The Towpath Trail Snack Shack idea came about after several years of pondering how we could use our historic property to compliment the towpath trail easement we expected. In May 2016, my family agreed to donate a 12'-20' easement of property frontage for the towpath trail to cross. All the really cool ideas like log cabin rentals, primitive camping etc, ended adding up to a lot of money to get started. In the course of planning with local authorities after having the easement surveyed, it was determined that an old barn looking type shed wouldn't have to be moved to make way for the trail. Then the old proverbial light bulb lit up with the idea, "what if we worked on renovating the shed to become a snack shack?"
We knew that from the start we could sell bottled water and prepackaged non-perishable candy bars, granola, trail mix and other preferably healthy snacks without a health inspection and food license. In the course of learning about the various food licenses in order to prepare hot dogs for instance, a license and health inspection is required. It had been suggested that the best way to develop our snack shack would be in stages and we might consider a mobile licensed hot dog cart as a first stage. Stage two, will become the continued preparation of our Snack Shack toward food preparation which require plumbing and sinks to be installed. With a mobile cart, we may also promote the Towpath Trail Snack Shack at various local festivals while generating the revenue needed to "do it right".
We are currently working on ppreparing this mobile hot dog trailer toward getting it licensed to attend various local events to promote our developing Snack Shack! We plan to attend the Bolivar Strawberry Festival as our first event and to otherwise prepare to be ready for when the construction crews start developing the Towpath Trail across our yard this Summer.
Tuesday, May 23rd 2017, we obtained a Tuscarawas county, Ohio vendors license.
On June 1st 2017, we aplied for the Event permit to participate in the Bolivar Strawberry Festival.
On August 3rd 2017 on the 222nd anniversary of the Greenville Peace Treaty line which intersects with the towpath trail on our property we got inspected and received or annual mobile food service permit to operate in the Great state of Ohio! We'll be at our permanent location whenever we're not at an event.
The towpath trail snack shack is a family owned and operated business. While I initially came up with the idea, it was quickly encouraged and supported by most everyone in our family including my wife Rose, her three boys from a previous marriage, Shanon Bond, Kyle & Nikki Bond, Edwin Bond, and also the clan from our marriage, Jeremiah Rinehart, & Shoshanna. Our niece LeAnna Stipe is also active in the business.
Kyle & Shannon served in the US Army (Shannon served in Afghanistan) and I served in the USMC during the '75 Vietnam evacuation. We run the shack like drill instructors training recuits to serve the best hot dogs possible (just kiddin' about being like a drill instructor).
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