Celebrate Wawa Welcome America's Festival, the Summer Ale Fest, and Two New Startups on this week's Food Farms and Chefs Radio Show, Episode 329!

Innovative Catering Concepts and Wawa Welcome America (00:00) Rocco Gallelli, the food producer for Wawa Welcome America, discusses his role in coordinating food and drink for the festival. He explains that this is his 18th year managing the event, which includes various activities from June 19th to July 4th, culminating in the Party on the Parkway on July 4th that typically attracts about a quarter million people. Rocco describes the challenges of managing food logistics, including weather considerations, historical data analysis for planning, and balancing inventory to avoid shortages or overbuying. Rocco continued his discussion of catering for the upcoming 4th of July event in Philadelphia, highlighting a shift towards healthier menu options for crew catering. Mentioning how he coordinates 25 food trucks offering diverse cuisines, as well as his own trucks serving popular festival foods. Rocco also noted the trend towards healthier eating but observes that at street fairs, people often indulge in traditional favorites. He also touches on catering for celebrities and his upcoming projects, including events in Tennessee and Williamsport. An Upcoming Mobile Cocktail Bar by Mark Grabowski Currently you can find our next guest while he works for Mid Atlantic Bartenders, a company that handles staffing for events along the east coast. However, Mark Grabowski joined the show to discuss his plans for starting a mobile cocktail bar business. After discussing his experience in the bartending industry, he is now branching out on his own. He aims to provide customizable bar services for events using a trailer, offering a more stylish and flexible alternative to traditional portable bars. His passion for creating a memorable experience was evident as he explained the importance of meeting the needs of his clients. Including his approach to what's trending in the industry, noting the growing trend of mocktails and his expertise in creating appealing alternatives for non-drinkers. You can find Mark on "X" at @MarkTBartender and email address marktbartender@gmail.com. Byzantine Empire Catering and Drunken Hen Eatery and Winery Amarildo "Mo" Boyco and his wife, who have backgrounds in the culinary industry, started the Byzantine Empire Catering Food Truck about seven years ago. The business combines Mediterranean and Latin cuisines, reflecting Amarildo's Albanian heritage and his wife's Colombian background. Recently, they expanded their operations by opening a brick-and-mortar establishment called Drunken Hen Eatery and Winery in Mayfair. Although guests can visit Drunken Hen during regular operating hours, your next event can be catered via Byz Empire Catering as well as the Drunken Hen, with a wide variety of foods to choose from. He explains that the Drunken Hen focuses on comfort food with a fine dining twist, and can offer that same level of service through Byz Empire Catering's food truck. Looking forward, Mo will be vending at this year's Summer Ale Festival at the Philadelphia Zoo on July 19th, and Northern Liberty's night market on July 23rd! Related Links: https://www.icccatering.com/about https://july4thphilly.com https://midatlanticbartenders.com https://www.instagram.com/byz.empire/?hl=en https://drunkenhen.com