICA members echoed what all the other Operators are stating how satisfying it’s been to hear the accolades and many thanks from the die-hard Fair Food fans that now have an opportunity to satisfy their Fair Food fixes. Joe and Matt are both lined up for the two remaining South Dakota Fairs and are cautiously optimistic they will still be able to play these two major events for the 2020 season. Todd Hawkins of White Bear Lake, MN, runs Dave Westrum, Westrums Quality Foods, in the cowboy hat, The Donut Family mini-donuts and donut sundae and his Concession Manager

August 2020 NICA News

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operation and he has found opportunities in some unique spots. One was a rather unassuming light industrial lot on a busy intersection that had them lined up pretty much all day. He also rotated weekends at a couple different Harley Davidson motorcycle dealerships. The overall consensus has been like a lot of virus-related cliches: “Never thought I’d be doing this” and “Never thought I could do it this way.” Dire circumstances bring out creativity and the opportunity to think differently and do things in new ways we never thought we could or would. “Together We Can!” ▲

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August 2020 NICA News

A Driving Success!

Interviewing Both Sides of the Fair Industry With the cancellation of so many Fairs and large events around the country, both Fair Staff and Concessionaires are looking for new ways to open, bring some activity to Fairgrounds, and increase cash flow. One of the most successful events that has emerged across the country is the Fair Food Drive-Thru. NICA members are providing Fair Food stands across the nation, with many different formulas and procedures that satisfy local and state governments. In this article, we feature two interviews from both sides of the Industry: a Fair that operates on the East Coast, and a Vendor who operates on the West Coast. First off, we have an interview between Jessica Gottsche, NICA East Council Coordinator, and Robert Gottsche, Sales Manager at Eastern States Exposition, Home of The Big E in West Springfield, MA, who held a Drive-Thru event in late June.

When did you hold your first Drive-Thru event? We held our event, The Big E Drive-Thru Fair Food Preview, on June 27 and 28.

You are next in line at The Big E Drive-Thru Fair Food Preview

the Fairgrounds, and having a positive story at time when there werenâ€™t many happy things to talk about. Our real planning began in April, at a time when we were certain The Big E would open.

How many Concessionaires participated? We had 11 Concessionaires participate in our first event, so there was plenty of variety.

How did you promote the event?

Why did you feel the need to produce a Fair Food Drive-Thru event?

Through both our website and social media. We also offered links to our Operators to help connect their social media platforms to ours.

The initial thought was to help generate income for the Fairgrounds and some of our Concessionaires, while getting the public thinking about The Big E, being comfortable coming onto

We had to present a plan of the layout, traffic flow and how the Drive-Thru would operate. All

August 2020 NICA News

What concerns did you have to address from town officials?

Concessionaires had to comply with CDC and local COVID guidelines, wearing masks, hand sanitizing, and wearing of gloves. We did contact tracing and temperature checks of all Staff each day.

What was the turnout like for your first event? We had just over 5,000 cars, with an average of three people per car, but many of the orders were for people in the car, as well as those they left at home. Some people ordered more than ten items to take with them!

What was your biggest surprise during the DriveThru event? There were two that stood out. A family that showed up in an RV ordered at every stand and sat at the table of their RV and ate while their Dad drove through. There was also the young man who approached us because he had been in line for several hours; his car was low on gas and he wanted to know if he could stand in line behind the cars and wait while his expecting wife and three children ran to get gas. Eastern States Exposition was able to help by bringing him some gas. Later, we saw an excited family including a very, very happy expectant mom in the food line.

We know you used your first Drive-Thru as a preview to The Big E; will you hold more events, now that The Big E has been canceled in 2020? Yes, we are considering more Drive-Thrus and other drive-in events as well.

What other events are happening at Eastern States Exposition this summer to help keep the Fairgrounds active? Currently we are will be able to host a few horse shows and a sheep show; however, they are closed to the public. Again, we continue to look at other feasible drive-in events, all pending approval of our local officials.

Next up, Don Delahoyde, CCE, NICA President, sat with Phil Delahoyde, 2021 Board Candidate, to ask him some questions about his company Extreme Food and Beverage’s experiences regarding Fair Food Drive-Thru event operations.

What part of the country are you working? We traditionally work in the states of California, Oregon and Washington; we have only been doing

Do you need a corn dog while you wait? Say no more!

the Drive-Thru events in California.

How many shows have you done? We will have completed eight after this weekend. That is in four different communities!

How big a town or cities are you working in? Anywhere from a 15,000 population to over 100,000. All cities are where we have played their Fairs and have a relationship with Fair Management and the local Health Departments; we have played these Fairs for years.

What is required of the Fair for these to happen? We ask the Fairs for traffic cones, electricity and water, a place to park a couple of RVs, and to promote us on their social media. We need enough space to line up at least 100 cars in several lanes, with an exit at a different gate than the entrance; we ask for Fair Management to make a call to local health authorities and request garbage service and a restroom for Staff.

What days or how many days a week to you operate? We are open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 11 AM until 8 PM—longer if we still have cars in line.

What are the menu items you are serving? We have cotton candy, apples, and kettle corn at the station they order at. They then order from large menus on a truss at the order station which include corn dogs, jumbo corn dogs, freshsqueezed lemonade and strawberry lemonade,

►► “Success” continued on page 26 August 2020 NICA News

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“Success” continued from page 25 ►► funnel cakes with limited choice of toppings, churros, and in a couple of towns, we have added turkey legs and corn on the cob.

How does the line work and how do they get their food? They have their pre-done items from a cashier, it is all rung up on a POS machine, and paid for with cash or credit. Their printed order is taped on their windshield and they pull forward, usually about 10 car lengths, before they get to the stands. Here a runner takes the order from the windshield, fills the order from the stands all in take-home containers, delivers it to the car, and they are off.

Do you charge Fair prices? We lower our prices from what we receive at the Fair. The Guest is not getting entertainment and we want them to have a good value.

Has the media found you or helped?

Customers await their Drive-Thru orders from trained Staff

What are some other things our members might want to know? We find the first weekend is very big, the second weekend is about 60-percent, and when we have tried a third weekend it has not been worth doing. It takes quite a bit more labor than just running a stand; between cashiers, runners, and cooks, we run about 16 people without the turkey legs, 21-plus with the turkey leg stand. It is very busy and people work hard.

Is there any other advice you can give?

Just be aware of the amount of rent you pay Our last location we had three TV stations out, to a Fair. There is a lot of work and labor expense as well as radio and print. The extra attention really on the Concessionaire side; we require very little helps! In the smaller towns we are depending on from the Fairs we have worked, so ten percent rent social media. is suggested. We feel fortunate that the Fairs have What is your average sale per car? been willing to work with us through these very We are getting $27 to $36 per car. People order difficult times. We hope to do several more weeks this year as well as returning to some of the towns several of every item it seems. we have already worked. ▲ 26

August 2020 NICA News

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www.mrgsmeats.com August 2020 NICA News

Sugardale Food Service is a leading provider of quality foods and customized product solutions since 1920.

2020 Membership Contest Leaderboard* General Membership Jennifer Giordano, CCE........................................................ 2 Marcy Poorman.................................................................... 1 James Pope......................................................................... 1 Wayne Smith........................................................................ 1 Lee Stevens.......................................................................... 1

Councils

800-860-3053

www.sugardalefoodservice.com

Gentry Miller......................................................................... 3 Tom Hodson, CCE................................................................ 2 Brandy Arredondo................................................................ 1 Lindsey Constantine............................................................ 1 Kara Moederndorfer............................................................. 1 Kelly Myers........................................................................... 1 Ryann Newman.................................................................... 1 Erica Quintero....................................................................... 1 Jay Wells.............................................................................. 1

Board of Directors Jacqueline Bradbury............................................................ 5 Don Delahoyde, CCE............................................................ 2 Daryl Whicheloe, CCE........................................................... 2 Kim Barr, CCE....................................................................... 1 Andrew “Bruno” Broomfield................................................. 1 Sandy Class, CCE................................................................. 1 Vincent Nelson, CCE............................................................ 1 Kathy Ross, CCE................................................................... 1 Jeff Thornberry, CCE............................................................ 1

*Referral listing as of 6/30/20. Contact us if you see any inaccuracies. See back cover for rules and prizes.

Follow Us Online! Sugardale Food Service wieners, franks and coneys are available in many varieties, all delivering the same quality taste and nutrition you expect.

When you want extraordinary flavor and performance, serve Sugardale Food Service wieners.

Visit www.nicainc.org or search NICA on social media for the latest announcements, news, and pictures. We invite you to share or post your announcements, stories, photos, videos, and anything else that you would like to share to our accounts any chance you can. #TogetherWeCan

Do You Need a Card? All Renewal Members should receive a new Membership Card in the mail once they renew. If you haven’t received your card, please contact nica@nicainc.org or call (813) 438-8926 today! August 2020 NICA News

THE NICA HEALTH PLAN IS STILL A GO! This one-of-a-kind plan was and we are currently preparing quotes.

be husb

Health Plan Team

d wife

Brian Thompson

FIND OUT MORE NOW! Phil Teague, CIC

Contact Brian or Audrey Today!

800-860-1060

www.hummelgrp.com/nicahealth

Audrey O’Brien

focused on

CONCESSIONAIRES

Whatever we do for you...Service is at the core of all we do since 1941!

Premium Fountain Syrups • Real Fruit Juices • Simple Syrup

Tasting Is Believing! You can beat the high cost of brand name syrups & make your beverage program more profitable!

Fountain Syrup Dispensers and Ice Machines available for purchase. Talk to your FARE FOODS salesman today or call for details 800-651-1601 30

August 2020 NICA News

National Independent Concessionaires Association, Inc.

For Off ice Use Only

1043 E. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, FL 33511 Phone: (813) 438-8926 • Fax: (813) 803-8460 Email: nica@nicainc.org • Website: www.nicainc.org

Date: #: q Member Renewal

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION q Mr. q Mrs. q Ms.

First Name:

Last Name:

Name of Business: Physical Address: Mailing Address:

City :

Primary Phone Number :

State:

Zip:

State:

Zip:

Cell / Secondary Phone Number :

Email:

Website:

Age Range: q 20-35 q 35-50 q 51-70 q 70+ q Other:

NICA News Preference: q Mail q Email

Referred by :

Annual Membership Fees Associate Membership

Regular Membership q

A person or entity who provides services to the Concession Industry.

Regular Member..............................................................$150

Fair / Festival (over 75,000 attendance)......................$150

Fair / Festival (under 75,000 attendance)...................$100

q Retired Member................................................................. $50

Manufacturer / Distributor / Supplier...........................$150

Business / Group Membership

Carnival / Circus Operator..............................................$150

Association / Special Services......................................$150

q Additional Member..........................................................$100 q Employee Member............................................................. $75

Includes five memberships in one: one Regular Member, one Additional Member, and three Employee Members ($475 value).

Business / Group.............................................................$400

Additional Member : _______________________________________ Employee Member 1: ______________________________________ Employee Member 2: ______________________________________ Employee Member 3: ______________________________________ Regular membership categories Check a category below and provide a detailed description of your company’s services in the next column under Business Description.

Business Description Provide a detailed description of your business, products, and/or services below. This information will be used for your entry in the annual NICA Membership Directory and as keywords to search for your business on the NICA website.

________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

Food / Beverage

Commercial Exhibitors / Retail / Merchants

payment

Attractions / Entertainment

Cash q

Games

Visa

Guest Services

Credit Card #:

General Routing Information List all states / provinces where you conduct your business.

___________________________________________________________

Check

Mastercard

Security Code:

Money Order q

American Express

Discover

Expiration Date:

TOTAL:

___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ AD&D Insurance Policy The NICA-sponsored $10,000 AD&D Insurance Policy is provided to Regular Members. List a beneficiary and a phone number below.

Beneficiary : _________________________ Phone : _____________

Applicant’s signature

Date

Signature of Credit Card Holder q I authorize NICA to charge the agreed amount listed above to my credit card information provided above. I agree I will pay for this purchase in accordance with the issuing bank cardholder agreement.

Automatic Renewal Option q I authorize NICA to make automatic renewal payments for my membership using the credit card information above. I shall update NICA with all changes to payment information or my intent to cancel automatic renewal payments prior to my next renewal month.

National Independent Concessionaires Association, Inc. 1043 E. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, FL 33511 Time Sensitive Mail â€¢ August 2020 Issue

PRSRT STD U. S. POSTAGE PAID STEVENS POINT WI PERMIT NO. 272