Steve, I just finished your book Carts of Cash (Hot Dog Biz 101) it is great thank you.
I’m thinking about building a cart just to do events, something bigger than what we’re allowed on the street.
Here’s my question – can you or any of the slingers make any suggestions as to what I should include.
I’m going to build in a double steam table and 2 boiling pots.
My coolers will stand seperate from the cart. It wont be a stand in trailer.
Thanks for what you do,
-Joe Longstaff
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Hi Joe,
Glad you liked my book!
What should you include on a big event cart? Wow, where to start…
I would strongly consider three steam tables if you have the room. It seems like a slinger never has enough steamers, especially if you steam buns or have chili and cheese that you want to keep warm.
On board mechanical refrigeration is a plus if you are going to have access to electric, which many big events provide.
A flat top grill.
Perhaps an open area where you can swap out different equipment such as an ice shaver, lemon squeezer, coffee pots, stuff like that.
Those are the things that come to my mind.
How about it slingers, what say you? If you could build a custom events cart what would you want on it?
Let Joe know in the comments.
-Steve
We have a piece of equipment called a taco range. It is 7 feet long and has four 35,000 BTU burners. I learned quickly that in a trailer 140,000 BTUs was over kill. I used to be in the gas business in another life so I knew how to reduce the BTU output and have reduced it to 20,000 BTUs total. This works perfectly in the trailer but if you come across something like this for use outside you will need the extra BTUs for wind draft, etc. The set up allows us to use multiple steam pans, or swap out for a pot or griddle, etc. It is the work horse in our set up.
How about one of those nostalgic popcorn machines? That could be pretty profitable at fairs.
I’ve been looking at something similar. I’m in Minnesota, where everything has to be NSF; the inspectors are telling me that if I build it, every single item on the cart must be NSF stamped, OR, the whole cart must be certified NSF (and there’s exactly one guy in Minnesota who has the license to do that).
One of the items I’m looking at including is a genuine 3-bay sink. There are companies that make smaller ones. This is because the inspectors explicitly prohibit a sink made from pans (why? they can’t explain why). A flat-top grill is a definite yes. Extra steam table space must be there. And again, here in Minnesota, mechanical refridgeration, and that may include space for an onboard generator to power it.
Yeah, there are LP-powered fridges, but none that are NSF, that I can find anyway. There’s no way I can put an RV fridge on in this state. So I may as well install a good commercial unit (and be sure to include access to the compressor in the cart design–all that rolling around means more maintenence). Now…a prep table gives you cold ingredients plus mechanical refridgeration, so perhaps that’s a good choice.
I could write a whole article for Steve on my battles with the Minnesota inspection bureaucracy. Honestly, they’re nice folks, but the law is the law and they don’t really want to work harder than they have to, so it’s easy to ask, “Where’s the NSF stamp?”
MN is tough. Not sure why but they love their NSF up there.
12 volt LED lighting ( Rope Lights ) with a Deep Cycle Battery, sufficient Power Inverter, and a Solar Panel. ( Harbor Freight) to keep your Battery / Batteries charged.
While I have sold my cart and moved to an enclosed trailer due to my age & health, I still believe an open setup under a tent does better. For some reason, people want to see you preparing their food. And it gives you a chance to talk with your customers as you work. I sell walking tacos, elephant ears, foot long chili cheese dogs(using the taco meat & shredded cheese), and lemonade & fruit shakeups. I suggest lemonadebusiness.coms getting started booklet for tips on making the best shakeups. The only thing I disagree with is using sugar that doesn’t dissolve well in cold water. I use simple syrup, and get rave reviews on my shakeups. I try not to serve anything that takes more than 3 min. to prepare. Your steam table will warm your taco meat. I buy it frozen at GFS. I price everything I sell at $5.00 at festivals, which it why I do footlongs. I fry them in the propane fryer for 3 min. which works well with all beef dogs. The only down side to a fryer is draining the hot oil when it’s time to go home. Moms old 22 qt. pressure cooker works great along with a filter. Gary
Wow…the pressure cooker idea for hot oil is a really good one! I have used a fryer on hot dogs a few times when I was in a hurry and didn’t have time to boil. But I don’t think I actually have tasted the result.
Propane fryers have other uses besides fries and elephant ears. I noticed one time in a restaurant that they were using a fryer to cook green beans–with water. I should ask next time what temperature they’re using.
An electric frig. is a good way to go as long as you have electric access,my next cart will have a grill flattop and a small frig. Papa Smurff I saw the same decline in sales when I moved to a stand in trailer to. I think people maybe are intimidated to walk up to the an enclosed unit,to bad cause it was nice being protected from the weather.It did help sales a little when I went with larger signs with prices on my combo meals. I also found several of my drive up customers not coming by as much,many of them had kids and didn’t want to leave them in the car alone while they placed their orders.
Drive up customers are usually at least two or more orders in one vehicle.
Thanks for the help folks. I’ve decided to use a gypsy vardo design and while it seems a lot I will include 3 full steam pans 2 large built in pots a flat griddle and a gas grill. We cant have deep fryers in an open cart where I am so no rippers… no no… not girls that’s a deep fried hot dog, wrapped in bacon with pulled pork….yes I am fluffy. When I get close to finishing I’ll try to send some pictures. If you have anymore thoughts or ideas feel free to send them along to me, I can use all the help I can get, Thanks Joe
For those who are wondering, a vardo is a gypsy home on wheels. Remember in the Wizard of Oz, in the black and white beginning part, the snake oil salesman (Wizard) lived in a horse drawn vardo.
That is ambitious Joe!