A commercial popcorn cart can be found at public events such as circuses, sporting events, street fairs or festivals. Apart from that you can also see them on busy sidewalks, nearby transit hubs or wherever there is a high volume of pedestrian traffic to attract their customers. If you are thinking of venturing into the popcorn business nearby your house or you are trying to start a small business in any suitable location, you do not have to purchase expensive commercial popcorn cart because you can easily build your own popcorn cart by simply modifying a few components as mentioned in this article.
To make a popcorn cart, you need:
- 4-oz. popcorn machine for residential use
- Small vanity cabinet
- Set of 4 wheeled casters
- Electric screwdriver
- Two metal towel bars, no wider than the width of the cabinet
- Two 10-ft. lengths of quarter-round wood trim
- Finishing nails
- Finishing hammer
- Fine grit sanding block
- Work rag
- 1 quart of red paint
- Two 4-inch disposable foam paintbrushes
- Drop cloth or old newspapers
- Stencil of the word “Popcorn”
- Small art paint brush
- 6-oz. bottle white or gold acrylic craft paint
- 6-oz. bottle black acrylic craft paint
- Red-and-white-striped (or otherwise patterned) outdoor umbrella (Optional)
- Umbrella bracket (Optional)
Making a Popcorn Cart
How to Make a Popcorn Cart
- Firstly, you need to determine the size of your popcorn machine before you start to build your popcorn cart. Measure the length and width of your popcorn machine so that you will know which vanity cabinet is suitable for you to install the popcorn machine.
- Make sure you look for vanity cabinet designed with rolling casters if you want to make a rolling popcorn cart.
- Make sure you look for vanity cabinet designed with rolling casters if you want to make a rolling popcorn cart.
If you want to use the popcorn machine for home use, the ideal size to choose is the 4-oz. popcorn machine. Apart from that, you can also look for unfinished vanity cabinets at your local home improvement center or even visit specialty department stores like Target, IKEA or Walmart that sells do-it-yourself cabinets that you can assemble on your own.
- You also need to build your popcorn machine’s enclosure.
- You will find that most popcorn machines consist of four glass walls along with a door that you can open.
- The enclosure of a popcorn machine can be easily assembled on your own or you can even purchase readymade glass box.
- You will find that most popcorn machines consist of four glass walls along with a door that you can open.
- The next step is to take your popcorn machine and install it into your enclosure.
- You must ensure that there is available space for the popcorn that you make once it is popped and fall out of the popcorn machine.
- You must also have a power source in order to connect the popcorn machine and enable it to be operated.
- You must ensure that there is available space for the popcorn that you make once it is popped and fall out of the popcorn machine.
- Then, you need to build the movable cart where you can place the popcorn machine on top of the cart.
- As for the movable cart, you can make use of an old wagon if you have them in your garage, a decommissioned cart, or even build it on your own by mounting any existing cabinet or a wooden enclosure on top of a base. To make it move, you have to attach two wheels onto its base.
- As for the movable cart, you can make use of an old wagon if you have them in your garage, a decommissioned cart, or even build it on your own by mounting any existing cabinet or a wooden enclosure on top of a base. To make it move, you have to attach two wheels onto its base.
- After that, you have to screw or nail your popcorn machine onto the top of its base and cart. Then, you need to plug it to the power source and do some testing to ensure that it is stable while the popcorn machine would be able to prepare popcorn appropriately.
- You also need to look for a metal towel bars to make a handle for your popcorn cart.
- You have to determine a suitable area to place the towel bars. Once you find it, you have to mark the area of each screw hole by using a pencil or pen.
- You can screw the metal towel bar on both sides of your cabinet in order to create a push bars or the popcorn cart’s handle.
- You have to determine a suitable area to place the towel bars. Once you find it, you have to mark the area of each screw hole by using a pencil or pen.
- If the need arises, you can install a beach umbrella on your popcorn carts.
- You would be able to do so by mounting an umbrella holding bracket to the side of your cabinet before you slide the umbrella into the bracket.
- You need to hold the bracket in suitable area that you want to install the bracket. Then, you have to mark its screw holes by using a pencil before you start to screw the bracket onto your marked area.
Always remember that when you are not using your popcorn cart
- You have to store all your popcorn making supplies inside your popcorn cart’s cabinet.
- You would be able to do so by mounting an umbrella holding bracket to the side of your cabinet before you slide the umbrella into the bracket.
