Hi Steve,
I’ve been in the hot dog business for about 30 days now, So far things are looking good. I was one of these sob stories that have been all over the news. The company I worked for went out of business and my wife and I decided instead of me going to look for another job that may have the potential of going out of business in 90 days, that we would just say screw it! and GO FOR IT!
I’ve always wanted to sell hot dogs and everyone I talked to then and now say “I’ve always wanted to do that.” Well, we bought a cart from a guy who gave us both some good and some bad advice. Long story short, We re-modified the cart, had to reconfigure the hot/cold water, (Coleman)puts out a nice portable hot water pump,faucet combo that runs on Propane. It’s ugly but the health board guy loved it. We also had a small Monster fridge with glass front “really cool”. But, The health board guy didn’t think it was cool for storing meat..So we had to find a Commercial Fridge,$$$$ So, again long story, We probably overspent a bunch, but in the long run I feel we didn’t cheat the system, we did everything legal and the right way. (Read Steve’s book to save thousands,,,We should have gotten the book first.)
NO REGRETS,,,, I’ve taken a few of your ideas and have put them into my
business already. THE BIG SECRET – great advice.
However, as my business is slowly taken off I always have my eye on the bigger
picture. I would like to have 10 of these hot dog carts all at different events and
venue’s with local college kids running the show. I envision me driving around
in my New Dodge ram truck collecting the cash and restocking when the need
arises. I figure if you have a book and Cd’s that show you how to make a cart
under $500-$1000 it may be a good investment towards my long term goals.
So far I have been selling at a local Les Schwab, got
asked to set up a concession stand at a park for the season, and most recently have been working Monday – Thursday from 4:30-8pm selling dogs, chips, soda,peanuts, coffee and cocoa at a kids soccer league. They have 12 teams per night.
The Parks deal all came together from talking with a friend who led me to a
friend of his who worked in the Parks and Rec department. The moral of this
story is never be afraid to network or tell someone what you do.
We will be selling Thursday-Sunday during the day, and the park also does a
concert at night on Fridays and a movie on Saturday nights. Sell all day and
into the night. It’s a pilot program we negotiated with the parks. I feel we
will do real well. Besides, My wife and my kids are with me all four days. My
kids will have an incredible summer. Play all day at the park, listen to music
and watch a movie. What could be better,,,Plus a 4 day work week,,,That’s
Priceless.
Now I was asked to have coffee, So falling back on my Marine Corps days where
the coffee was never good, but it was HOT! and that’s all that mattered. I took
one of my steam pans filled with water and brought to a boil, 1 scoop of
instant Folgers or Swiss Miss Cocoa and 2 ladles of hot water and BAM! I only
charge a buck for either one but I’ll sell 20-30 cups per night. So now I’m in
both the Hot Dog and Coffee business.
I am preparing to do my towns 4Th of July festival 30,000 people I’m still
crunching numbers on how many dogs and Sausage to bring. I will be competing
with another guy selling burgers and some dogs, A pizza vendor, Ice cream and
cotton candy and some guy selling mini pies. My best best estimate is between 2,500-3,000 Dogs/Sausage that’s 10% and I’m probably high on my numbers but I’m optimistic.
My next step is getting your E-Z Built Hot Dog Cart DVD’s and building 5 to 10
carts. I plan on having college kids working for me next summer at the
different parks. Maybe it would be easier just to give them your Carts of Cash
course and say this is our Employee hand book, learn it….I hope you don’t
mind.
Any way Steve I love getting your blog and reports and have enjoyed the
content. I would love to read the Leasing equipment section when it’s ready…I
also tried that route and it didn’t workout with the lender,but it all worked
out in the end.
It was just an obstacle to test me. If you want something bad enough you will find away.
Jeff H.
HEY THERE JEFF. OOORRRAAAHHH DEVIL DOG. I GOT THAT COLEMAN H2O ON DEMAND TOO.IT’S EXCELLENT. MY H2O ON SUPER HOT GETS TO 160. YOU COULD USE THAT FOR YER FOLGERS & COCOA. I’VE GOT IT HOOKED UP TO MY ONBOARD SINK AND “T” OFF TO ANOTHER LINE FOR???? GREAT FOR CLEANIN UP. THAT’S A GREAT INVENTION. BEST OF LUCK BROTHER. SEMPER FI.
Thanks Ralph,
Hot Dogs are easier to work with than Devil Dogs, But the world loves them both… The Coleman is a cool/HOT little unit. SEMPER FI
Jeff
Hey Jarhead! What do you mean the “coffee was never good?” These is nothing like Marine Corps coffee in a canteen cup on a cold morning!
I like your plans. One of the most difficult aspects of having multiple carts is finding good help.
It’s not easy. Screen your applicants carefully or else you’ll find that you have zero profits and np products to sell.
Treat your new business like a business and don’t hire friends or family. They are too difficult to fire if it comes down to that.
Pay close attention to Steve’s book and to the information that you pick up on this blog.
Semper Fi.
Chuck GYSGT 1965-1985
Hey Gunny “Chuck”
Thanks for the advice and support. Your right Steve’s book has been great as well as this blog, I plan on taking this business one day at a time, I choose my battles wisely and rely on allied forces as support only not for execution. I’ve got Ketchup and Mustard running threw my veins and “I LOVE THE SMELL OF GRILLED ONIONS IN THE MORNING” O.K. Seriously, So far I’m having a blast, spending more time with my family and I put a little cash in my pocket. What else can I ask for. (More Cash! I know.) I listen to friends of mine who are much smarter than this jarhead, have way more education than me and yet they wine their is no job for them, and it’s not fair… OK this is going to sound harsh to some, but here it goes.
“Fare is what you PAY to ride a Bus,,If you want to ride a bus, you will never get to where you want to go in life” I/WE decided to DRIVE a different kind of vehicle and we chose a different road to travel. So I’m glad to say I’m a HOT DOGGER, and I appreciate everyone on this blog who has great input. It really reminds me, that I’m on the right road. So for now I plan to step on the GAS,,,and kick some ASS!
Semper FI
Jeff
great story and your right Steve has a great site,
where did you get the red and yellow canopy?
Just started reading this blog last week and am learning a lot already. I ordered a cart last week and should be delivered sometime the week of July 7th.
I was hoping to start business on the 4th of July weekend but due to the later delivery I am having my Grand Opening on Saturday July 18th.
I negotiated a great deal with the local Parks Department to set up at a pavilion off of a bike trail, equipped with a pavilion and picnic tables.
It is also only 30 feet off of a busy road so I expect to get a lot of business from the locals driving through town.
When I say I negotiated a great deal I mean a GREAT DEAL! The Park Board is letting me set up on weekends for free as they think it will only enhance the bike trail.
The only stipulation the Board put on me was that they have a few special events throughout the summer and will want me to set up for those instead of setting up at the bike path. It was a tough decision but I gave in and agreed LOL
So it just goes to show that you don’t necessarily need to pay rent in all instances.
I will keep you all updated as my busniess opens.
Best of luck to you all
And
Kepp those dogs rolling.
Great ideas and good goals! I share them as well as I’m about to launch my own operation. My take on the additional carts and leasing begs a question, would it be better to do all of the leg work, location selection and permits etc and then “lease” the carts out at say $50 or $100 bucks a day? Could you structure a business model on that and thus “quarantee” a daily income? What are your thoughts guys??
Mitch
I feel if someone didn’t want to sell dogs on a daily basis leasing out your cart on off days is a great Idea. When I talk about having multiple carts I’m thinking about Franchising them…Or a hybrid of the two ideas.
Lets say Joe wants to get into the business, but he doesn’t have enough capital to get things rolling. Along comes one of us with an extra cart that is not being used, You could say O.K. Joe I let you rent/Lease my cart for $80-$100 per day plus I get a royalty of 3%-6% of all sales.
Know it’s your job to set Joe up right, Show him the ropes, get him contacts for supplies, even show him how to cook the dog, and maybe help him find a great location. At the end of the lease he has the option to buy the cart at a negotiated price. Now, you got Steve’s Build a cart DVD’s you build a few carts, Put a add on Craigslist.org and run a workshop once a month. You teach and help others get started in business, and you make a few bucks on the side. So, what do you say Steve? This could be a nice side business….
Tim great news with the park…I’ll let you know how my park experience turns out..
Jeff
Hey Rick,
I bought my canopy on ebay. Member has an eBay Store WPIC PREMIER OUTDOOR LAND
Hope that helps.
Jeff
SEMPER-FI CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR OPERATION!!!
Jeff,
Interesting idea.
I think you would need a process in place to screen applicants, otherwise you would be legally bound to supply a cart to anyone with the money.
You don’t want your brand damaged by a flaky operator. You need the ability to decide who represents your company behind your carts.
-Steve
Jeff,
I’m a ex-recon guy (Army 1st Cav) and know about the 50 weight coffee too. Here’s a little tip on the Joe- Buy a used Bunn Airpot brewer CW15 and a few airpots- Brew it up at home and charge a little more- cause it’s gonna’ be a hell of a lot better. Preheat the airpots w/ hot water and the coffee will stay hot for 5-6 hours. good luck!
Hi Jeff!…Just a thought….I own four carts, all with a regular small household LPG BBQ grill mounted on shelf brackets on the back end of the cart for grilling anything! I plumbed a few loops of copper line (bendable) around the inside, near the burner for the gravity fed hot water supply. Heats water fine! Did my larger cart with a secondary loop from Cambros with quick disconnects to heat coffee!!!
THIS WORKS PERFECTLY!!! Easy to switch out when one Cambro empties….Any novice plumber can do this for you for a few bucks and a couple hours. Coffee dispenser valve is small regular toilet water supply valve placed right above the sink for overfills & spillage. Really increases storage space in the cart. Need refrigeration? Go get a dorm side refer ($35-$50) on Craigslist, a small inverter from the local auto parts place, and plug it into your car/truck’s 12v DC outlet! Works perfectly and passes DOH (here in NY). Now you can store meats for additional menu items!
Good luck out there, it’s a “Dog’s” world!
Rob Wyman / “Snappy Dog’s” (where man bites dog!) located in Greenwich, NY
hi can anyone on here tell me what you think about top dog carts? thank you thinking about getting into the biz….troy
me and my husband just bought our first hot dog cart and are ready to hit the road! how long do you cook the hot dog before you put it in the steam tin???
Go Doggers!!!