Inside Our 3-Day Charcuterie Cart Event: What We Learned, What We’d Do Differently (Part 2)

If there’s one thing our 3-day charcuterie cart event taught us, it’s that no matter how prepared you think you are, Mother Nature, foot traffic, and the food service gods will always throw you a curveball.

In Part 1, we shared how we prepped, packed, and powered through the first leg of our outdoor vending experience. In this post, we’re diving into what really happened behind the scenes: the gear we bought (and didn’t need), the surprises we faced, and the systems that saved us. If you're vending, catering, or building a food cart biz of your own—this one’s for you.

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1. Tent Drama, Wind Battles & Why Anchoring Matters

Let’s talk tents. We cannot overstate how important a full canopy setup is—not just for shade and presentation, but for safety. Our umbrella setup looked cute, but it nearly got taken out by wind on day one. Next time, we’re coming prepared with proper weights, sandbags, and actual straps, not decorative ones. We might even do a full blog post on tent security alone.

And yes, we wish we had a picture of Andrea out there mid-windstorm, tying things down like a superhero. (She does not wish we had a picture.) We’ve since learned the hard way: if your cart is out in the open, build it like it’s bracing for a storm.

2. Overbuying (Oops) and What Actually Worked

We bought too much. Why? Because we were told to expect big crowds—and we didn’t want to run out. But our spot didn’t get the foot traffic we were hoping for, which meant we had leftovers.

Thankfully, we designed our menu around Costco ingredients so we could return any unopened items. That alone saved us a good chunk of cash. For smaller orders, we love Aldi and Trader Joe’s, but for volume? Costco all the way.

A huge lesson we want to pass on: choose sturdy ingredients. As much as we love strawberries and raspberries, they’re not built for outdoor events. They bleed, break down fast, and demand super specific holding temps. Instead, we leaned into cheeses and cured meats that held their integrity even after hours in a cooler.

We even took a trick from our fine dining days—placing parchment paper between cheese slices to keep them from drying out or sticking together. It's those little touches that saved us time and kept things looking fresh.

3. Cooler Packing Like a Pro

When it came to prepping, local health rules meant most of the final assembly had to be done on-site. But we packed smart. We used flat, reusable containers from the dollar store—about 2–3 inches deep—which fit like a dream into our coolers. No ziplocks. No squished food.

We also rotated multiple types of ice packs: commercial hard packs, soft gel packs, and even frozen water in ziplocks. When we opened those coolers in 90° heat, you could literally see the cold air roll out. It made all the difference.

4. The Pricing and Profit Equation (Yes, It’s Coming)

Let’s be real: none of this matters if the numbers don’t make sense.

We’re working on a charcuterie cart calculator that’s going to break everything down: portions per block, servings per tray, cost-per-slice. It’s the same system we use to price for public events and private gigs. The full 70+ page ebook we’re releasing walks through the entire pricing-and-profit strategy—formulas, buying guides, waste controls, and real examples.

This experience reminded us why having a strong inventory plan matters. We may have overbought this time, but we tracked every single cost. And because we knew our margins ahead of time, we could make smart decisions—like returning extra inventory instead of forcing another event just to move product.

5. The Real Talk: Safety, Sanitation, and Staying Sane

Charcuterie is gorgeous—but it’s also full of perishable ingredients. We were checking temps constantly with our laser thermometer (Amazon find!) and rotating out tongs, gloves, and sanitizer like clockwork.

Every surface was wiped, every tool sanitized. We had one health inspector actually thank us for taking it seriously. It felt good to know we were going above and beyond—not just for compliance, but because we care about the people we serve.

That said, it’s exhausting. After each event day, we’d unload, clean, repack, and prep again. Having a system made it bearable—but we won't lie—it was a grind.

6. The Dog Drama & the Emotional Toll

Here’s a curveball no one plans for: our dog jumped a 5½-foot fence on July 4th during fireworks. We spent hours searching. She had an AirTag, but tracking was glitchy. At 3:30 a.m., we got a ping. We found her terrified but alive near a parking lot.

We slept 30 minutes and went straight to work the next day.

Entrepreneur life is not always shiny. It’s messy and raw. But we showed up, and we’re proud of that.

7. What’s Next (And How You Can Join Us)

This experience was a masterclass in real-world vending. We made mistakes, got messy, and learned a ton. But we also saw what worked—and we’re building tools to help you skip the hard parts.

👉 We’re sharing everything in our ebook: from pricing to gear to food safety checklists.

👉 We’re launching a calculator for charcuterie carts that takes the guesswork out of inventory planning.

👉 We’re also opening up our free community and premium tools at grazingbiz.com/launch so you can build your business with support.

If you’re thinking about doing pop-ups, catering, or private events—now is your moment. Fall and winter are huge seasons for charcuterie: Halloween, Thanksgiving, holiday parties, corporate gigs. Start planning now.

Final Thought

At the end of the day, we want this for you: profit, joy, creativity, and sustainability. We’re not here to sell hype—we’re here to build a community of food lovers who are ready to thrive.

You’ve got this. And we’re with you.

Stay cool (and strap down that tent, please).

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