Carnival & Fair News

Danielle Carpenter-Ryals and her mother, Lori Clark, operate Sally Sue's Concessions, offering their own unique take on freshly rolled cinnamon rolls and fire wok noodles or rice.

“Our cinnamon rolls are hand rolled every day throughout the fair. The fire wok noodles or fire wok rice are prepared in-house and cooked to order for each customer. Along with the noodle or rice base, we include onions, peppers, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, and water chestnuts, along with the customer's choice of chicken, steak, or shrimp. Everything is prepared in a sweet and savory secret sauce that is our own original recipe,” Carpenter-Ryals explains.



Carpenter-Ryals has worked in carnival concessions for eleven years. She notes that she married into the business and previously worked at Ryals Concessions with her ex-husband. Together, they operated a diverse collection of food trailers, offering everything from funnel cakes, slushies, and smoothies to steak tips, corn dogs, and cinnamon rolls. Two years ago, she took over the cinnamon roll concession with a focus on creating the best possible product.

When Carpenter-Ryals and her mother first launched the cinnamon roll concession, they worked hard to develop the perfect recipe before and during their early time on the road. The process was time consuming, but ultimately worthwhile.



Today, they enjoy running a successful concession operation, though it was not easy at the start. “There was a lot of trial and error and customer feedback involved in developing the perfect cinnamon rolls. We worked hard to refine them and give people what they wanted,” she says. “At one point, we considered using cream cheese frosting, but buttercream proved to be more popular, so we went with that. There was a lot of balancing and creating, along with plenty of trial and error. It also meant baking many rolls that we did not use,” she adds with a laugh. “But we developed our own system. It took time, but we perfected the recipe over the last two summers.”

After refining the cinnamon rolls, Carpenter-Ryals introduced the noodles and rice concession this year. Both operations now keep her very busy.



“Right now, we travel to about 16 shows a year, ranging from the Midwest to the Atlantic region and Florida. Our season runs from April through November.” She begins in Port Charlotte and Kissimmee, Florida, and finishes in the Jacksonville area, with stops in Michigan and Virginia along the way.

The company travels with Arnold's Amusements and Deggeller Attractions, as well as independently. According to Carpenter-Ryals, “We have one trailer for our cinnamon roll concession, which is a 22-foot 2020 Rapture trailer. Our signage is vinyl on both the trailer and the marquee.” For the fire wok noodles and rice concession, she uses a 25-foot truss setup with eye-catching banners.

Carpenter-Ryals describes Sally Sue's Concessions as somewhat unique. “There are others like us, of course, but they are few and far between, especially when it comes to noodles and rice. Our sauce is proprietary and stands out on its own,” she says.

When asked what sells best on the midway, she explains that it varies by region. “The success of cinnamon rolls depends on building a loyal customer base. They are not for everyone. Items like funnel cakes will always sell, but cinnamon rolls are more specialized. We see many familiar faces returning specifically for them.”



As for the noodles and rice, she says, “We are still building that side of the business. People are intrigued by the concept and often decide to try it after seeing the display. It is also a bit of a show, since customers can watch the cooking process.”

The fire wok noodles and rice live up to their name, as Carpenter-Ryals prepares each dish in a wok in full view of guests. “You can watch us cook through the open space of the booth. Customers often stand and watch, which draws more people in. Many comment on how good it smells and ask what is in the dish, which gives me the opportunity to encourage them to try it,” she says.

Sally Sue's Concessions is a woman-owned business operated by Carpenter-Ryals and her mother. “She is the cinnamon roll baker. At 65, she brings a lot of experience. I primarily handle the noodles and rice. We also have four employees, two seasonal and two year-round.”

In addition to their regular April through November schedule, the company participates in occasional winter events, including fairs and private gatherings. Overall, they stay busy creating delicious treats year-round.