Robin,
Out of interest do you think the half way hut should be manned or automated, Also if manned what days should it be opened for business?
If I had it I would man it at first to gain interest every day, probably be their as early as 8am to fire it up ready for the early birds on the turn who would have started out at 7am. I would have it open until say 2pm at first and extend that if the demand was their or if I got to realise patterns and more so when societies or large sweeps were in situ. It could also be split between being manned and having an honesty box which I have seen at various clubs this year, especially Moortown. In that circumstance I would man it and set it up in the morning with cauldrons of soup and pie warmer displays, cakes etc and then come back and top up at lunch if required and then breakdown at teatime.
Either way it needs a proper commitment, not a half-hearted attempt wanting it to fail