Opening a chip van...

Kenny DNK

I was thinking bout getting my hands on a wee chip van, to open in the local village. Any one with any advice/links that I can take a look at with regards to permits and what would be required for me to open??

Longfella

Hello Kenny DNK,

I have no information to offer at the moment. Though lately I have become quite interested in the chip van business. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

Rubiee

Two things worth doing are:
1) Take a look at www.fsai.ie in particular this link http://www.fsai.ie/food_businesses/starting_business.html
2) Get in touch with your local environmental health officer in the HSE to see what they require.
Good luck with ur new venture.

Rogue-Trooper

Take a look at the Casual Trading Act 1995 here.


DCC issues this to all hot food traders too:

LIST OF FIRE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR CASUAL TRADING VENDORS

• Petrol generators are not to be used

• Catering units using gas-fired cooking equipment must be placed at least six metres apart from the next unit. Other units must be at least three metres apart.

• Liquidified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders to be stored in secure steel cages and positioned in a safe location out of reach from the public and safe from impact

• Storage of LPG at each catering unit is not to exceed 75 kg

• Steel bins to be provided for the storage of refuse/rubbish

• Caterers to remove refuse on a regular basis to eliminate potential fire or other hazard

• A 4kg stored pressure dry powder extinguisher to be provided for catering units serving hot food.

• Catering units with deep fat fryers to have 2 No 4kg stored pressure dry powder extinguishers

• Larger catering units to be provided with an automatic fire suppression system, ie Ansul or equivalent

• Catering units to have a 180cm by 180cm fire blanket

• Catering units are not to be located in any position that impedes escape from any other building

• All escape routes from catering units to be kept unobstructed

• Caterers to follow any instruction or advice given by the Fire Officer or Casual Trading Inspector of Dublin City Council

• In the event of a fire raise the alarm and ask the public to stand away. If safe to do so, attack the fire using the nearest suitable fire fighting equipment. If danger threatens, stand away from the fire.

• All staff to have a basic training in first aid fire fighting techniques and the use of first aid fire fighting equipment

• All staff to be provided with adequate information, instruction, training and supervision appropriate to their responsibilities , both for their own safety and that of others in the vicinity who may be affected by the hazards presented by LPG

• Smoking in or around the catering unit is prohibited

• Portable LPG heaters are prohibited

• Provide a suitable first aid kit

• No sleeping facilities to be provided in mobile catering units

• All fire safety equipment to be regularly serviced and maintained

• All generators and LPG equipment to be regularly serviced and maintained

• All cooking equipment to be maintained in good working order

Lastly, get a DVD of Roddy Doyle's 'The Van' and do the opposite of everything in the film!!

I Drink It Up!

fionntan g wrote: »

i wouldnt buy chips off this lad,he barley washes himself let alone his hands

Barley? Does he sell booze too?

rawgyms

name it bimbos burgers!

Southsider1

I have a client who is in that game. It's a minefiled with HACCAP, Licences etc etc. It's worth doing for the festivals: Oxygen etc but sites there can be pricey and you can make good money if you're prepared to work your ass off all weekend.... And I mean ALL!

Dunne.Drift

Southsider1 wrote: »

I have a client who is in that game. It's a minefiled with HACCAP, Licences etc etc. It's worth doing for the festivals: Oxygen etc but sites there can be pricey and you can make good money if you're prepared to work your ass off all weekend.... And I mean ALL!

You need to be in the mobile catering industry for a good while before your ready for the likes of oxygen! Alot of people have in the last 2 years got stung by getting a Van, setting up & thinking there going to make a mint, wrong it was the total opposite for them. The entry fee is so high its nearly impossible to make money unless you have a well setup Van, Staff which know exactly what there doing & able to work quickly to get customers served & also to have the cookers able to run for hours on end & cook big amounts of food!

For anybody intrested in getting into the mobile catering bussiness, my advice is its all tied up now between Permits, Events too dear, HACCAP etc etc... But get talking to somebody who is in it years & get advice from them aswell...


@ Southsider1 - If you dont mind me asking, who is you client that is in the Mobile catering ?

Southsider1

Dunne.Drift wrote: »

@ Southsider1 - If you dont mind me asking, who is you client that is in the Mobile catering ?

Sorry, Confidential... You really don't think I'd put info like that up here or give out client details to a stranger do you??

I agree with most of what you said tho. Hence why I said in my previous post that if you did something like Oxygen you'd be working, literally, all weekend.

shoutman

Mod note: Lads lets keep this on topic, none of this personal abuse/banter please.

fionntan g

shoutman wrote: »

Mod note: Lads lets keep this on topic, none of this personal abuse/banter please.

yeah lads ,stop having fun will ye!

shoutman

Having fun is fine, saying you wouldn't buy chips from the op because he doesn't wash is just childish and low brow.

fionntan g

shoutman wrote: »

Having fun is fine, saying you wouldn't buy chips from the op because he doesn't wash is just childish and low brow.

not when you know them!

YellowSheep

Hi There. I personally think you are wasting your time. Also its a high margin and perhaps a little cash business, but you need volume. Only operating in your small village will not work. And to think that you just can enter the event market you are dreaming. The big boys have it all divided and the rents to enter are very expensive. I worked for one of the biggest event guys for over a year and saw a lot of the small ones coming and going. Cheers Oliver

laineywine

I was thinking of starting a small mobilem catering business as well.Does anyone know how much it costs per day to trade at electric picnic & Oxygen?

Imakemoney00

Hi guys I'm also thinking about opening chip van for festivals like oxygen ,life , electric picnic , body and soul and the major ones.So my question is how much is it to stay at these festivals the average price if someone could help me out with a price please and thank you.

Graham

Imakemoney00 wrote: »

Hi guys I'm also thinking about opening chip van for festivals like oxygen ,life , electric picnic , body and soul and the major ones.So my question is how much is it to stay at these festivals the average price if someone could help me out with a price please and thank you.

While you're waiting, read the many other threads on the subject.

This one is from an old post but it does mention a figure:

John Mason wrote: »

A pitch in some of the festivels can cost anything up to €25k (if not more) and last year no one made any money to the music festivels, a few companies hit the wall last year.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=59065794&postcount=4


Many more posts here:
http://www.boards.ie/search/submit/?subforums=1&forum=106&query=festival