Question about Food

[Ruriko]

Hello--

Con costs are building up quickly....and I'm running low on cash.  I work in a bakery, and make awesomely good Manju (Lil' glazed Japanese style cookie/cakes with sweet-bean filling) and O-Musubi (Rice balls.  I tend to leave the pickled plum out, as it surprises most people...^_^).  

I have my Food Card, and am a very cleanly cook (as I work in a bakery and you can't afford NOT to be...).  Would it be alright if I brought some of these to the con to sell?  I'm not out for a profit, just enough to help pay for my parking....>_<  They'll all be wrapped in cellophane to keep the crumbs off of the carpeting.

They're good as far as nutrition goes, and considering most of the people at the con will be starving for something to eat as the con goes along, this might be a nice little snack on their way to your own consessions stand....

I was debating on just showing up with a bunch of them, but I wanted to run it by you guys first, as It'd be embarassing to be kicked out of the con over sweet-beans.  ^_^

Please let me know as soon as you can.  I'd really appreciate it!!

-ko

[trinket]

yummy    i hope you can! *gets all giddy*

[Oubeji]

I've been craving for manju as long as I can remember!!!
I sure hope you can make it and have some left for me to buy when I get there....!! *drool* I never knew I could find manju in OR....

[Ruriko]

I really hope I can as well....that'd be so helpful.  And as far as Ive heard, everything foodwise at these conventions are incredibly obscenely expensive....^^

-ko

[Radien]

I'm definitely not the one for an official answer here, but I seriously doubt you're going to get kicked out of the con or the hotel for such a simple gesture... After all, there's nothing terribly unethical about feeding nearly-broke starving fans.

Since some people may be reading this thread wondering what to do about their own food, besides living off of manju bread morning, noon, and night (I doubt you'll have that much anyway), if anyone needs advice on how to effectively pack 3 days worth of food for a con, please ask and I'll give my own advice.

[RemSaverem]

thank you for your creative offer. i would personally love to try your products. they would be new to my experience.

the rudimentary understanding i believe i gleaned from the most recent staff meeting, was that the hotel granted our con a special exception to be allowed to sell (or was it offer for donation?) foods that could not readily be purchased in a regular nearby store.

however, foods that we prepared at home could not be sold to others because of some kind of liability issue.

if you are creating these products as a professional in a store, that seems like a liminal area that could go either way.......

personally, i hope that the decision is ruled in your favor, but i'm not sure who would be making the decision. if no one speaks against your doing it, feel free to drop by fanfic bedtime stories with your wares (sunday night 9pm to midnight in the salem room).

[Radien]

Perhaps venue would be a key point?  Could she invite people to her room or some other out-of-the-way place and sell it to them in private? Or would that simply be skirting the issue?

I probably thought it would be okay because it's pretty unlikely you'd get noticed/stopped, but Rem is likely the more realistic between us.

[Dustin]

If she's a professional, with all her proper papers and such, then I see no problem in it.

I mean, is there a law or rule stating you cannot bring take-out food into the Hotel?

I see people buy food and take it into hotels all the time.

Of course, its stuff like Burger King and McDonalds (Which I bet her food tastes ALOT better than, is better for you, and generally not polluted with all sorts of germs), yet, still, I don't see the problem here.

I mean, worst thing that can happen is she is a crazy Otaku who will poison our food, steal our plushies, and run like hell, right?  ^__^;;

Yeah....thats highly unlikely.....or is it...?

[Radien]

If she's a professional, with all her proper papers and such, then I see no problem in it.

I mean, is there a law or rule stating you cannot bring take-out food into the Hotel?

The legality of her position as a food vendor is not what we're concerned about. Rem is worried that the hotel will be unhappy if someone else is selling food on the hotel grounds, where they normally have exclusive vending rights (since they own the place).

Hotels naturally allow you to bring in outside food, but that would only apply if she sold the the food to con-goers while off of hotel grounds. (obviously too inconvenient to consider)

[Ruriko]

Does it help any that I am not really selling for profit, like most vendors would be?  I mean, I am hoping for a few spare shekels, but nothing more, really.  Does that help my case attal?  Or is there any way I could just sell them in a bulk number to your own consession stand?

It seems I'm stuck in the middle point.  ^_~

I suppose it's not life and death, but I do think that it'd be fun and help with the whole Japan theme of the weekend.  ^_^

If it is allowed, how many would you like for me to bring by the Salem room?  I'm not entirely sure as to how many to make, should it be acceptable.

-ko

[EvilMonkey]

It can't be anything official, even though you have your food card, because it's in the function space, the hotel would have to have insurance for the items you'd be selling.

[Magnus777]

Well either way, Ruriko has my support.

[Irnogs]

Mmm... I'm pretty sure my group will want to get some of those too (sounds like you should be able to). I hope you plan on making lots

[Ruriko]

Dig the nutrition topic, Radien!  Very helpful for the newbies!!!  ^__^  Good idea.

There wouldn't really be anything official about it, I mean, I won't be selling them on behalf of the bakery I work at......

Is that what you mean?  It seems basically it's sell at your own risk...?

Or maybe people can order theirs online, and I'll just trade them off at the Con?  It sounds like some already would like to have some...

-ko

[Irnogs]

Yeah, you should let us know how much and I'll tell you how many I want sometime between now and Friday.

[Ruriko]

60 Cents a piece is how much I was thinking.  But it's totally donation based.  ^_^  Is that too much/too little?

Donate to help with my parking cost, and I'll give you a tasty bean-filled prize. ^_^  

-ko

[Irnogs]

hehe, that sounds great. Why don't you mark me down for a dozen.

[Ruriko]

Yes ma'am.  Thankyou!  ^_^  I'll make them up fresh for you tomarro evening.  Where can I find you at the con to give them to you?

-ko

[cupcake_abuser_zooshi]

mmmmmm....food....well if it turns out you cant sell them at a stand or somthing, will you have a bunch with you so we can buy them anyways. i usually like to look at what im buying before i buy it. (no offense to your baking, i bet its great!)

[RemSaverem]

shekels? *rem is jewish and smiles at reference to israeli coin*

well i think what Qevil (our con chair) meant by "it can't be anything official" means that we can't call it "the kumoricon sale of" product x. however, anecdotally. what would a bedtime story be without a nighttime snack. hop by our event and i can only imagine that without staff having anything officially to do with it your wares would be eaten and appreciated and gratitude might be shown by those eating in coincidentally parking-friendly ways.

[Ruriko]

*happy!*

Thank you very much, Rem!  I will most certainly bring some by your event if you would be so wonderfully kind as to remind me when and where it is.....and also if you'd give me a random guess as to how many you'd like me to bring by...Is it the same one that Filkaeris is running?

And yes DaniChan, you are more than welcome to look at them before you buy them.  My feelings aren't hurt.  ^_^  

-ko

[RemSaverem]

yes. filkaeris, blackjack gabbiani, hope, and i comprise the team, from the kumoricon_fanfiction yahoo group that amy (last year's cochair of fanfic programming) and i moderate, who are running this year's fanfic programming. (i am this year's chair.) so yes, it's the same event. i have no idea what this product is like, but i'll take, oh, four for me. i have no idea what our turnout will be for the event. i just spent about $80 on asian drinks and snacks .....including a couple of those ramune drinks with marbles, lychee, rice crackers, yami and comparable desert stick/dip combos, ginger candy, botan rice candy, tea, juice and almond milk. i need to try to recoup what i spent, if possible....but it just wouldn't be bedtime stories without nighty night snacks, so i "had" to do it

can't wait to meet you!

oh and if anything on my list appeals to you i'm into barter. (that goes for anyone.)