Exploring Life & Business with Aaron Bishop of Aaron Michael’s Concessions

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Bishop.

Hi Aaron, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started Aaron Michael’s Concessions as a pop-up food stand in a 10 x 10 tent, selling at festivals, farmer’s markets, and large-scale events. We used to lug fryers and double barrel grills to every event. My very first event was the historic Cincinnati Music Festival. They featured some great R&B performers such as Charlie Wilson and more. This Festival has over a 60-year history and brought in thousands of folks from all over. We sold chicken, ribs, and grilled corn all night to the most wonderful customers. They loved the food and had a great time. Our food goes well with music events. You’re getting something high-end, delicious, and a great date night meal with great customer service.

After doing festivals and farmers’ markets for a few years, we expanded to a mobile food trailer and began doing various pop-ups, catering, and more. Our red trailer become known for selling the best fried catfish, shrimp, and chicken wings you’ve ever tasted. I grew up working in my grandfather’s restaurant and share many of those down-home southern fried recipes and techniques with my menu items. It’s gourmet comfort food. We’ll bring out grilled scampi and golden red snapper from time to time as a specialty. It is delicious and one of a kind.

We are now based in the Phoenix metropolitan area, doing festivals, catering, and pop-up events all over. We’ve done events with Arizona State University, local rodeos and livestock shows, baby showers, partnerships with businesses, Jazz clubs and more. We do a pop-up at the Rhtyhm Room Blues & Concert Club some weekends as well. This club features live music with different artists each week. We are excited to expand our one-of-a-kind food out west in the Phoenix area. Follow us on social media @aaronmichaelsconcessions to find out our weekly schedules and locations. The beauty of being a mobile food trailer is that we get to go to many fun and amazing venues in the area, just look for our red trailer!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Relocating my business during the pandemic came with a few challenges. Finding and building my customer base and planting roots in the Phoenix-area has taken a lot of time and dedication. When we first moved here, we started with more pandemic-friendly modes of getting our food to customers, including the cloud kitchen model and food delivery apps. Once the world opened back up, we explored various venues and events. I’ve found great customers at surprising events, such as local rodeos and livestock shows, they love my food. I also have done events with Arizona State University including their Alumni Tailgates and events on campus. I’ve also done a mix of catering and pop-ups. Arizona is such a great landscape for food trucks, there are so many markets from Phoenix to Scottsdale to Flagstaff and beyond. It’s been a fun adventure going through this beautiful landscape and meeting new people and vendors.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Aaron Michael’s Concessions?
Aaron Michael’s Concessions specializes in gourmet restaurant quality, Southern-influenced cuisine in a mobile, pop-up environment. Signature dishes include golden fried chicken wings, Catfish, Jumbo Shrimp, Red Snapper and fresh-cut Rosemary Fries. We are known for using the freshest ingredients along with signature spice blends, homemade sauces and recipes that have stood the test of time. Dishes are seasoned to perfection and as the slogan states, “It’s all in the seasoning”.

I take pride in the quality of my food prep, presentation, and service. My customers each get five-star treatment. From using fresh ingredients and making everything to order, every dish is hot, fresh, and made with tender loving care. I make my own seasoning blends, tarter sauce for the fish, and cocktail sauce for the shrimp. I scale and hand-filet my Red Snapper. I peel, butterfly hand batter each piece of shrimp. The rosemary I use on my loaded rosemary fries is freshly grown and chopped fresh before each event. My wife even started growing rosemary in our home garden for the business. I’m really proud of the family business that I’ve built and how involved my wife and five kids are. They know all the recipes and love to interact with the customers. It’s even inspired an entrepreneurial spirit in my children as they see me being my own boss.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory and my introduction to business was making and selling chocolates with my mother. We would buy various molds for the chocolate. Sometimes we would get fancy with different coatings such as nuts and other decorative pieces. It really was an art. I would sell them throughout the neighborhood and in school. We had different packages, gift baskets, and holiday treats such as chocolate Easter eggs and chocolate Santas. This experience gave me the entrepreneurial bug and laid the seeds for what I’m doing now. I still love creating quality goods and giving the best customer service to my customers. My mother was so supportive and encouraging of me then and still is to this day. She’s been a champion of me following my dreams and passions from early on. I think this is why this is one of my favorite childhood memories.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aaronmichaelsconcessions.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/aaronmichaelsconcessions
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/aaronmichaelsconcessions

Image Credits
Photos courtesy of Carla LynDale Bishop