5 Concession Stand Food Ideas You Should Be Selling
Easy and Fun Concession Stand Food Ideas for High Schools, Sporting Events, and More
Adding new ideas for concession stand food to your menu and changing things up from season to season will keep your customers interested and coming back to see what you come up with. These 5 menu items are sure to be hits at high schools, stadiums, fairs and festivals, and more!
1. Pickles
Pickles are popping up everywhere from pizza to potato chips and even beer! Concession stands can meet this trend by creating fried pickles. Made from slices, spears, or chips then dipped in seasoned breadcrumbs or flour, it is perfect for snacking. Another way to bring pickle flavor to your customers is with Signature Blends® Dill seasoning. Shake it onto popcorn for a flavorful kick! Or extremely low-cost and easy, create pickle pops. Simply pour dill pickle juice into either popsicle molds, small plastic cups, or even ice cube trays. You can mix in a little sugar if you’d like, but it’s optional. Add a stick and freeze. This snack is unique, refreshing, and a cost-effective addition to your concession stand menu.
2. Walking Tacos
Walking tacos are a convenient and tasty item for your menu. Easily customizable, this walking taco recipe allows you to choose the ingredients your customers like best. Typically served in an individual Frito bag (you could also try spicy Doritos or another version of corn chip), it includes taco meat, shredded cheese, salsa, and a bit of lettuce. You could offer additional toppings like jalapeño slices, sour cream, black beans, and more. Serve in the chip bag with a fork. Walking tacos are great for concession stands that want to offer something more substantial but still stay low on labor.
3. Colorful Popcorn
Create rainbow popcorn or pop up popcorn in your team’s colors! Did you know you can make flavored and colored popcorn in your popper? The easiest way is to use Glaze Pop! You simply add it to your kettle with your corn and oil. This type of popcorn can be sold at a premium price but is still easy to produce. Check out How to Make Flavored Popcorn in Your Popper for more ideas!
4. Street Corn
A delicious side dish to any meal, street corn is traditionally eaten on the cob. However, you can make a concession stand version from canned corn that’s easy and cheap to make and still delicious for customers who want something a little different than the standard fare. Ideally, you’d pan-fry the corn to get that grilled taste, but in a pinch, you can simply heat a big batch in a slow cooker. Follow our recipe for seasoning suggestions. Serve corn in a food boat and top with shredded cheese.
5. Prepackaged Items
To save on labor and keep lines moving, grab-and-go items can help keep hungry customers satisfied. Some of the most popular concession foods are available in prepackaged varieties. Try gourmet popcorn that’s ready-to-eat! Enjoy flavors like old-fashioned caramel corn and cheese corn. (Shop Gold Medal Gourmet Popcorn here.) For nachos, you can offer Portion Pak nacho cheese and chips. There’s no prep or mess! Delight young and old with prepackaged cotton candy in tubs or bags. And don’t forget Meister Bake® soft pretzels are individually packed, shelf-stable, and do not require freezing. Pretzels can be warmed or served right from the package.
Promoting Your New High School Concession Stand Food Ideas
When you add a novelty menu item, make sure everyone knows about it! For visually appealing and interesting recipes like pickle pops and rainbow popcorn, create a display-only version or a high-quality photo that’s easily visible to customers at your serving window. At events with an announcer, ask them to mention specials over the PA system. Promote items on flyers and social media to create some hype. You can create demand by labeling your new items “limited-time only” and offering buy-one-get-one deals. And don’t forget the power of samples! Offering bite-sized samples can cause add-on, impulse sales.
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