Hot dog condiments are a great way to distinguish yourself from the competition. And hot dog condiments can help spread the word about your awesome dogs. Learn how in this article.
Bryan Sullivan writes…
I have a coffee shop drive-thru, that I just started selling Nathans hot dogs. Since I have limited space and trying to use prepackage toppings –what is the best toppings for Hot Dogs. I have the typical mustard and relish –Would you recommend anything else?
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Hey Bryan,
If you want to really make a name for your hot dogs, if you want to generate a ton of word of mouth advertising (the holy grail of marketing), if you want to turn bored customers into raving fans, then you need to do something different. Something bold. Something so unique that people can’t wait to tell all their friends about it.
That can be accomplished with condiments. How about cream cheese and jalapenos. Ranch dressing and Louisiana hot sauce. Crushed Fritos with chili and onions. Carmelized onions and soy sauce with teriyaki marinated roasted yellow bell peppers.
Then, be sure to name your creations. Come up with something memorable, catchy, even a bit provocative if you’re comfortable with that. I know a hot dog vendor in the town north of me who calls his masterpiece creation “The Wonder Weenie”. He has lines 10 to 20 people deep for hours at a time wherever he goes.
I’ve taught thousands of people how to get started in the hot dog business and I always give newbies the same advice – keep it simple. But once they get the bugs worked out it’s time to take it to the next level. And exciting condiment options are a great way to do that.
Just find a way. I realize that you have limited space but if you can get creative and find a way to stock some exotic condiments it will make all the difference to your bottom line. Dare to be different!
Let me know how else I can help you Bryan.
And readers, please let us know what exotic condiment combinations you are serving on your hot dogs in the comments below. And even if you’re not a slinger yet, give us your ideas on what would be a killer condiment combination. I’d love to hear them.
Thanks!
-Steve
A Big Craze here in San Diego at the bars is a recipe I call the Rocket Dog! It is a Hebrew Natl 1/4 lb dog with cream cheese, bacon, and sriracha! People are ordering it more frequently and its a $4.50 dog. I’ve also been experimenting with a dog I call the Parma Dog..marinara and parmesian cheese. Delicious! Last is the classic chilli, cream cheese, and Chalula Dog. I’m having a blast and making it fun for my Customers!
$4.50 – nice! Just goes to show that you can get the higher prices if you offer something different. Great job!
I use a combination of mustard and ketchup with some Hot sauce I call 240 sauce. I also have a jalapeno puree that I make myself. I call it my Tri-City dog. I also add Onions, and Hot Kraut…………..
Jalapeno puree? Sounds really good!
Fried Onions not only give you word of mouth but word of nose. It’s traditional because it works! That smell can draw in people for blocks around. In winter I cannot go near a concession of any kind because I know if I get a whif of those onions it’s game over. I have to eat something RIGHT NOW 🙂
Another twist BBQ sauce instead of or in addition to ketchup. It is very subjective what you present depending on where you’re at but here is one important tip that bears repeating. Customers cannot visualize your hoot dog menu so you really want to take a pic of each menu item and display that prominently. Now they know what they are getting, now then can focus on what they want ON the hotdog. Again pics can’t hurt because the faster they can let you know what they want the faster you are on to the next customer. They are happier you are happier and your accountant is rubbing his paws 😉
Best of luck Bryan be bold, sun dried tomatoes? 🙂
I love the idea of using pictures on your menu. Thanks for that Rich!
AMEN!!! We just did a festival for the second year. This year had more than double the number of vendors…just across from us the same foods. However, we call our dogs SPECIALTY DOGS which brings more people to out stand just out of curiosity. Once they look at some of the combinations of toppings many are hooked. At $3 ours compared to $2 the other guys, we were forced to deal with the very tough problem of being sold out by 8:30 pm while the event lasted until 10. Some may say ” Duke, you left money on the table.” To that I say, I’d rather sell out than have to feed the whole neighborhood we over bought left over food. It was a good problem to have.
This is our second full season and we found what we see as a permanent spot developing as the word of mount advertising has been great. One issue we have discovered in rotating the toppings is that when someone comes for a Specialty Dog they were told about that we don’t have that day, there’s a brief moment of disappointment. Then they taste the feature of the day and we have a new customer. To deal with the issue, we are rolling out a calendar for July with our daily specials listed. We hope this doesn’t stop them from coming by just reading toppings on paper.
One last thing is that we added pictures to our menu of the different Specialty Dogs. Unless its a young kid, we sell roughly 80-85% Specialty Dogs at $3 compared to plain at $2 without a huge increase in cost of goods. Also, I took the pictures as not to spend a ton of money. You just want to give a visual.
Rotating the “specialty” dog sounds like a great experiment. I can see how the results could go both ways. Please let us know how it worked out for you!
Good Morning doggers!! My little “talker” dog is called Peanutbutter Madness!! I use a natural casing all beef Sabrett with gourmet Peanutbutter candied maple bacon and fresh sliced jalapeños!! Its a party in your mouth!!
Enjoy!
Marty
Spa city Hotdogs
That sounds incredible. I love the creativity being exhibited here. Thanks Marty!
My county is really strict, so I get attention by having several kinds of mustard, as well as horseradish sauces and hot sauce. The most popular is probably the spicy mustard.
Been getting a lot of requests for mayo lately…
Mayo is definitely trending here in St. Louis. Multiple mustards is a great way to differentiate yourself. It keeps forever so the less popular ones can just sit there and add to the display. It’s the display that’s the draw.
We not only have a big variety of mustards, we do have special names for our dogs. Since we are called Cowboy Dogs, we have a variety of items that are named after rodeo events such as: The traditional reg or polish dog is The Cowboy. Then we have The Bulldogger, which offers them their choice of Brat such as German Smoked, Apple-smoked Pale Ale and Cheese-filled. Then we have one called The Roper which is really a great combo: It is bacon and blue cheese. The combo is absolutely a winner! We have other combos we rotate as specials such as The Bullrider, The Barrel Racer, etc. Works well for us.
Very smart marketing Barb and Ed. You are giving your customers an experience, not just food. That is one of the keys to commanding higher than average prices. Tailoring the names of your offerings to the local demographic is also brilliant. Great job you two!!!
Hi Folks,
I have 3 meat items I’m selling now; hot dogs, sausage with peppers and pulled pork. all are popular, but the word of mouth item as Steve says is condiments. All are complimentary and my customers are blown away by the choices. One asks, “Mustard, onions and kraut.” My reply, “Fresh onions or barbecue, yellow, spicy or horseradish mustard?” Etc. I offer chili, sauerkraut, barbecue onions, fresh onions, nacho cheese, shredded cheese, 3 mustards, Franks hot sauce and relish. The onions are Mancini fried onions in the jar simmered in Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce, and for variety, there are different flavors of the sauce. The chili is a wonderful accidental discovery of a blend of Hormel no bean and Walmart’s hot dog chili sauce. The flavor of those two knocks your socks off! For the sausages, I cook them in with the Mancini peppers and add a jar of the onions without the barbecue sauce. Where I am, the wind blows off the lake and right at the four way intersection and it has often been the smell that brought people in and the contractors are spreading the word.
I love the smell of peppers and onions. I really do! Good for you Robin, by the way I’m totally jealous of your lakeside location…
I recently ran into the same situation as Duke. I ran out of food twice. After running out the first time I went to Wal-Mart and bought all their bun size beef dogs they had and still ran out a few hours early. I agree Duke, running out is better than left over’s.
We offer, chili, cheese, chopped sweet onions, coleslaw, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, chow-chow, hot sauce, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, mayonnaise, crunchy onion, sauerkraut, roasted red & green peppers with caramelized onions, B-B-Q sauce and ketchup (if you insist).
Even if my dawgs are priced higher than the other vendor’s, condiment choices sell my hot dogs.
“condiment choices sell my hot dogs.” 🙂 Right on Jack!
The Health laws are so picky where I am. We can’t have chile, cheese or mayo unless it’s pre-packaged. We can’t cook any raw meat. Slaw would be out of the question. We’re going to specialize in Chicago dogs, but I’m going to try some “different” condiments. We are aiming for opening this fall.
There are always ways to get done whatever you want to get done. Be persistent and work with the health department like a partner. Good luck!
I just got a great location and it looks like it will be busy. I plan to serve a
‘mexican’ (salsa, sour cream, jalapenos and crushed tortilla chips)
‘hawaiian'(pineapple and bacon warmed up in Sweet baby Rays Hawaiian bbq sauce)
‘german’ ( sauerkraut, spicy mustard, green onion and black olives)
‘texan’ (fried onions, bacon bits, budweiser bbq sauce)
Will see how it sells.
Love all the feedback on your site. Most helpful for new starters.
Lynda
Thanks Lynda. I like the sound of the “Hawaiian”. Gotta try that one on my rig.
Practice safe lunch, always use a condiment.
😉
I made a bumper sticker similar to that, Corey. “Practice safe snacks…use condiments.” My company tag line, however, is “Say ‘NO’ to naked food. We got’cha covered.”
I have only been slinging dogs for 2 months and I offer regular and jumbo sized Vienna beef hot dogs, plus Polish sausages. My toppings are standard though, made behind the cart by me, to ensure consistency, but sometimes that causes things to slow down just a bit. Customers have been nice and, thankfully, patient with me after I would explain to them that the specialty dogs take just a bit longer.
I want to diversify a bit with a specialty dog that is not on the menu, something really krazee (notice the nutty spelling), but still delicious, and maybe quicker to prepare. I dunno. I really am getting more itchy to experiment after hearing other specialty dogs offered by others here. Thanks for the inspiration folks!
Wow Steve, HDCN is getting better and better every week! I would like some clarification on some of the posts,(Hebrew Natl 1/4 lb dog with cream cheese, bacon, and sriracha) what is sriracha?, and what is a chalula dog? (Bullseye HD). What is Mancini fried onion? (Robin/Lakeside). And, finally, I’d like to know the mixtures of the 240 sauce from Attila’s BDH, if possible. BTW-getting closer to buying my cart-stay tuned…
Thanks Robert! I’m glad you like the newsletter.
I’m not sure what some of those regional ingredients are either. I’d love to know too.
I think Sriracha and Chalula is an accounting firm in Southern California. 😉
Chalula sauce is a red hot sauce that is often found in Mexican restaurants, although I’ve also seen them in Korean Pho restaurants too. And, Sriracha sauce is another spicy red sauce that is always found in Chinese and Korean Pho restaurants. Take a walk down the grocery isle labeled Oriental or Mexican, or International. It might be near the Salsas and Tabasco sauces, possibly.
Great topic Steve. Since we advocate that were “traditional” in every sense, (we serve “Nathans 1/4 pnd dogs), we use “Zweigels” hot dog sauce, in addition to “Plochmans” chili dog mustards, horseradish, honey/mayo, etc. I try to have as much “eastcoast” style products on hand as I can handle. I let the customers dress the dogs, and spread out on a table about 15 differents mustards etc for them to select. They go absolutely nuts when they see all the variety.
I found that Mayo is popular here, and another favorite is the “Beaver” brand “Coney Island” sauce, and the “Koops” brand “Arizona Heat” mustards. I also have A-1 steak sauce (awesome) for the sausage, as well as “Kinders” BBQ sauce which I order from CA.
Beautiful Bubbadogz! Sounds like a real feast for the eyes as well as the stomach!
I have a slinger friend in my commuinty that went to one of the local brewery bars on friday night and asked to set up and sell all kinds of speciality dogs and sausages because they did not offer food for their patrons. Here in California you cannot smoke in doors period. So open patios is the thing at bars these days. He arrives around 9:30 pm, sets up by the patio, and is ready to go by 10:00. He does not pack up until after 2:00am. The bars patrons are happy, the owner is happy becasue the is patons dont leave for food, and slinger is doing what they do best. Great idea for a slinger who is a nite person.
Some of the best money to be made is at bars at night.
I use the normal condiments: Fresh Cheese, Chopped Yellow Onions, Yellow Mustard, Ketchup, Sweet Pickle Relish, Hot Sauce, Banana Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Mayonnaise, Sauerkraut, and my Special Sauce. I can’t tell you what is in my Special Sauce (its a secret), but my customers love it and continue to come back and ask for it. I don’t really understand the mayonnaise thing on a Sausage Dog or even a hot dog but my customers love it also.
This is what I use:
Kids Dog = Ketchup
Yankee Dog = Mustard and Onions
Naked Dog = Just Plain
All American Dog = Mustard, Ketchup, Sweet Relish, Chopped Onions
German Dog = Mustard and Sauerkraut
Mexican Dog = Hot Sauce, Banana Peppers and Jalapeno Peppers
Cow Dog = Add Cheese
Special Dog = Hot Dog or Sausage Dog with my Special Sauce
All the Way Dog = Everything but the sink
Strange Dog = Anything with Mayonnaise on it.
Duggs Doggs
Good!! Good!!
ps plus I am the best looking hotdog guy in Georgia…
Yes you are Michael. Great genetics always helps. 😉
Hot Diggity has a bacon, cream cheese, jalepeno puree dog (blended jalepeno’s and tomatillos-keep it refrigerated). We also have an apple chicken sausage with gorgonzola and mango chutney, a slaw dog, and applewood smoked beer bratwurst with red cabbage, and chili cheese and onion dog. I do one special a day to keep things simple. I have a gazillion kinds of mustard everyday and several kinds of hot sauce (cranberry mustard, deli mustard, jalepeno mustard, coney island mustard, german mustard, plain ole yellar mustard, wasabi mayo, regular mayo, and ketchup. Best foods makes a mayo that does not require refrigeration)
“bacon, cream cheese, jalepeno puree dog” – Sounds wonderful!!!
No conceit in Duggs family LOLOL!…….I have six different mustards available, plus fresh cut onions sweet relish and kraut. Ive had requests for cream cheese and a couple for mayonaise. How do you deal with these two condiments? The mayo I guess would be best to do individual packets (no refrig.) but what about the cream cheese?
Do you buy in bulk thin with milk and put in a squuze bottle and keep it in your cooler
(i want to try this for some kind of “specialty” dog…im thinking franks red hot (buffalo
wing sauce) cream cheese and jalapenos…Steve, anybody??? How to on the cream cheese??? Thanks gang!!!!
Ever see a cream cheese gun?
Conceit is a fault!!!
So is too much humility.
At Uncle Franks,
Mancini is a brand. They have lightly fried onions packed in jars. SOOOOOOOOO good you can eat them right out of the jar. Likewise the peppers. I get the peppers in a #10 can and add a jar of the onions to it. The onions have a nice glazed look and are cooked just enough that they can hold up very well even simmering all day in the Sweet baby rays.
@Steve, LOVE this newsletter! So many super ideas! Love the sound of that Hawaiian dog! I may need a bigger cart!
@Daryl, welcome to the Slinging world! You’re very new, but stick to this newsletter and you’ll be a great success. Keep yourself in your customers shoes, know your clientel and what they like, do surveys and ask your customers what they want to see you sell and go with the majorities. Keep the smell of good food going and a clean cart and a smile on your face and you can’t lose.
Awesome ideas as usual Robin, and thanks for the kind words!
I’ve been a bit shy is answering this for fear of my local competitors stealing my idea but….I’ll do it anyway. Cream cheese hot dogs are huge here in the NW but I’ve taken this a step further. I have a chili cheese dog that also has handflavored roasted garlic cream cheese…I’m expecting this to be my signature dog…I hope my customers think so too! Wicked Chili Cheese!
Wicked Awesome!
@larry winters, they have cream cheese packs that I get at Costco that i keep refrigerated and squeeze them onto the bun. They come in silver packs individually wrapped. You could probably get some regular cream cheese and just spread it with a knife.
What is the best brand of fried onions?
My last location I had 15 different mustards and by far the best selling was the Beaver brand Sweet Hot! It is amazing on a polish dog with a little mayo. A little trick I learned for my hot sausages, which were blazing hot – mayo with a little dusting of lime salt. Fantastic!
Those of you who are using bacon, are you using the precooked bacon?
Mayo and lime salt. Huh!
Hello Steve
Wanted to update you on all the excitement with my ‘gourmet hotties’ this summer.
I decided to diversify and added ‘Wild Game Dogs’ to my menu.
I now serve Cajun Crocodile, Hot Smoked Duck and a Wild Game Chorizo which is a mixture of kangaroo, bison and venison. I am anxiously awaiting production of my latest addition, Honey Garlic Kangaroo. All are simply delicious and are made for me locally in the Vancouver area. Adding the wild dog has set me apart from other hot dog vendors and gets me into a lot of venues that I would normally have to compete for. I have had newspaper coverage, pictures of my wild dogs taken for a magazine and our local T.V. station has invited me to come on the morning show to cook the wild dogs for them this coming Friday. I feel almost famous. It is very exciting and the best part is being able to introduce people to a new slant on the normal hot dog.
Great angle! I love it Lynda.
One of my high selling is “The Hawaiian Dog” similar the the one mentioned earlier it does have pineapple and bacon but I use crushed pineapple with fine chopped jalapeños and brown sugar added then served the sauce warm over the dog the bacon is a whole slice crispy and tucked next to the dog finally topped with spicy brown mustard then there’s “The Dogfather” the hot dog is wrapped with deli pepperoni then grilled on a flat top served with marinara and melted mozzarella the next two are similar and yet different in both the name and ingredients to start we have “The Trailer Park Dog” grill over open flame topped with baked beans crushed potato chips and yellow mustard then there’s the “Mexican Trailer Park Dog” still grilled over the open flame but topped with refried beans crushed tortilla chips and salsa and those are just a few let me know what you think!
I think I’m hungry now! Nice.
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