Reality Check: State Fair's Top 10 Food Vendors
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (WCCO) -- For 12 days every summer, the Minnesota State Fair is one of the largest businesses enterprises in the state, taking in millions of dollars with much of that in food sales.
The State Fair's top 10 food items brought in more than $11 million last year. More than ever before, with no signs of slowing down.
Hundreds of thousands of hungry people pushing sales at places like Blue Barn. It's No. 10 on our list with $568,184 in revenue.
Carousel Barbeque: $599,241 for its tasty turkey legs.
Miller's Flavored Cheese Curds: The newcomer at No. 8: $615,144.
Giggle's Campfire Grill, No. 7: $625,193.
Preferred Pickle, No. 6: $695,939
The famous Corn Roast, No. 5: $822,901
Most vendors don't make huge piles of money over 12 days at the Fair. Everyone pays 7.385 percent sales tax, the cost of labor and 15 percent of revenues is a payment to the State Fair.
Even so, some of these numbers are eye-popping. For the first time, four State Fair vendors cracked the $1 million mark. Taking in more than $7,826,490 dollars!
No. 4: Fresh French Fries: $1,010,847.
No. 3: Midwest Dairy Association: $1,139,845.
No. 2: Mouth Trap Cheese Curds, $1,314,483.
And No. 1, for the umpteenth time: Sweet Martha's cookies. At three locations, Sweet Martha's brought in more than $4 million ($4,361,315).
Food is the biggest item at the State Fair, of course, but if you are wondering about the No. 1 non-food item at the Fair?
Lottery tickets!
The Minnesota Lottery sold $700,000 in tickets at its State Fair booth last year.
These are some of the sources that we used for this Reality Check: