Chow Wagon

Went on the annual office trip to the waterfront chow wagon. What is up with fair food? the only things I saw on a stick were corn dogs, without a deep fried twinkie, snickers, or oreo to be seen. Is a new movement afoot?

[Robin Garr]

Went on the annual office trip to the waterfront chow wagon. What is up with fair food? the only things I saw on a stick were corn dogs, without a deep fried twinkie, snickers, or oreo to be seen. Is a new movement afoot?

Has the Chow Wagon ever really done out-there fair food? I've always thought of it as a beer-and-corn-dogs kind of event.

2 years ago there were a number of things on a stick, and deep fried twinkies, snickers, and oreos were available. Never saw deep fried butter, though.

[Robin Garr]

2 years ago there were a number of things on a stick, and deep fried twinkies, snickers, and oreos were available. Never saw deep fried butter, though.

Mmm, buuuuttter. <gargle>

I think you're right, on reflection, but I still don't think of the Chow Wagon as having anything approaching the breadth or depth of bad carnival food as the Fair.

I really think we need to start some sort of campaign and make our Chow Wagon about US....what I mean is offer local eateries to set up shop at the chow wagon and go at it. The quality of the food would step way up, the attendance would as well.

Make the Cow Wagon LOCAL!!!

[Robin Garr]

Make the Cow Wagon LOCAL!!!

My guess is that if we follow the money, we'll find that the Chow Wagon turns a huge profit for its vendor, and if we follow further, we'll find that this vendor has a death grip on the contract and probably a sweetheart relationship.

But do I think the idea of turning the Chow Wagon into a food pot of local food trucks is awesome? Why yes! Yes, I do!

Make the Cow Wagon LOCAL!!!

My guess is that if we follow the money, we'll find that the Chow Wagon turns a huge profit for its vendor, and if we follow further, we'll find that this vendor has a death grip on the contract and probably a sweetheart relationship...

I will also bet that if you continue to follow the money you'll find that a large chunk of the profits from them ends up in the pockets of Derby Festival and local government! I would be kind of surprised if there were a long-term contracts for them because those types of businesses rise and demise quite quickly. I'm actually not sure how many of the local food trucks and other restaurants would want the business because of the huge volumes of people which they really aren't set up for.

I think so as well....BUT, if the attendance can get a larger boost....maybe it can still be a win....I really am getting my mind spinning with this....if they won't change the actual Chow Wagon, why can't we have a "Hot Bytes Fest" or something like that, at the Mellwood Arts Center, or something like that....live music, local food, etc.....for the Derby season?

Let's do this!

[Robin Garr]

Let's do this!

Rob, actually, now that you've opened the door to thinking about this, it isn't written anywhere that every event during Derby Season has to be a Derby Festival event. There might be real merit in having citizen-driven, low-cost, independent events in town during Derby season. It might even start a trend!

Using some diplomacy probably would be prudent. Avoid events that would tangle vehicle or pedestrian traffic, or call for a police presence. Don't call 'em "Derby Festival" events. But if I remember correctly, there was in fact a Food Truckus Ruckus at Growers Supply on Thunder Day. I didn't get out to it, but does anyone know how that went?

I have a contact or two (wink, wink), in the food industry....I think I am going to pursue this idea..

[Robin Garr]

I have a contact or two (wink, wink), in the food industry....I think I am going to pursue this idea..

Well, keep it alive on the forum. We've got food industry contacts here, and at least a little media clout.

ahem . . . we started Food Truck Tuesday during Derby Festival. Your LOCAL Food Trucks definitely would love to do more group events Derby Week.

And yes, the vendor who supplies the trailers for the Chow Wagon has a long term, iron clad contract with the city. The fees to set up during Thunder were off the charts (and the local food trucks got a discount. Still off the charts.)

[Robin Garr]

And yes, the vendor who supplies the trailers for the Chow Wagon has a long term, iron clad contract with the city. The fees to set up during Thunder were off the charts (and the local food trucks got a discount. Still off the charts.)

Wait! You mean you can't even set up an independent event during Dervy season without paying the vig? That seems wrong.

Depends on the location. The Chow Wagon vendor, at least during Thunder controls MUCH more geography than just the Waterfront where the trailers are. I'm only talking about the Thunder event as that's the specific event I know something about.

IF there was another LOCAL event right outside the waterfront it would hurt their sales. And with what the trailers paid to be there, they'd be screaming if anything hurt their sales.

Yeah, remember the hubbub the first year the Un Fair art fair set up at the Mag bar on St. James weekend? City police were called in to make sure no Un Fair artist sold anything unless they first traipsed down to City Hall to get an $85 permit...