Back to the Market Future

Our schedule filled up faster than I thought.  Kate & I found ourselves with three debut markets on the schedule for that first full week of July:  

Lucky for us someone cancelled at the Oceanside night market & Cathy called us to fill in, so Thursday was a double.  And, Friday was a lunchtime gig in South Bay that Kate finagled from another hot dog vendor we knew, Doggo's Gus.  

I did my shopping trip early on Tuesday, we prepped everything & drove to the Mira Mesa high school parking lot.  It was a long market (2:30-7PM) but we worked our way into it.  We were next to an older couple who sold hot dogs & nachos & also had a booth inside the San Diego Sports Arena.

"Yeah, it's great.  We basically run our own concession stand there.  We just pay rent to the arena," the wife said.

That did sound great.  And, here we were, just hoping to break even at a 10-tent market on a Tuesday afternoon in Mira Mesa.

Things perked up on Thursday, though.  We made twice the sales in half the time at Sony (a market about the same size) & then packed up & hit the road for Oceanside.  The market there didn't start until 5pm but we still got up there right away so we could get a lay of the land.

I'm glad we got there early.  I'm not sure if you can call their Thursday night shindig a market.  It's more like a street fair & somehow they put one on every single week.  There's close to 80 food vendors alone & other tents hawking everything from jewelry to artwork to timeshares at Lawrence Welk Resort.  

The sunset "market" comes together a at giant cross intersection with a large stage dominating one of the  quadrants.  The live music could best be described as your dad's favorite rock cover band.  Even if you couldn't see the stage, it was impossible not to hear the throbbing bass, drums & guitars.  

Kate & I were just glad to have a spot & ride out the waves of people who ordered in succession.  To have a permanent spot there would keep our business alive & thriving.