Ten days ago,
I was driving with my wife, we were discussing our BBQ Sauce and Spice Rub that
we sell and I mentioned that I would like to look into opening a food booth at
a carnival or fair this summer to sell BBQ.
Yesterday, I removed the last bit of equipment from the parking lot
where we opened our first BBQ concession.
This may
seem to be less-than-prudent and maybe even a bit rushed. It was but, you know, the longer you put off,
plan and wait for the perfect time, you realize there is no perfect time and
you just have to jump in. This was
something I had thought of and planned for years and ten days ago, all I had
was years of inactivity to look back on.
Six days
ago, on a shoestring of a budget, we bought the bare essentials, bartered some
of my sauce for some after-hours time in a licensed commercial kitchen to do my
prep work and I convinced a not so receptive health inspector that I knew what
I was doing, I was competent and begged him for a chance to set up. Then, I had to sweet talk the local Fire
Marshall's secretary and remind her of my 6 years of fire protection and suppression
experience and gently pull the mandatory fire permit from her grasp.
I lined up
my friend Dean, my sister and brothers to help run the BBQ tent, expecting that
I would not be able to pay any of them for their time, except in food of
course. Over the four days the carnival ran, I slept no more than a few hours, when
I could, partly because I needed to look after the smokers, but mainly because
of my nerves.
Costs were
high and I made some foolish mistakes but we didn't lose any money. I worked hard for a few bucks but as I look
back on this, the true value of the experience stands firm in my mind. This is something that I hope to continue to
pursue over the summer. There is a great
deal of information that will be gleaned over the next few days as we reflect
and try to take notes. This information
is only attainable from the actual experience.
This alone, is of great value and will help tremendously if we chose to
repeat the famous Pulled Pork Tent.
For me,
there is a great deal of value in the experience. My wife and I did this together, but I know
she was doing it for me. She has zoned
out of more than a few of my "we should sell BBQ at carnivals" talks
over the years. Furthermore, I had an
entirely different experience than she did.
I was there, alone at night and early in the morning and I had to deal
with the stress and guilt imagining if it didn't work. How selfish of me to risk our money for my
personal dream. Without the constant
strength and reassurance of my wife along for the ride, I know I couldn't have
seen this through.
I also had
the great pleasure of meeting a great group of guys. Carnival workers and other vendors who knew I
was green and extended themselves, because they were gentlemen. I know what I have thought of carnival
workers in the past, and maybe some of that is true about other Carnies, but
not the ones I met. I'd like to tell you
about one of these guys in particular.
His name is David, not Dave, and that's exactly how he introduced
himself. He's been "working
shows" his entire life. His family
owns the largest Carnival in Florida and he's worked it since he was a child. From November to April he works in
Florida. In the summer, the family
business shuts down or heads to "winter quarters". That's when David heads north and works here,
in New Jersey. Come September, he'll
head back home, visiting some friends along the way and then he plays golf for
two months, until the family business calls.
I'm not kidding.
I hung out
with David quite a bit over the last few days and I learned more than just the
questions I asked him. After the first
day, I noticed that he had an assistant, or that's what I thought. His name was Mikey and he hadn't said a word
to me yet. I asked David about his
assistant Mikey and what followed was one of the most remarkable stories I have
ever heard. David explained that last
year, he was in North Carolina, helping a friend at a ten-day carnival before
he headed home. He noticed a man,
walking around by himself, for days at this carnival and finally approached
him. That's how he met Mikey. Mikey's father and mother had died a few
years back. He wasn't able to take care
of himself, so Mikey went to live with his brother, who had been shot and
killed the day before the carnival started.
Mikey was walking around the carnival, alone as David had observed,
because he was. No money, no home, no
family. David took Mikey back home to Florida,
gave him a room at his house, some cash for food and smokes and a permanent,
paid spot on his family's carnival. When
the season was over, David called up to his New Jersey boss to discuss a job
for Mikey. By that time, all the spots
were full, but Mikey came to work anyway.
What Mikey didn't know; David paid his salary every week, last summer
while he learned how to work a "show".
They work
during the day setting up rides, game booths and the concession trailers. When the carnival opens, some of the guys go
to the bunk house to "rack up" or sleep and others are assigned to
work the rides. David changes into some khaki
shorts and a golf shirt and quietly walks through the crowd just
observing. I asked him why he does this
and he pretended not to hear me.
Here is a
guy that doesn't have to work another carnival for the rest of his life, in
fact, he probably doesn't have to even work ever again in his life, yet he does. He says that he loves it. That may be true, but after hearing the story
of Mikey, I can't help but think there may be other reasons too.
I left the
carnival with all of my money (back in my wife's possession), a great appreciation
of my friends and family who came out to help at the booth or look after my
kids or lied to me when they said that wanted to eat pulled pork sandwiches four
nights in a row and insisted on paying full price and I left the carnival
realizing that perception isn't always reality.
It certainly wasn't with my new friend David. See you next year, Buddy.
