THE NORTHFIELD PEOPLES CONFERENCE

BILLINGS: EVENING FOOD OPERATION

SOME PROCEDURES USED IN 2002

by Bob Smith

This is a collection of policy objectives, job descriptions, equipment lists, and food lists

POLICY OBJECTIVES

Non-alcoholic beverages and bottled water, plus snack foods, candy, and home-baked offerings are to be sold during the evening sessions at Billings Hall. These should be priced so that, overall, any profit goes to the Northfield Conference treasury. The work and management of this operation is to be done by volunteer Northfield Conference attendees.

DESCRIPTIONS OF PRINCIPAL JOBS

There should be the General Manager who appoints a subordinate Evening Manager for each separate evening of operation, and who appoints another Manager of Saturday morning cleanup of the rooms used by this operation.

GENERAL MANAGER

1. Gets and organizes volunteers to serve as:

Six EVENING FOOD MANAGERS

One BUYER of the initial food and supply inventory for the week,

One BUYER of supplemental food and supplies,

One Saturday CLEAN-UP LEADER and Vendor of Remaining Unsold Food

Each of the several Managers recruits a team of food selling and handling workers who shall serve for one-hour or more at a time, as may be found mutually suitable.

2.Brings:

a. Materials for making table-top price signs

b. A cash box with $40.ofworking change: Quarters, $1., $5..

3.Reminds: The Executive to get the School to provide to the General Manager during the entire week: Sunday through Saturday:

a. Keys to the food storage and refrigerator rooms

b. Refrigerator

c. Power cord

d. Two folding tables

Two 30-gallon barrels with handles and liner bags, for use to contain ice for chilling drinks. To some Managers the refrigerator may be sufficient without using the ice-in-barrel system.

4. Oversees:

a. The initial setup Sunday afternoon.

b. Delivery by Evening Manager of the previous night's extra cash to the Treasurer, each morning.

c. The Saturday morning cleanup

5. Is available at all times to assist and provide each Evening Manager with information.

THE EVENING FOOD MANAGER

1. Gets the List Of Low Stocks of food and beverages from the previous Manager each morning.

2. Gets the Supplement Buyer to procure new supplies and deliver them by 9 PM.

3. Sends two volunteer workers to Gould Kitchen with a mini-van between 6:30 and 7:15 PM to bring a large waste-basket-load of ice to Billings for cooling the drinks.

4. Opening time is after the 1ast scheduled evening general adult event

5. Gets volunteers to re-pack potato chips and crackers, small candies, etc into sandwich bags for that night's sale.

6. Gets pairs of volunteers to serve customers on one- hour shifts.

7. Writes a list of foods and beverages that are in short supply. Gives this to the next Manager in the morning.

8. Closing time depends on the judgment of the Evening Manager. He closes up the shop and locks access to the supplies. He gathers cash amounts that exceed $40.00 and gives these monies to the Treasurer at breakfast the next morning

9. Passes the room keys along to the next Evening Manager.

SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED

FURNITURE, TOOLS, AND SUPPLIES:

 - Two selling tables (From the School)

 - A coin rack and bill holding box

 - Ice tub to keep drinks cold/ or a handily-located refrigerator (From the School)

 - White poster board about three feet square on which to letter and post up prices of    foods plus another listing volunteers and times of their services.

 - Lettering pens- bold felt-tip, yardstick, husky scissors, pencil, scotch tape, carton-cutting knife,

 - Make and post another poster

 - Trash bags or cartons

 - Knife and spatula for cutting donated pies and cakes into saleable portions.

 - Plastic forks, knives, saran wrap, sandwich bags, paper cups, plates

 - Tablecloths - plastic or paper

FOOD PURCHASING AND PRICING LIST

Buy as much of the drinks and snack food as possible at some "wholesaler", such as Waltons, Sam's Club, B-J's, or Costco

Item                             Quantity.*                   Sale Prices: Cost plus 30% then round off                                                                                                  to the nearest dime or quarter

Coke, Regular 3 cases                         @O.50/can

Coke, Diet                   3 cases

Coke, Caffeine-Free    2 cases

Pepsi                           2 cases

Sprite                           2 cases

Pure water,                   3 cases             (no chemicals)

Fruit juice                    2 cases             (with water and or sugar added)

Fruit-flavored sodas    2 cases

Donated pies and cakes: $1.00 per piece.

Buy chips in large bags and get volunteers to transfer these into sandwich-size bags. Sell for 25 c. If you run out of an item you will have to buy locally at retail. Covering your cost then will be difficult.

* These quantities seemed appropriate for about 104 adults and 49 juniors in 2002. 

NOTES

Coke is the most important and popular drink. Substitutes will not sell. Awful but true!

If you run out of an items in demand you win have to buy at local stores at retail prices and you will be lucky if you break even. So, with the exception of Coke, you might just want to let a few people suffer rather than going out and buying things people don't need.

All drinks must be cold. The fridge of any size takes all night to make an item cold. Ice in barrels is a necessary addition. If you are nice and thoughtful the staff in the Gould kitchen will let you get ice at certain times, (2 to 4 pm seems good, ask the person in charge) even let you take it down the back stairs which is easier, It's hard work and if you can get help it might save your back. Utility rooms at the site are open to you for sink, brooms, etc.

Closing: If there is no supervisor other than you, you will have to close down the counter and usually the whole operation. This will depend on where you are and the lockability of the supplies. Your call. Dancing will go on after the counter is closed but experience tells us not much longer. We encourage dancing at Northfie1d so don't interfere with the mood. You can close down at midnight or 1 AM if you can take it that long. Before if the party is over. There are times, with a good adult in charge that the counter has closed at 2:30 am.

Additional notes from Monica Knowles, 2004

A pack of 12 diet coke would have been suficient. The diet drinks do not sell. Coke is the best seller as well as sprite, root beer, water. The juices sold but we had far more than we needed. The absolute best selling snack were the chocolate bars. As healthy as people may want to be, chocolate was what sold. Candies, the kind that come in a large plastic container and are gummie, sold individually were also hot items. Chips, cheesies, fritos etc went well also. Baked goods yes, but the best sellers are BROWNIES, and chocolate chip cookies. Darcy's home made pies sold for 2$ a piece.

It was suggested to me to sell all drinks at 50¢, this was a mistake. The pop should be sold for 75 or $1.

I did not go to Billings to get my ice. The security guard would get it from another building close by. It was too inconvenient to do the ice and by mid week we would store as much pop in the fridge over night as possible and that would be perfect for the next night.

Having one small container of ice was enough.