04/20/2026
Sell Outs!
Such a polarizing topic.
Guests who don’t get a chance to order are naturally upset, but if they’ve been in the industry, they often congratulate the sell out and simply understand the name of the game.
There are establishment owners who celebrate it and some who castigate it.
The truth is, each sale is unpredictable. Being in the game for 5 years you build a hunch of what to expect at each event, especially if it’s a residency. You understand the ebb and flow. One day you’ll sell 200 burgers, your inclination for next sale is to bring more, and then you sell 1/3 of that. It’s all around unpredictable.
The point of being in business is to sell your product, not be left with a bunch of leftovers just to appease the one customer or business owner who blatantly and ignorantly states “you should’ve brought more.”
We’re a pop up, space and product is limited. Easy as that.
I could bring 1000 burgers each event. Doesn’t mean they will all sell, and if they don’t, what do I do with the leftovers? Well, our permit as a pop up, means everything must be thrown out.
So for me as the business owner, do I want to sell out? Or do I want to be left with a ton of product that I have to throw out?
