Native American heritage inspires unique menu for Windwalker Concessions

Dave and Shirley Koons own and operate WindWalker Concessions, LLC (also known as Longhorn Saloon). They have been members of NICA for over 6 years and have become important members of our extended family. We decided during this interview to discuss some of the reasons they were drawn to concessions and what their life has been like as an Independent Concessionaire.

NICA: How long have you been a concessionaire?

Dave and Shirley: Our First Show was in April 1999.

NICA: What are some of the items that you sell?

Dave and Shirley: A few items that we sell are traditional Indian tacos, ribbon and haystack taters, catfish, charbroiled steak and chicken kabobs, chicken tenders, nacho supreme, and our fresh-made cherry limeade.

NICA: How did you start in the concession business and choose the food that you sell?

Dave and Shirley: We are both “semi” retired, Shirley was a Registered Dietician and I was a Mainframe Computer Engineer. We were going to open a high end steak restaurant in Omaha, NE and after exhaustive research, we decided the odds of success were pretty small but while investigating the restaurant business, we were asked to help a friend with his concession trailer at a local event and the rest is history!

Operating a Mobile restaurant allowed us to overcome a lot of the negative factors of a permanent restaurant. Over the next few months, we attended many events and made notes of what the concessionaires were offering because of my Native American Heritage and Shirley’s love of Dan’s Indian Taco’s at the Oklahoma State Fair, we knew we were going to offer Indian tacos. The rest of our menu was based on trial and error and trying to offer unique menu choices that were not duplications of the other concessionaires.

NICA: What do you like and dislike most about being a concessionaire?

Dave and Shirley: There are so many positive aspects of being a concessionaire, it’s hard to choose!  Every event is like a “family reunion.” It has always amazed me how friendly, forthcoming, and helpful other concessionaires are. I don’t know of any other business where your direct competitor will loan you product if you run short at a show, or help you fix or repair equipment to keep you operating. The “likes” far outweigh the “dislikes” and the only thing worse than setting up in the rain, is tearing down in the rain, cleaning the exhaust hood and filters, and fellow concessionaires who choose not to follow the event rules. Also, “unhappy” concessionaires who feel they must share their unhappiness with all that will listen.

NICA: How were you introduced to NICA?

Dave and Shirley: We were fortunate enough to meet a NICA member ( Connie & Cheree McKinney )in our first year of business, Connie & Cheree  took us under their wing and showed us the ropes, and invited us to join NICA, this was probably the BEST ADVICE we were ever given. NICA has proven to be an invaluable resource and all of the programs and discounts are great, but the availability of networking with other NICA members has been the most help. A sincere thank you to Connie & Cheree McKinney, Rodger & Paula Westmoreland, Larry & Peggy Lee, Glen & LaDonna Denslow, and all of the NICA family for your help and support over the years. 

NICA: Do you have any advice you would like to share with new concessionaires or people who are thinking of joining the business?

Dave and Shirley: Y’all come on! This is a lot of hard work but at the end of the day, your rewards are worth the effort. You will meet and make friends with some of the most dynamic and friendly people. You get to be “entertained” every weekend at the event you’re at and you get to travel, see roads and countryside you may never have seen before. Advice to the wise: #1 join NICA, #2 treat your customers the way you would like to be treated, #3 don’t send anything out your window that you wouldn’t eat or drink yourself, and #4 help your fellow concessionaire whether they are NICA members or not.

NICA: Do you have any interesting stories or memorable moments that you could share with the NICA News?

Dave and Shirley: A few years back, we had rim and tire that decided it no longer wanted to be attached to our concession trailer while going 65 MPH on interstate 40. The rooster tail of sparks from the frame hitting the concrete roadway, combined with watching the tire and rim head off into a farmer’s field at 65 MPH was very sobering to say the least. We managed to get the truck and trailer safely on the shoulder and we had to leave it there overnight while we scrambled to get the needed repair parts. The next morning, we managed to get it repaired after we had seen 3 highway patrol cars and 1 tow truck pass us while we were broken down, none stopped to help us. We were ready to get underway again when a truck and concession trailer pulled onto the shoulder. The owner got out and offered his assistance, you guessed it, a fellow NICA member (Glen Denslow).

NICA: Do you have a favorite concession item or service (besides your own, of course)?

Dave and Shirley:  Jeff & Zena’s  Chinese Food, Sundae Factory Ice Cream, Wildgoose  Taco’s, and K & M’s Cheeseburgers just to name a few.  A service that’s needed however is concession trailer cleaning.

NICA: Do you have a favorite region or time of year to travel with your concession and why?

Dave and Shirley: Central Midwest from April thru October, we spend most of our time in rural farm area and we really enjoy our county fair season. The children are polite and well behaved, and we have found that country folks come hungry, and know how to eat!

NICA: What do you like to do during the off season or when you’re not working?

Dave and Shirley: We have spent the last 7 years building our house in Oklahoma, with only 4-5 months a year to work on it, it consumed all of our time off. We built a second theme trailer called the Longhorn Saloon, and have been very pleased with it. I enjoy making sawdust in the shop, or painting in the spray booth, and have recently taken up woodturning on the lathe. Shirley enjoys cross stitch, sewing, and decorating the new house. We are both looking forward to some landscaping projects this fall when we get home.

NICA: Do you have any additional thoughts that you would like to share with us?

Dave and Shirley: Each season our company picks an “issue” or “opportunity” that we work on thru-out the season. This year’s theme is to try and look at the issues at the event thru the eyes of the event coordinator. It’s easy to lose your cool when problems arise but we have enough things to worry about just running our own business. Taking your frustrations out on the “mostly” volunteer staff, that are most likely using up their vacation time from work, is not the answer. We have found that it’s usually the same core group of volunteers, year after year, that make these events & fairs happen. Without these folks, we would all be out of places to set up our concession trailers.

We have started to address these opportunities in written form on our company letterhead, with what we think are positive solutions and ideas that we have seen in operation at other events. We try and send these out with a thank you card a few weeks after the event. We believe you are either part of the problem or part of the solution. So take a few minutes of your time to thank the folks in charge for all their hard work because “Together We Can.”