I have received many questions regarding the burrito stand featured in the “baseball” post. So, I thought I’d go to the source and find out what it is all about...
The stand belongs to Dave Martilla from Lake Elsinore, CA. If there was ever someone to take notes from regarding catering in your community, Dave’s your man! He not only caters baseball games, he also sells burritos at local high schools and middle schools in his area, as well as attends many local festivals and sporting events.
The actual stand is owned by Dave’s local baseball stadium. With permission from the stadium, Dave decorated the stand and was able to really bring our baja décor to the baseball stadium. He sells his burritos to the park and they in turn sell them to the public. They offer 16 oz burritos with carne, chicken or bean & cheese and he has even started serving breakfast. The stand has a warmer in the back to hold the burritos and keep them steamin’ all afternoon long.
Décor...
When Dave and his crew attend local sporting events they come equipped with their own stand, usually a 6 foot folding table. They wrap the table with bamboo and use a 10X10’ pop up along with a 3X10’ banner to draw attention. They wrap the table in beach bamboo which looks amazing and is relatively inexpensive! Dave has found a way to brand his outside efforts, catering efforts and let customers know Taco Del Mar is in town and part of the community.
Execution...
Dave and team use multiple warmers to keep the burritos fresh. If they don’t have power they bring a generator to the event. They use three metro warmers for each event; one for the store, one for the event and one for the road. (Dave tells us that you can purchase these easily through EBay and various other auctions)
They create what Dave calls a “mini front line” in the back to make the burritos. The line includes one steamer and two plug in/portable hot water warmers. In an hour he says one person can make on average 75-90 burritos!!! They then wrap the burritos in labeled hot dog bags which included all ingredients and the weight keeping in line with the local health department codes. For larger events Dave advises to get a group health permit and make sure that you keep the burritos at the appropriate temperature.
“The great part about this and catering from our store is that it is all done in the back, all 6' of it, with little interruption to the front. It's all about prep the night before. Depending on the demand we make them early and bring them in the warmer and/or via our delivery bags (used for the schools).”
The real key Dave says is not making too many or better yet not making enough. In a recent event they sold over 500 burritos in 6 hours! One thing’s for sure Dave has thought of everything and he has taken catering to a whole new level! Awesome job and thanks for sharing!
(stadium sign)
(school lunch program sign)
