What you need to know
Designed to help instill leadership skills within the community’s youth, the program allows children to learn how to develop an inventory, a pricing model and sales experience by selling food and drinks at the Voight Pool. Additionally, the experience helps Hollywood Park youth learn how to make a profit and the importance of a profit margin.
Qualifications to sign up:
- Must be a Hollywood Park resident and 21 years or older
- Must have or acquire a certificate of insurance
- Must use funds to help a non-profit or the experience must be used to help instill leadership skills for city youth
Interested participants must submit an application, which will be reviewed by a committee of two city liaisons and two residents. If accepted, the committee will notify accepted applicants by email and provide them with the dates that they will run the shack.
Once they are accepted, participants select what they want to serve as well as their prices, purchase their inventory and fill out a sheet to help them understand their pricing models. Participants will also advertise their products on the city's Get Connected page, the Monday before they work in the shack.
Suggestions for the 2025 program included providing guest pool passes for anyone working in the shack, so they can hop into the pool to cool off and using coolers to keep their products cold.
The backstory
In the summer of 2024, Pearce said five families and two non-profits signed up. Because there were few applicants, everyone was accepted to the program and was able to work in the shack for a few days.
Participants advertised prior to their shift, worked in the shack and made four announcements over the intercom system during their shift. Afterwards, the participants counted their money and receipts and got hands on experience with learning how to measure their profit margin.
Process of Snack Shack program:
- Advertised the program on Get Connected
- Collected applications
- Met with committee to sift through applications
- Contacted all selected applicants via email
- Held informational meeting on June 11 with Snack Shack Liaisons, Public Works and Fire Department
- Uploaded food advertisements to the community via Get Connected
