This snack shack was a Friday. One of those nights were everyone has to hustle to feed the masses. One thing that was good was the atmosphere and communication. Everyone in the shack was happy and did their parts willingly. However I did notice a lot of station jumping. The guy on hot box would one second be there and the next be outside or near the fries. The main thing I learned from that one instance was that each station is vital for the shack to run. For example, while the hotbox was unattended orders were coming in for chicken finger, etc. Other than that the night was smooth and clean-up was quick.

This night was a really organized and flowing session of snack shack. I worked the grill and everything was smooth. All of the other stations were well kept through-out the night. Given that it was a slow night, it wasn’t hard to keep it clean but it was a large improvement from the snack shack run on the first night. At closing everyone helped and we were out of the shack in fashionable manor. I contribute that to us dumping the dishes into the sink and leaving. It was an effective way to get out but the clean up the next day was not fun.

This was my last snack shack and it happened to land on a football game, we knew it was going to be crazy witch it was. When I arrived I immidetly had to start making burgers! Laying the meat out into the deep hotel pans, each box of meat had 80 burgers in it according to nuemyer. I made 4 boxes! That’s 320 burgers! When we started making them we never stopped! There was always at least a burger or a hot dog on the grill. When I was on grill I was also helping Luke, he was my partner on grill duty that night. We probably made $5,000 and we made almost every burger and a whole bag of hot dogs! It was broadcasted again by cptv and it was a blast. Overall it was a good ending to a season in the Snack Shack!Michael B.

It was a Tuesday night and I knew I had snack shack again, it was a field hockey game so we weren’t expecting anyone to show up. I was on grill for the 4th time in a row, as you could tell by now I like to be on grill duty, but anyway the grill was easy as usual and sometimes slow but I still had a good time overall. We probably made about $50 and sold about 1 dozen burgers and 2 hotdogs, when we closed at half time more people had arrived and wanted food but we sadly had to close for the night. Michael b.

This was the second time it was a soccer Game, soccer games are usually slow but this one was a decently busy one. It’s started off really slow but then towards half time it sped up a little bit and towards the end it got busy but we had to really have to close when it got busy. I covered grill again because since it was my third time under the hood I was use to the basics and what to do to make things run as smoothly as possible. Next time I work I hope I can get grill again because I think it’s fun and its easy and not confusing at all. It’s very straight forward too. Over all it was a smooth fun time in the snack shack on my second girl’s soccer game. Michael b.

Snack shack #2 It was a nice Friday the 11th and I knew I had another snack shack coming up and the day beforehand was my first so I already knew what it would be like. Wrong! I forgot it was a football game so there was going to be a good expected crowd there that night. First thing I did when I got there was making the hot chocolate with Connor. We went down to the classroom and boiled up some water and emptied it into the cambro along with some hot chocolate mix. We only made one batch because we weren’t expecting a million people to buy hot chocolate. When we got back to the snack shack we started some prep and then we hung out for about 20 minutes then we were on the grind! It started with a slow but consistent crowed then it slowly got heavier and heavier by the minute. I was on grille again so there was not one minute that I wasn’t either checking the hot box for burgers or making some. John and Albert had the hot box so most of the time they would tell me if we needed more burgers. The fry station was a little chaotic because people FORGOT they are not supposed to take the fry basket to the sheet pan. The sheet pan should go to them. But overall it was a very fast paced night. We successfully made at least $3,000 and served at least 2,000 happy customers.Michaelb.

Snack shack#1 On Thursday the 10th it was my first time in the snack shack this year and forever as a matter a fact. When I was ready to come down to school I was a bit nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. When I got to school I entered the snack shack and I was greeted by Connor Murphy. As soon as we were all settled we were down and ready to go. We went back to the culinary room to grab supplies and then we put it inside of Jimmy’s mess of a car. I took the job of grille, I knew this would be fine for me because I’m not worried about cooking burgers and hot dogs I could do it in my sleep! It was only girl’s soccer so there was no crowd at all. In total about 30 people ordered food so I thought it was an excellent night to slowly get my feet wet and get a taste for the snack shack and how it works. Overall I thought it was a first fun and great experience with some friends in the snack shack! Michaelb.

Nicole O Football Game Snack Shack After only having worked the snack shack at a girl’s soccer game and field hockey game, working a football game was extremely different. From the minute that we opened at 6:30 sharp, there were constantly people ordering food. We had three people doing money, which was very helpful because that made the line move faster. By this point in time everyone is pretty comfortable with the snack shack so it ran very smoothly. The only thing that we should have done before we opened was prepare the sauces (such as honey mustard) instead of doing that after we opened when we were trying to serve people. Also, we should have advertised the pop-up more because many people did not know that we had that until after they bought their food and they wished that they had known it before. Overall the night went exceptionally well other than the fact that it was freezing out and I couldn’t feel my hands by the end of the night. There is really not much we have to improve on, and I can’t wait to work my next snack shack.

This snack shack experience was decent but definatly not the best. We had improved from the last time snackshack was run, but there were still some flaws. First off everyone was way to chatty and the orders could not be heard. Second, the orders came up short a couple times and everyone was asking questions to each other. Third, there, for some reason, was people arriving at 4-8:30 and the people that arrived from 5:30 basically left at 8 which just didn't seem fair and/or professional for advanced culinary students. If we can improve these minor flaws, I personally beleive that the snack shack will run much more smoothly and things can be done much better. Also as a compliment both teachers did a great job running the snack shack and doing just as much work as the students.

-David B.

This was yet again another great snack shack experience. Unfortunately there was not many customers the night we did the pop-up tent, but through it we were able to gain some further experience. This event gave us the ability to run the snack shack in an environment not yet done by us yet, even though it was just merely a couple feet away. The idea to cook mac n' cheese and pulled pork was a great idea. I personally believe that it should be served on the regular, we just happened to not have such a great night. The teamwork was great, everyone worked well together, jobs were taken care of professionally and everybody put in there effort to make this experience as easy and professional as possible. The only critique I have is that when an order is placed, the station making that order needs to report that back, not doing so may result in further problems. I am glad that I had attended this snack shack event to gain further experience and because it was much more coordinated than the last.

-David B.

Football!!! I guess i showed up late (??) but i thought i was second shift so who knows. Anyways, i was put on wrapping, and at first i was SO against it because i thought it wouldn't like it at all. Strangley enough, it wasn't that bad. Now don't get me wrong, i like cashier better, but this was pretty fun. It was a pretty busy night, but we had a lot of people helping out so it was ok. I distinctly remember liking wrapping because while everyone else was stressed out and yelling orders at each other, my main job was to wrap hamburgers and hot dogs. It was pretty fun because i would try to like race myself to see how fast i could go. Despite some glove rips, it was a really fun night, and i think wrapping is now my second favorite job in the snack shack.

Bailey Smith

Not gonna lie at first i was genuinely confused as to what snack shack was on 10/3 but don't worry its coming back to me. It was another boys soccer, and man those are my favorite. Traffic is normally on the light to moderate which is awesome because, that really gives you more of a chance to focus on what the job at hand is and to have fun with it. I believe i was also working as the cashier, grabbing candy, drinks, or hot chocolate where it was needed. I had another opportunity to work on my math skills and i must say, they're getting better. There where a couple moments where i honestly didn't know the change, but when that happened i would just look at someone else working, asked, and it was no big deal. I have to say, working boys soccer is the best, because unlike field hockey, your not bored out of your mind (or so I've heard) , but you're also not super overwhelmed like football. Overall, it was a good night

Bailey Smith

How could i forget about that beautiful September night full of snack shackin fun? It was boys soccer, and man wasn't that fun. I really got into my math skills that night. I'm not too great at that quick math skills, and business was a little slow so it was my prime time to practice. After a while i got the hang of it and i wasn't doing too bad. I think nothing will ever be funnier though than when this kid payed for a hot dog with a  ten dollar bill and never returned for change?! I sent someone after him though because he was only like 8 and i felt bad. Someone also payed with a hundred dollar bill and that was terrifying, but its okay i got through it. I even got to eat some fries at the end so basically it was a pretty solid night. I think i also have that menu memorized.

Bailey

On Tuesday night I worked the snack shack for the field hockey game. Even though it was senior night, business was still pretty slow. I spent the night working fries, the burger/hot dog box, hot chocolate, and coffee. To eliminate waste we decided to make the hot chocolates to order, filling up the cups with poweder and then adding water. We were able to manage, but had difficulty at times. Hot chocolate is probably the most frequently ordered item off the menu. I found that filling each individual cup with powder was a little too time consuming, and not something I would recommend doing again. My only other suggestion is that when somebody places an order for coffee, the cashier immediatley asks if they would like milk added. They then pass the order on to whoever is taking care of coffee. I feel that is just a little thing that would simplify the process. Other than that, everything went smoothly. It was an enjoyable night. - John Carlson

I worked yet another game last night and again I worked fat sandwiches. Tonight a lot of people bought fat sandwiches and 2 people orders the Carol which I thought was really cool and I put almost everything on it. Later that night the 2 people came up to me and said the Carol sandwiches were really good and that was a good compliment to hear. We were again low workers so Declan from intro had to come and work and again he was a big help. He was taking orders and he was doing a good job. One fat sandwich that someone orders was crazy. He created his own an it was 2 cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, mac n cheese bites, onion rings and fries and BBQ sauce. It was a crazy sandwich and I have no idea how that kid ate it. One thing I'm a bit worried about in the Snack Shack is the fridge. The drinks weren't cold and when I opened up the fridge, it didn't feel cold in there. I'm not saying there's a problem but maybe we should check it out to see if something is wrong. Overall another great and fun night and I can't wait to work 2 more games next week and one of them is a football game so I'm pretty excited. Michael P.

I worked at the Snack shack on Tuesday for girls soccer senior night. It was a slow night but it was still fun. I worked fat sandwiches and it is really fun making them. It was also really cool because CPTV was there and they came into the snack shack and they filmed me making a fat sandwich. One thing that went well was that I think we were well prepared and we didn't really make people wait for a long time when they ordered. Ryan an enea were working too and there a bit crazy. They wonder off all the time but there both funny and fun to work with. Overall another good night in the Snack Shack. Michael P.

Working the football game was once again a lot of fun. There's so much energy and liveliness to it. And, once again, I was working the tall hot box. I was also helping with the fat sandwiches every once in a while. I've gotten really comfortable dishing out orders coming in quickly, which means I need to do something else. I have one thing down and can move on to a new skill. I know I mentioned it before, that in moving to something else I get the feeling that whoever took over my job I can be doing it better, but whatever. Live and learn and growth, and stuff. I think I'd like to work the counter next. I like the people (and this should cure me of it in no time). It's my last scheduled snack shack shift, actually, and if I had to pick one that would be it. I really have enjoyed everything we've done, and that fact that with each job we've gotten better at our jobs and overall more cohesive. Anything we need to improve on, still? Who knows. From my perspective it's a little annoying to hear someone call for three chicken strips, turn around and not notice when I'm right behind them shouting, "Chicken strips!... Chicken Strips!!!......WHO ASKED ME FOR CHICKEN STRIPS!?". It's not their fault, I understand. You have to keep taking orders and calculate totals of orders over the noise and din of an open kitchen, and do it all quickly to keep the line from backing up too far. I'm sure I'll have my own problems working window for the very first time. I sincerely hope it isn't a football game :S I can't wait for the next game, whatever it is. I don't know how long I can last without another ranch-bbq-onionring-chickenstrip-macbite-cheeseburger. With fries. -Drew

Nicole O Field Hockey Snack Shack The field hockey play for a cure game went great! Overall the team rose over $1000 from selling baked goods and raffle tickets! The snack shack wasn’t too busy because not many people go to field hockey games, especially on Friday nights. Since everyone who worked the snack shack had experience working, almost everything went smooth. Everyone stayed in their assigned spots and there was definitely more people than were needed on the shift. The only problem from that night was calling back orders to the fryers and them not hearing what they need. There was a couple times when we were semi busy during half time when orders of chicken tenders were called back but the person working the fryers did not here. This resulted in the costumer having to wait a long time for their food. People just need to be more aware and alert when an order gets called back. The person taking the order needs to make sure that the people in the back heard them and the people in the back need to make sure they are making everything they are supposed to. Other than that the night was great and we finished and cleaned fairly early!

On Friday night I was one of many students working in the snack shack for the football game against New Milford. It was not as busy as the first football game had been, and I arrived late because of my soccer game, but I still believe I got the full football game experience. Throughout the night I filled in wherever people needed by, but the majority of the time I was moving things in and out of the grill box, pouring hot chocolate and coffee, and moving raw hamburger patties from boxes to hotel pans. I felt under pressure, and in a comfortable way. I felt the intensity a football game brings, but did not feel overwhelmed. Our group worked very well, there were no major problems and we never found ourselves terribly low on anything. There was lots of good chemistry in the group working, and Neumeyer facilitated everything well. I enjoyed the evening. It was basically what I expected, working during football games is not as daunting as other students made it out to be. - John Carlson

On Friday night I was one of six culinary students working in the snack shack for the field hockey game. This was the first time for me working, and also the first and probably only field hockey game of the season with an open snack shack. I found the night extremely easygoing and well done. I felt no stress, apart from the first 15 minutes after I arrived. During this time I was still getting used to how the snack shack functioned and wasn’t really sure how much work to expect. However after this initial tension I felt extremely at ease for the rest of the night. The majority of the time was spent simply cleaning or just standing around, as business was very slow. It was not as much work as I had expected it to be. I understand that this same atmosphere will not be present at any other games this season. The only time I somewhat felt like we were a little behind was at halftime. We received the most customers during halftime and were basically cooking everything to order. For hot box items such as chicken tenders and onion rings I understand that it would not have been economically smart to cook more in anticipation of halftime, as we did not know what kind of orders to expect. But I definitely think that we should have had more fries on hand, as those are always a popular order and the first thing eaten by workers if they are left over at the end of the night. It was just a touch chaotic at halftime and I feel as though just a little bit more preparation would have eased the tension slightly. All in all though this was an extremely easy shift, and despite the lack of urgency necessary I still feel it prepared me well for future games spent in the snack shack. - John Carlson

Nicole O September 25, 2013 Snack Shack Blog Last night the Newtown High School girl’s varsity soccer played a spectacular game. Since it was a Tuesday night and a girls soccer game, there were not many spectators which means not many people bought food from the snack shack and it wasn’t very crazy. At some points there were a lot of people, but for most of the night the snack shack was pretty slow. It ran smoothly with only a few minor flaws. One thing that should be changed is people need to stay at their assigned places. People did this for the most of the night, but there were few instances when someone who was supposed to be working the fries was at the register taking orders. When this happened there was no one to make the fries when someone ordered them. Also, we should find a way to make more coffee at one time because people had to wait up to five minutes for their coffee and were not too happy about it. We should figure out a way to make a large volume at once and put it in a container to keep it hot just like we do for the hot chocolate. One last thing that needs to be improved is the person who is making the fires should make sure there is always enough fries under the heat lamp so that they can quickly be sold and given to the costumer so they don’t have to wait a long time for them. Overall the snack shack went over very well and I can’t wait to work another one!

This was an interesting night in the snack shack. First everyone gets there and Bryce tells Hoagland that he has to leave at 6:15 so now were down a person. Then Luke tells Hoagland that he has to leave at 7:15 for 20 minutes. I was on fryer for the first part of the night and it was very fun. Frying is definitely my favorite job when working the snack shack and I have a blast every time I work it. This was definitely a crowded night and we were busy all night. Thank god we had Declan (a kid from intro culinary) to help us. If we didn't have him then it would of been a mess. He wrapped up all the burgers and dogs and that helped us a lot. Then Luke had to leave for a little bit so I had to take over grill and Declan had to take over fryer. This was definitely different because Declan had no clue what to do so I had to help him through it. Once he got the hang of it, it worked out pretty well. It was still a little hectic but we got through it and when Luke came back, he took over grill and I went back to fryer. Overall we had a good night but there is still room for improvement. Maybe next time we should defrost one veggie burger for the SAME GIRL who always buys one because we had a little veggie burger problem last time. It was another fun night in the snack shack. Michael P.

Jackson Cryder Blog My first football game in the snack shack was probably my greatest out of school event I’ve done in a while. We ran out of just about everything, all we had left for drinks was Lipton iced tea. We had run out of fries as well as a lot of the candy. I think we should stock up on more sodas, and have different kinds. All we had was Mountain dew and Pepsi/Diet Pepsi. They both have caffeine, and I think we should have some non-caffeinated drinks besides water and Gatorade. The price for chicken tenders is 4.00$ and the price for mozzarella sticks is 3.50$. I think we should keep consistent serving sizes, because we ended up giving some servings of fries that ad a lot less fries because we were running out and we were trying to cut back. Also, we should add combo meals, like getting a better deal if your order a cheeseburger/burger/hot dog with fries and a drink for maybe 10 dollars. It’s a full meal, and people won’t need to come back for things that they still want and spend more money than they need.

Alright. Soccerfest. The boys soccer team finally had they spotlight, and fans to cheer them on. As much as this blog is a chance for a dig and the soccer team but mostly Baldino, I came in first shift, and got to prep and lot of stuff as I had to leave early. Hoagy gave us 30 mins until she came back and expected us to be ready, naturally we missed a couple minor details but overall we got it all set, me and Parker dropped the various assorted fried goods, (and the bad Mac and cheese bites, really gotta get the triangle ones back) but I liked prepping, it was like the calm before the storm, and once that rush for the crowd came we were all in our stations and took them on, and even though we might have been slightly understaffed we did a good job and completed the task. I really have started to get the hang of this. I think you guys should offer varsity letters for each station, like I mean I should almost have one for fry cook by now... Bryce

Coming off of the most hectic snack shack in NHS history, is was actually looking forward to the next one if you can actually believe that. Well this time it was a boys soccer game and since they had been having a rough streak the attendance wasnt something to write home about. I kept anticipating more and more things to be fried as that is my official and never changing job, but the demand jut wasnt there. It was kinda nice being able to hear myself think. As I even got a go at being a cashier before the night ended, and with the leftovers had Parker make me the best fat sandwich he could. Anyway, it was nice working a snack shack with a certain organization to it, not where food is just flying everywhere. My sole suggestion as the starting fry cook would be to devise a system to get that fourth fryer under code and get it operating underneath that vent. It would be a game changer. I also feel the Mac and cheese bites that were triangular were 100x better than the new ones we have, just my two cents. Looking forward to the next one. Bryce