Menard Center concession stand raised thousands for local causes, but faces uncertain future

What you need to know:

• A concession stand at the Menard Center has helped local groups raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, but its operator says it’s time to move on, leaving the future of the stand uncertain.
• The setup relies on community volunteers while its operator manages logistics, creating a widely used system that has benefited youth teams, nonprofits and other organizations.
• The current lease ends June 30. The city is considering next steps, and there is uncertainty about whether the volunteer-driven fundraising model will continue.

• Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.

WASILLA — It was a cotton candy dream that turned into a hot-dog of an idea: a volunteer-run concession stand at the Menard Center whose purpose was returning profits to the volunteers themselves.

About 7,482 hot dogs later, Scott Andrews of Concessions Solutions LLC says the experimental venture was a success — even as he prepares to cease operations this summer and the City of Wasilla faces uncertainty about what to do with the center’s main concessions area.

“We had a three-year plan, and we proved the concept,” Andrews said during an interview at the 100,000-square-foot facility, which houses a hockey rink, turf field and meeting rooms in addition to the dedicated concessions area.

The numbers are impressive. Over three years of leasing the stand from the city, Andrews and his wife, April, returned $300,000 to local causes, including teams, clubs, youth groups, faith-based organizations and other nonprofits. Along with all those hot dogs, volunteers served 17,366 pretzels, 4,462 corn dogs, 8,194 trays of nachos, 8,474 candy bars and 19,513 fountain drinks.

For the groups that worked it, the concession stand has been a fundraising feast.

“Our booster club has benefited greatly,” wrote Palmer Moose Boosters wrestling club President Dawn Paulson in an email.

In a follow-up interview, Paulson said two local wrestling clubs recently split $10,000 after team members and boosters staffed the booth during a large weekend tournament. For the Moose, that money will fund new singlets, bus rides to tournaments, coaching stipends and more.

But while it has been a boon for her club, Paulson said she’s worried the model pioneered by the Andrews family will go away once Concessions Solutions’ current lease ends June 30.

“I’m super nervous about the future,” she said.

Sweet Success

Andrews and his wife first got a taste of fundraising when their daughter needed to raise money for her school.

“So my wife and I bought a cotton candy maker,” he said.

The couple set up a booth at the Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show. Students from their daughter’s school helped run it. By the end of the weekend, they had raised a couple thousand dollars. It was hard work, but the couple wondered whether it would be possible to scale up the operation with the idea of creating an entirely volunteer-run business.

“It was April’s idea: What if we set it up so everything’s ready to go?” Andrews said. “So any group could walk in without having to go through hundreds of hours of prep? They just show up and do it.”

The couple approached the city with their idea, and the first of a series of leases was approved by the Wasilla City Council in 2023.

“The plan was turnkey: Groups come in, clean up after themselves, restock when they’re done,” Andrews said.

With community groups providing their own volunteer labor, Andrews handled inventory management and ran the business behind the scenes.

“We make sure the equipment works, and the licensing and taxes are handled,” he said.

It’s not just paperwork. The couple bought equipment and set up the stand, and once it was running, he spent countless hours during busy weekends making runs to the store for extra supplies or more food — sometimes as many as eight trips a week.

“It was about 15 hours a week on average,” Andrews said.

Paulson said Andrews’ sweat equity was key to the operation’s success.

“He puts in a lot of hours.”

Win-win solution

Wasilla Recreational Services Director Scott Bell said the partnership with Concessions Solutions has benefited everyone involved.

“It really turned into something extraordinarily unique and a fantastic deal for the community,” Bell said.

Bell said the project was a valuable asset because so many different organizations benefited from the model.

“The great part about what Scott did is that it impacted so many groups and so much funding,” he said.

At first, Concessions Solutions offered the stand to any community organizations that wanted to earn money. But due to the model’s popularity, Andrews set up a system that prioritized groups connected to particular events — hockey teams selling hot dogs at hockey games, for example, or wrestling teams running the stand during tournaments — and then offered remaining spots to other youth groups.

“Our general rule is: If you’re the home team, the one renting the ice, you get first crack,” he said. “If your parents and kids want to run it, it’s yours.”

At larger events, the stand is offered to other groups, with youth organizations given preference.

“It really took off. We’ve had so many groups in here: hockey teams, wrestling teams, football, animal rescue groups, church groups, men’s groups ...”

Andrews said he didn’t take a salary for managing the stand, and Concessions Solutions was responsible for providing and managing inventory, maintaining equipment and paying the $550-per-month lease. Anything above that in sales went to the groups running the stand.

“We’ve tried to make it revenue-neutral. Everything we spend — food, insurance, lease — we try to price things so it balances out.”

Andrews declined to say how much of his own money he has contributed to the operation over the past three years.

What's next?

The City of Wasilla is keeping its options open. Bell said that before Concessions Solutions took over the lease, the city would offer the stand to whichever group was renting the facility. It has also awarded a contract to a for-profit operator. Both ideas remain on the table, as does the possibility that someone steps in to run a similar venture.

“We’re trying to find a scenario where those benefits can continue,” Bell said.

However, finding someone willing to manage a revenue-neutral company is not easy, and it’s a tricky business to run — managing inventory is a major challenge, as is the seasonal nature of the facility.

Bell said the city must also weigh the needs of facility users and the public. He would ideally like to see the space benefit local nonprofits and youth groups, but the stand could be offered to the general public.

“If it gets too complicated, then my approach would be to put out an RFP (request for proposals) for people or businesses interested in running the stand, and then go through a selection process,” he said.

Operations at the hockey-heavy facility typically slow during the summer months, so there is still time to decide how to move forward, Bell said.

Bell said Andrews deserves significant credit for leading the project.

“The big picture, and what was so amazing about him, is that it was never about making a profit,” Bell said. “It was about how many organizations he could impact.”

Andrews praised the city for its help, singling out Bell, Menard Center Event Production and Facility Supervisor Ben Ott, and “the entire Menard Center staff” for its support.

Until June 30, Andrews said he plans to continue making hot dog runs, coordinating volunteers and keeping the stand running smoothly.

“There’s still a few big events coming up.”

Once the lease ends, Andrews — who works as a full-time real estate broker — said he plans to spend more time with his family and visit his lake cabin. In an email to supporters, Andrews called the venture “one of the most rewarding chapters of our lives.” But three years is enough.

“It’s just time.”

He is proud of the venture’s success but quick to deflect credit to the hundreds of volunteers who provided thousands of hours of labor over the past three years.

“At the end of the day, the community is full of people who want to help,” he said. “This is just one way to do it.”

Matt Tunseth is a freelance writer from Southcentral Alaska. Write to him at matthew.tunseth@gmail.com.