DES MOINES, Iowa — When Jamie Adkins told his wife Jennifer that he was interested in buying a state fair concession stand, she wasn't sold on the idea.
"In the past, there hasn't been a lot of breakfast vendors on the fairgrounds, and we wanted to do something different," Jamie said. "I've worked off and on for my cousin for 20 years at the Rib Shack, and decided to do my own thing."
It wouldn't take long for Jennifer to get on board with the idea. The couple is new to the food industry; Jamie is the CEO of his own truck carrier company, while Jennifer now serves up school lunches within the Southeast Polk Community School District.
Jumping in head-first, the Adkins bought the stand with the intention of serving mini donuts and coffee, but wanted to differentiate themselves as vendors.
"I love biscuits and gravy and figured it was something I could do... so I talked to my cousin and he said, 'Yeah, you definitely need to do that. It'll be great at the fair,'" Jamie told Local 5.
Their fair food vendor application wasn't ultimately approved until the first week of May, just two months shy of opening day. Crafting up the menu and finding staff to work the stand would prove to be challenging.
Despite a few bumps in the road, the Biscuit Bar made their big fair debut on Grand Avenue, drawing in hundreds of customers each day.
Staff arrive to begin prepping at 5 a.m. each morning, and the stand is open for business by 6 a.m. The early morning hours and breakfast options have proven to be a successful strategy.
"It started out a little slow, but once it got going, it's been good, and we keep doing a little more every day," Jamie said. "We've had a line down the block some days."
The venture is also a family-affair. Jamie's mom makes all of the biscuits, while his brother helps run the stand from open to close each day.
Being a brand-new, first-year stand is an accomplishment on its own, but their "Piggy in a Donut" was also named a semifinalist in this year's new fair foods contest after reaching the top-11 items.
The award-winning item consists of a bacon cheddar pork sausage which is dipped in doughnut batter, deep-fried and then rolled in sugar before being served. Maple syrup and the stand's raspberry chipotle "Special Sauce" are two offered options for dipping.
"It never hurts to try something new and do something different," Jamie added. "A big thank you to everyone who has stopped by."