Working the Brat Barn

My field trip for the weekend was working in the Brat Barn. You read that right: Brat Barn. No, it’s not a place to stash naughty children (though that’s an idea…). It’s a very small building organizations can use to sell bratwursts, burgers and sodas as a fundraiser. The buildings are near the exits at Festival Foods grocery stores around the Green Bay area.

If you’ve never experienced a bratwurst before, bratwursts are a regional thing. They’re not just grilled sausages, they’re heaven on a bun, wildly unhealthy, perfect when served with baked beans and corn on the cob, and an essential part of summer in Wisconsin. I see them more and more available outside the Midwest, but when I was a kid it was a local thing. Our family in Iowa always asked us to bring some (along with Chili John’s Chili and Tom & Jerry mix) on our family trips out to the Hawkeye state.

I’ve always wondered what it’s like to work in the Brat Barn and now I know. In this case, I was volunteering with my son’s Cub Scout pack. I had no idea what to expect apart from what I know from the buyer’s side of things: You can buy brats and burgers and load ’em up with condiments, and most importantly for me, it’s the perfect take home lunch for moms exhausted after grocery shopping.

I didn’t need to worry about what to do. It turns out Festival Foods is super organized and has a cheat sheet for everything from meat temperature standards to cash box recommendations. P and I worked the opening shift. One father readied the giant grill and got things cooking. The rest of us readied the condiment table, got things in order inside the Brat Barn, warmed up the Nescos, hung up our Scout Pack sign, and put the soda on ice. Once things got cookin’ we put on our mandatory paper Festival Foods hats and plastic gloves and waited for our first customers.  From that point it was my job to watch the scouts take orders, make change and talk up the product.

Not only did I get to try something new and support P’s Cub Scout pack, but it was a great way for the boys to get hands on experience at running a business a little more complex than a lemonade stand. They had the opportunity to select their products and condiments while keeping in mind what would appeal to customers and how that would affect the bottom line. They also learned the importance of being prepared and organized, how to work together and interact with customers. A very successful field trip for both of us if you ask me!