Grandma 9515 - I'd keep checking on food vendors that would give you a better split to supplement whatever else you come up with. Our local Dairy Queen will come to elementary school events and sell Blizzards. They make them in advance and bring a small freezer, offering about 3 flavors. They sell for $2 - and we get half. These are pretty popular at our Spring Fling. You are probably going to have better luck with independent owners than big chains.
As far as cotton candy - I just did a Google search with
+"cotton candy" +packaged
Note - I have no experience with these companies. Here are a few of the hits:
Suggestions please! New health department guidelines no longer allow for any homemade food to be brought on campus. Everything has to be store bought and in the original wrapper to be served. This includes the traditional birthday treats.
pot luck dinners - not allowed
bake sales - not allowed
popcorn-cotton candy-hamburgers-cookies at the carnival - not allowed unless a special permit and food handlers cards obtained or purchase everything through the cafeteria and pay for staff.
New law
food sales(candy bars etc) - not allowed (student council lost big time on this one)
We can serve pre-bagged popcorn at our family movie nights and hot dogs at our parent and child nights as long as adults handle the food and it is only out for 20 minutes or less.
Any suggestions for a carnival - anyone know a good resource (cheap but good) for packaged cotton candy. Other types of food to sell...vendors charge toooo much and don't give more than 2-10% of food sales.
We do a chili supper every Novemeber and it is always a big sucess. The lunch ladies make the chili for us and the cornbread. Then we just get the hot dogs, chips, and all the fixings for the dogs and chili. The Student Council brings in baked goods that is added in the price. We have 3 different prices...a hot dog, chili or chili and hotdog.
Maybe try another local Italian restaurant for their help. Buca Dipepo did ours a little while back and it turned out nice and one year before that a little local restaurant did it. The local one did the best job.
But even getting other parents to pitch in to boil noodles/serving and getting a mega bag of meatballs from a wholesale place and garlic bread and your sauce. I think that would cut costs too.
