Keep your food cheap enough you cover your expenses yet feel you can make a little off of it. Do you have enough help to have a "roaming consessions" someone that can walk around with drinks and simple snacks? That could help. I also remember going with my "other grandma" (a very kind neighbor lady with no grandkids) Taking my sister and me to play Bingo and they would have breaks when there was a bingo called (like 5 minutes) Family packs would be nice too. You know, 4 drinks, 4 hot dogs, chips for $5... Obviously that's just throwing one out there but those are what I look for. Hope this helps and have fun with this!!!
We have a dinner on the night of our fall festival. Even though it is the same thing every year we still do really well on it.
If you are still worried about it, you could always set out a container and beg for donations. You could add something else like a raffle or "guess how many beans are in the jar" contest, etc.
I am in charge of our last fundraiser, called the Spring Fling. It is a dinner and BINGO night. We have some awesome prizes to award for winning BINGo Players, and more for door prizes.
We are charging $5 per adult and $2.50 for children. In MO you cannot charge for BINGO if you are not liscensed. SO we MUST charge for the food only. We have sent out flyers stating dinner and BINGO with the prices, and that it is a fundraising event emphasised.
I really dont want 100 people coming in and saying we only want to play BINGO, and not eat so they dont have to pay. What is a PC way to handle this at the door??? I say we offer them a to go plate or that they make a donation but some people are not so sure.
If we dont make the $$$ on this event our budget is cut drastically next year and I am not sure they realize it yet.