THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO MY TWIN BROTHER, BILL DYKES (1943-1995). WE WERE NOT ONLY BROTHERS BUT PARTNERS IN BUSINESS AND BEST FRIENDS!AND TO ALL THE "BUTCHERS" THAT HAVE PASSED ON TO THE BIG LOT IN THE SKY!
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Saturday, August 2, 2008
Little Richard's Foods
LOOK FOR LITTLE RICHARD'S STANDS AT MANASSAS, VA FAIR, MARYLAND STATE FAIR, ALLENTOWN FAIR, YORK, PA FAIR AND MEADVILLE, PA FAIR.
So Dick tell us something about the Little Richard food concessions. The food trailers we see at the Delaware State fair is that all of his trailers or does he have more that are at another fair? Who is Little Richard? How does he get his food supplied to him, is it a local vender or does he have a refrigerated truck somewhere he brings with him? Is the only thing the food concession people buy local is ice and bread? Does the Dept of Health inspect all of these operations before they start serving food? Never having done this I am curious as to how the logistics work.
Little Richard is a Pa Dutchman. He's from Pennsburg, PA and also owns Kings Cliffe Trailer Park in Dover. I've know him for over 30 years. Used to be with him when he had his carnival, World of Mirth Shows. At Harrington he has pretty much all of his food concessions there. He's been going to the State Fair for over 50 years! He buys almost everything local. Delaware grown corn, potatoes, chicken and a host of other products from local distributors. He always tries to use fresh items. Of course the italian sausage is a special receipe he has made in PA. He has his own Freezer trucks which he needs because of the volume of business he usually does. Of course the health department checks his stands just like they do everyone else. Without local suppliers the concessions couldn't operate. But Richard also tries to buy most of what he uses in Harrington from Local Farms and Suppliers. Some weeks he does split into two or three units. His Son manages one, his son-law manages one and sometime his wife Dolly manages one. He jumped into Harrington from the Meadowlands Fair in New Jersey. His Son just left here tonight on his way to Manassas Va while his wife is getting ready to head to Meadeville, PA. with another unit. Howard you wopuldn't beleive all the regulations they have to put up with! In this Day and Age there's no more "shortcuts!" Between Insurance, the D.O.T., rents and other miscellaneous expenses the overhead is overwhelming! Most of His stand are better equipped than most restaraunts! With an average invest well over $100,000 in each stand! And of course help is always a problem. He carries three 50' Bunkhouses complete with showers and restrooms for his help. People don't live in trucks anymore like in the old days. He works pretty much the year around starting in January ar the West Palm Beach Fair in Florida. He maintains a winterquarters just out side Brooksville Fl where they work on equipment and stay during the couple of months off. He also owns stands at the Zern's Farmers Market in Gilbert, PA. A lot of the people you see working for him are Family members. Plus like all other seasonal businesses he uses a lot of Mexican and Russian labor. All legal with greencards. That's just about covers it all. Dick
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So Dick tell us something about the Little Richard food concessions. The food trailers we see at the Delaware State fair is that all of his trailers or does he have more that are at another fair? Who is Little Richard? How does he get his food supplied to him, is it a local vender or does he have a refrigerated truck somewhere he brings with him? Is the only thing the food concession people buy local is ice and bread? Does the Dept of Health inspect all of these operations before they start serving food? Never having done this I am curious as to how the logistics work.
ReplyDeleteLittle Richard is a Pa Dutchman.
ReplyDeleteHe's from Pennsburg, PA and also owns Kings Cliffe Trailer Park in Dover. I've know him for over 30 years. Used to be with him when he had his carnival, World of Mirth Shows. At Harrington he has pretty much all of his food concessions there. He's been going to the State Fair for over 50 years!
He buys almost everything local. Delaware grown corn, potatoes, chicken and a host of other products from local distributors.
He always tries to use fresh items.
Of course the italian sausage is a special receipe he has made in PA.
He has his own Freezer trucks which he needs because of the volume of business he usually does.
Of course the health department checks his stands just like they do everyone else. Without local suppliers the concessions couldn't operate. But Richard also tries to buy most of what he uses in Harrington from Local Farms and Suppliers. Some weeks he does split into two or three units. His Son manages one, his son-law manages one and sometime his wife Dolly manages one. He jumped into Harrington from the Meadowlands Fair in New Jersey. His Son just left here tonight on his way to Manassas Va while his wife is getting ready to head to Meadeville, PA. with another unit.
Howard you wopuldn't beleive all the regulations they have to put up with! In this Day and Age there's no more "shortcuts!" Between Insurance, the D.O.T., rents and other miscellaneous expenses the overhead is overwhelming! Most of His stand are better equipped than most restaraunts! With an average invest well over $100,000 in each stand! And of course help is always a problem. He carries three 50' Bunkhouses complete with showers and restrooms for his help.
People don't live in trucks anymore like in the old days. He works pretty much the year around starting in January ar the West Palm Beach Fair in Florida. He maintains a winterquarters just out side Brooksville Fl where they work on equipment and stay during the couple of months off. He also owns stands at the Zern's Farmers Market in Gilbert, PA. A lot of the people you see working for him are Family members. Plus like all other seasonal businesses he uses a lot of Mexican and Russian labor.
All legal with greencards. That's just about covers it all. Dick
Thanks alot Dick that was interesting. I will come up sometime and interrogate you with other questions on how things work at these shows.
ReplyDeleteGosh Dick, who would ever believe there would be so many restrictions and regulations. How people ever make a living these days is beyond me! Jane
ReplyDelete