08/03/2026
One of the most frustrating parts of owning a small business is trying to predict the unpredictable.
Some days I prepare for what I think will be a record-breaking event. I spend hundreds of dollars on inventory, bake extra pastries, stock extra milk, syrups, cups, lids, ice, and ingredients. I wake up before the sun rises, stock the bus, double-check every detail, and head out excited because everything points to a busy day.
Then... the crowd never shows up.
I watch the clock. I wait for the rush that never comes. At the end of the day, I'm loading most of that inventory back into the refrigerator or storage, wondering what happened. Was it the weather? Another event nearby? Vacation season? Lack of advertising? Sometimes I never get an answer.
Then, just when I think I've learned my lesson, the very next event is packed. I'll sell out in a few hours, and people are disappointed because their favorite item is gone.
That's the reality of running a mobile food business. I'm constantly trying to find the balance between bringing enough and bringing too much. There isn't a perfect formula, no matter how long I've been doing it.
The slow days can be discouraging, but they don't define my business any more than the sold-out days do. Every event teaches me something. Every customer who stops by, whether it's one or one hundred, gives me another opportunity to grow.
So to every small business owner who's ever packed up with more inventory than they brought home in sales, don't let one slow day convince you that you're failing. Keep showing up. Keep serving with pride. Keep believing in what you're building. Success isn't measured by one event—it's measured by the willingness to open your doors, set up your booth/tent or even me getting ready to go out on my coffee bus again tomorrow.
The busy days will come. Until then, keep going. Your next great event could be just around the corner. 🩷☕
