Burger vans are a rip off - food is too expensive
I recently attended a gala day in the town where I grew up. You know the kind of event that all the locals attend with parades, fairground rides and stalls etc. It was nice to get back home for this as the town (more of a village really) was celebrating its 50th Gala day and my sisters were running a stall.
I had a great day all in all, but one thing that still bugs me and its something I have noticed before at other events such as this. Unless you have the foresight to take along some food and drink, you end up buying snacks at these burger vans and mobile catering places.
The thing is they charge an arm and a leg and I think that its just a complete rip off. I had already decided that as we were attending a barbecue later on that evening I would just have a small snack to tide me over. A quick look at the menu and I thought that a tray of chips would be nice.
Guess how much I paid and what I got for my money? Two pounds for a ridiculously small tray of chips that probably contained less than one whole potato! They were charging three pounds for an unappealing greasy cheeseburger that probably would have been gone in a couple of mouthfuls anyway. Just who do they think they are kidding and how do they get away with this daylight robbery?
That was bad enough, but you had to be extremely careful or you would loose the measly portion. The tray was so small and flat that any chips lucky enough to be perched on top of another one tended to roll off and fall to the ground.
No, Im afraid I dont think the burger vans and the mobile catering facilities at these events really serve up value for money! I usually try to avoid them if I can. Next time I will MAKE SURE that I bring my own food with me.
It was kind of amusing that the DJ who was providing the music for the afternoon kept announcing that "It was happy hour at the burger van". He quickly followed this up with "The food isnt any cheaper, but at least they now serve you with a smile!" Very appropriate I thought. More like a sly grin because they know they have you over a bucket of chip fat!
Comments from visitors
hi all, i am also a "unlucky" owner of a burger van, after been made redundent working in a Hotel as as Food&Beverage Manager i decited to buy myself a Burger van, i have spend around 10k so far and have been trading for nearly 2 months now, every day i went out there i came home with a loss of nearly £50-£70.
Everyone wants TOP Quality Food and cheap price. I am selling Top Quality Burgers at £2.00 and to proper Beef Kebab and fresh Crepes as well. If i dont sell it i have to through it away with i keep doing daily, i still have to pay £15.00 for my Petrol Generator and roughly £5.00 for LPG daily!!
I regret already that i spend all my savings in this van and i am thinking of selling it again and get a Job.
so to all you complainers out there, not eveyone is making thousands with a burger van
Everyone wants TOP Quality Food and cheap price. I am selling Top Quality Burgers at £2.00 and to proper Beef Kebab and fresh Crepes as well. If i dont sell it i have to through it away with i keep doing daily, i still have to pay £15.00 for my Petrol Generator and roughly £5.00 for LPG daily!!
I regret already that i spend all my savings in this van and i am thinking of selling it again and get a Job.
so to all you complainers out there, not eveyone is making thousands with a burger van
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i agree with this guy completly, an the funny thing is i own a burger van lol !! however i tend to stay away from big events cause you end up giving the organiser ( councils) an huge amount of money, and as your a business person the only way of making money back is to charge stupid amounts of money for your food... you have staff to pay and as its usualy wkends this costs more, and you do want to earn a bit for yourself too as nobody likes to work for nowt!! however i have seen the portion size and i do agree that they could be bigger... i always consider people with children, an offer a small hotdog, which is a large one literely cut in half and is half the price @ £1.00 .. an my customers always come back with a smile.. so if you see me outside an event, like in the lane when the big cheese is on, be sure to look in on us an grab yourself a bite to eat :) (samsizzler)
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Pakistanis do not eat pork but they will take bribery because they are greedy pigs. I would rather they ate pork than be so easily bought by corrupt police.
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I like curry. - 8-Jul-11 13:59
Yes, an absolute bloody fortune, how they manage to make a profit with the massive overheads I do not know.
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Mckenziedonald - 7-Jul-11 20:45
do you understand the price caterers pay for pitches
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As the previous comments aren't available at the moment I'll mention this again; an ordinary banger in a roll may be very nice but it is NOT a hot dog! A hot dog should contain a frankfurter.
Can any of you snack van operators explain to me why you can't provide frankfurters? They don't need cooking after all, just simmering for a few minutes to heat up.
I always approach a new snack van with anticipation when "hot dogs" are on the menu and I'm invariably disappointed. Back in the 70's and 80's vans used to do proper hot dogs, why can't you now?
Can any of you snack van operators explain to me why you can't provide frankfurters? They don't need cooking after all, just simmering for a few minutes to heat up.
I always approach a new snack van with anticipation when "hot dogs" are on the menu and I'm invariably disappointed. Back in the 70's and 80's vans used to do proper hot dogs, why can't you now?
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grumpyoldwoman - 30-Jun-11 18:22
when the zombies attack earth. thats when you need a cheeseburger as theres no other food about! then the burger will be 30 pounds as its very rare! so what im trying to say is the witch will always get you! p.s mcdonalds food is made from zombies! and what im trying to get at is I put up my gazebo and turned out to be a pile off rubble and it looked nothing like the gazebo on the box! its just a pile off sticks! I paid 80 pounds for that! and I got a free stick with it! so the zombies came and ate the cheeseburger from mcdonalds that use zombie meat and sell a quarter pounder with cheese for 2.99 which dont even fill you up and yes the zombie likes me. sticks
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missy moo moo - 21-Jun-11 12:28
I own a burger van in thame and we sell quality cheese burger van for 2
,50,we only use the best stuff and use fresh red onions.we also
do a bootsale on Sunday and everything is cooked fresh on the dYe.don't assume that all owners operate to below standards.i have a good reputation
,50,we only use the best stuff and use fresh red onions.we also
do a bootsale on Sunday and everything is cooked fresh on the dYe.don't assume that all owners operate to below standards.i have a good reputation
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David@callums - 15-Jun-11 12:52
all depends where you go go we serve good food and at a good price with chips and a cheese burger for three quid
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halles kitchen - 12-Jun-11 22:18
No AOD im deadly serious, I have seen it done many times, I think Jules falls into the snobby cow category otherwise known as Champagne taste Orange Juice money brigade maybe she knows MikeP.
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Buster Bloodvessel - 5-Jun-11 13:14
Jules, no one is asking them to give food away and the majority of people are pretty stupid when it comes to money. I saw a documentary last month about a couple who spend £200 a week on groceries alone. High pitch prices probably are a big part of the problem, but my argument is that it shouldn't just be passed on to the customer. Isn't it always the little guy at the bottom of the food chain (sorry, no pun intended) that always ends up out of pocket? Look at the fiasco with the banks in recent years.
I might be 'tight' as you call it, but at least I'm not in debt and what's wrong with pulling out a Tupperware box with some sandwiches in? If you're embarrassed at that then you must be a right snob. Oh, and as for the £3 burger being cheaper than the supermarket. Perhaps that's true of the pre-made burgers, but I wouldn't buy them either. In fact I've half a kilo of steak I in the fridge which I'll be mincing up and using to make burgers for my BBQ tomorrow. That actually cost me £2 reduced and it will make a few quarter pounders. Very nice with home made buns as well!
Only stupid people and snobs throw away money. The question is, which category do you fall into?
@Buster - I sincerely hope you are kidding chap!
I might be 'tight' as you call it, but at least I'm not in debt and what's wrong with pulling out a Tupperware box with some sandwiches in? If you're embarrassed at that then you must be a right snob. Oh, and as for the £3 burger being cheaper than the supermarket. Perhaps that's true of the pre-made burgers, but I wouldn't buy them either. In fact I've half a kilo of steak I in the fridge which I'll be mincing up and using to make burgers for my BBQ tomorrow. That actually cost me £2 reduced and it will make a few quarter pounders. Very nice with home made buns as well!
Only stupid people and snobs throw away money. The question is, which category do you fall into?
@Buster - I sincerely hope you are kidding chap!
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You don' HAVE to buy the food at these places! If it's so extortionate and unhealthy, just don't eat it. You'll feel worse afterward anyway. Just go home and eat something cheaper and healthier or, if you really must, stop at a take-a-away on the way home.
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Dont use these places early in the morning otherwise you will be sold yesterdays reheated left overs, Carboot sales on a Sunday are worse for this.
I wouldnt buy any food from these Pikey rip off merchants.
I wouldnt buy any food from these Pikey rip off merchants.
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Buster Bloodvessel - 4-Jun-11 20:09
Sorry to come in a bit late in the day but just came across this and wanted to comment.
AOD - your idea of a fair price for a cheesburger is £1.50? What planet are you on? How can you think it is reasonable for people to make barely any profit per item? These people are self employed and work unusual shifts, perhaps not every day, therefore the profit they make pays their bills. Why should they give the food away? Would you go to work one day a week for free to help out your boss? Doubt it. The reason they can charge £3 (which I also happen to think is pretty reasonable) is because people are paying for the convenience of fast food bought and prepared by someone else. That is what the catering industry is all about. After adding food prices, overheads and staff costs they add on extra money which represents the cost of the convenience. This may not be a tangible profit source but it is what caterers rely on to make a good living. Do you think a plate of pasta costs £8 to make? Of course not. If you do not feel it is worth £3 to you then don't buy it, luckily for the burger van owners you do not represent the majority of their customers which is the very reason there are burger vans nationwide happily charging these prices with no complaints from customers. In all likelihood the vans that charge more probably do so due to high pitch prices as Laz said. It is obvious that your problem is you are tight and think you deserve things for free - this is not what makes the world go round unfortunately. Personally if I couldn't afford to buy food or didn't want to pay for it I would eat at home as I would rather not embarass myself taking out my tupperware box in the middle of a fair designed solely to make money whether for charity or for local businesses. And when you take into account the cost of supermarket shopping these days - that £3 burger would probably be cheaper.
AOD - your idea of a fair price for a cheesburger is £1.50? What planet are you on? How can you think it is reasonable for people to make barely any profit per item? These people are self employed and work unusual shifts, perhaps not every day, therefore the profit they make pays their bills. Why should they give the food away? Would you go to work one day a week for free to help out your boss? Doubt it. The reason they can charge £3 (which I also happen to think is pretty reasonable) is because people are paying for the convenience of fast food bought and prepared by someone else. That is what the catering industry is all about. After adding food prices, overheads and staff costs they add on extra money which represents the cost of the convenience. This may not be a tangible profit source but it is what caterers rely on to make a good living. Do you think a plate of pasta costs £8 to make? Of course not. If you do not feel it is worth £3 to you then don't buy it, luckily for the burger van owners you do not represent the majority of their customers which is the very reason there are burger vans nationwide happily charging these prices with no complaints from customers. In all likelihood the vans that charge more probably do so due to high pitch prices as Laz said. It is obvious that your problem is you are tight and think you deserve things for free - this is not what makes the world go round unfortunately. Personally if I couldn't afford to buy food or didn't want to pay for it I would eat at home as I would rather not embarass myself taking out my tupperware box in the middle of a fair designed solely to make money whether for charity or for local businesses. And when you take into account the cost of supermarket shopping these days - that £3 burger would probably be cheaper.
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Well good for you for negotiating Laz and perhaps you're one of the exceptions that are out there. I know some burger vans offer good value for money and they are the people who aren't greedy. As for the rip-off merchants not getting away with it, I'd have thought that's a harder one to tackle.
Benben - wouldn't touch McDonalds with a barge pole and my packed lunch isn't crappy thank you very much, unless you count (home baked fresh bread that morning, chicken and bacon, cheese savoury, homemade cake and flapjacks and lovely steaming hot fresh coffee - the proper stuff) as crappy. Sure, you're paying for convenience at a burger van - but you can only push people so far! Well, some people anyway.
Benben - wouldn't touch McDonalds with a barge pole and my packed lunch isn't crappy thank you very much, unless you count (home baked fresh bread that morning, chicken and bacon, cheese savoury, homemade cake and flapjacks and lovely steaming hot fresh coffee - the proper stuff) as crappy. Sure, you're paying for convenience at a burger van - but you can only push people so far! Well, some people anyway.
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How much is a burger at McDonalds? or anywhere? £1.50 is unheard of. a bar of chocolate is 85p!
Hilarious that people think they should only pay a wee bit more than the price of the ingredients. Your paying for the convenience of having food, somewhere where food usually is not. and if a burger van makes £400 clear in a day, which isnt guaranteed, theres a days prep before, the day itself, days cleaning after, 3 days £130 a day. not crazy money ey. Just remember your crappy packed lunch next time and chill out!
Hilarious that people think they should only pay a wee bit more than the price of the ingredients. Your paying for the convenience of having food, somewhere where food usually is not. and if a burger van makes £400 clear in a day, which isnt guaranteed, theres a days prep before, the day itself, days cleaning after, 3 days £130 a day. not crazy money ey. Just remember your crappy packed lunch next time and chill out!
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No need for the 'Stupid' remark, was there AOD? And to put your mind at rest.., I was simply quoting a price that I have heard 'can' be charged at an event. I don't recall saying that I personally have attended one and paid that kind of money. And as mentioned in a previous post.., Not 'all' of us are rip off merchants, as you so nicely described some people in the catering trade. I'm not disagreeing with you, that some of them can be, but then, so can any business. And why call customers 'Muppets'? No one forces them to buy from catering vans either. It is their choice if they fancy something to eat isn't it? Some of us do a very good trade by supplying good food, (The wholesaler is a key issue, I hasten to add)., and charging good/reasonable prices.., and as with any other business again., PRICES VARY! The 'rip off merchants' are lucky to scrape by, because word gets around, believe me. Also, are we meant to travel to buy stock., prepare and cook it for you etc, for free?? We simply provide a service. . And The reason we don't charge high prices is because.., I 'DID' stand up and negotiate a pitch price.., We got ours quite cheap, so I have no need to rip anybody off, thank you very much. Suffice to say that I have a LOT of regular customers, and I'm sure if they thought they were being shafted that they would go elsewhere. It seems to me, that you want to come on here to call people names, so judging by that, you don't run your own business do you? Try it sometime.You may learn something.
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Laz: If you're stupid enough to stump up 5 grand for a pitch then you're part of the problem and you're just as bad as the venue owners who charge such ridiculous prices. It's basically greed on top of greed. And it's not paying "a little more", it's paying A LOT more. As f or the pub and club owner thing, I treat them with the same level of contempt as well, for they too are rip off merchants.
I do jog on, and I usually do have a nice day - with my freshly made packed lunch, because unlike the other muppets that are prepared to open their wallets and throw money at greed - I learned not to a long time ago.
I do jog on, and I usually do have a nice day - with my freshly made packed lunch, because unlike the other muppets that are prepared to open their wallets and throw money at greed - I learned not to a long time ago.
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With regard to AOD's gripe about what we have to pay by way of pitch prices.., Firstly., If it is an EVENT somewhere, ie; Glastonbury, IOW, Moto GP or similar..., I wonder if you are aware that the pitch price can be as much as £5,000 or more for 3 days or so? If it was you, would YOU only charge £2 or so for a cheeseburger?? VERY Doubtful, to say the least. And it is also worth bearing in mind that mobile catering is like a local convenience store. You will pay a little more in those than you would at the well known supermarkets too. So, instead of having a 'dig' at the mobile catering trade, maybe you should pause to think that we are there to stop those l'il 'hunger pangs' you may get after a night at the local boozer! I bet you don't have a go at the pub and club owners for charging you maybe a fiver at the door, and possibly over 3 quid a pint, do you?..., and a pint of beer is 96-98% WATER!! So, enough of the petty '5th grade' name calling. If you don't like a burger van's prices..., Jog on, Simple! Have a nice day, :-)
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With reference to the initial post saying 'burger bars are a rip off'.., I would like to point out that not 'all' burger vans or catering trailers are a rip off. It was maybe a little unfortunate that you found a 'dodgy' one., but some of us pride ourselves in what we sell, the quality and portions of what we sell, and even a variety of other foodstuffs. You may have felt hard done by, by that particular van.., However, please don't 'stereotype' all of us, or tar us with the same brush. There is good and bad in 'every' business you care to name. Perhaps it may have been an idea to look at what the customer in front of you got for their money. Then, you would have had the option to buy or not. No one forced you. You could just as easily have left the chips on the side and walked away without parting with your money.
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