Hot Dog Cart News subscriber Rick Richards asked me for some help with a problem.
First, we need to clarify something. Rick doesn’t have a problem, he has a challenge. What’s the difference? Problems suck. Challenges rock.
Rick writes…
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Steve,
I setup at a small strip mall on weekends but I keep talking to people and scouting out new areas. This week I went up to a new big construction site just starting up and talked to the owner. He was impressed and told me it would be ok but we would have to wait about a month, when the site is safer. He also mentioned he had talked to a guy with a burrito truck, so we would split the week up. They have approx. 115 workers and setup would be for lunch time only so it would be about a 3 hr gig including setup time and breakdown.
It’s just me (no helper) and I’m worried about getting them served quickly. I know I will have extra condiments set up so they can load and go. I had just bought and extra 2’x4′ folding table and needed an excuse to buy a 10’x10′ canopy, which I now own. What my concerns are is how much to cook. I serve Hebrew National dogs and the same brand Polish Sausages. I don’t want to hold them up as I cook more and I don’t want to waste a bunch. How would you setup if you were in my shoes? And how much to cook?
Oh I also am waiting on an appointment with the Chief of Police to get permission to setup in front of the county office building. This is something I could have checked into much earlier but I listened to the wrong person stating, “that would be impossible”. Should have checked it out myself…..duh.
Thanks for any assistance,
Rick Richards
DOG’N IT
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Hey Rick, Sounds like you just landed what professional sales people refer to as “a whale”. A whale is a big client, account, sale, or stream of income. We should all be searching for whales because they have the potential to take your business to the next level overnight.
The first thing to do when you hook into a whale is to take a deep breath and calm down. Whales are exciting, but they are also a bit scary, especially if you’ve never caught one before. Relax, you can handle it.
The second thing to keep in mind is that there will be a few kinks to work out. Don’t freak out if it doesn’t go perfectly the first day. You can’t foresee everything and each gig has a personality of it’s own. Be prepared to adapt to a new way of doing things. It won’t be rocket science, just pay attention to the flow of customers, identify bottle necks, and figure out how to improve the process the next time.
A simple way to aid the flow of customers is to have your condiment table set up a few feet away from the cart. This “clears the aisle” and keeps people moving through. Take the money, hand them a plain hot dog, and move ’em out. Once they have the dog in their hand you are off the hook. If they have to wait in line for condiments they won’t blame you, they’ll blame the guy in front of them. Of course if the condiment line gets too crowded, you’ll have to address this issue.
An easy way to double the capacity of your condiment line is to make it two sided. Set up your condiment table in such a manner that it is accessible from both sides.
You should be able to handle that size crowd by yourself with no problem. I would have four dozen dogs hot and in the steamer before the bell rings. Don’t steam the buns unless you have a separate, dedicated steamer. Buns take up a lot of room and your steamer capacity will be at a premium. Keep an eye on your hot stock and add more dogs to the boiler when you start running low if the line warrants it.
Don’t be bummed if you have a lot of stock left over when the rush subsides. Make a note of how many you served and shoot for that number next time. After a few days at this gig you will have a really good handle on expected quantity. It’s much better to have to eat a few dogs than to make customers wait.
In fact, when I had my permanent location and an employee running it, it would get ticked off if I showed up for tear down at the end of a shift and there were no dogs in the steamer. The employee thought she was saving me money by not having to throw out stock, but if a customer had shown up at that moment, they would have had to wait seven minutes. Seven minutes feels like seven hours when you are waiting for “fast” food. Nine times out of ten they walk. And they don’t come back.
And finally, I think the most important lesson we can take away from this letter is the last paragraph, “Oh I also am waiting on an appointment with the Chief of Police to get permission to setup in front of the county office building. This is something I could have checked into much earlier but I listened to the wrong person stating, “that would be impossible”. Should have checked it out myself…..duh.”
How many times do people tell us something is impossible – and we just believe them? The fact is that the person you asked thought it was impossible. What do they know? A lot of times, not much. Always question what you hear. Poke around. Turn over rocks and kick through leaves. Persevere.
My own personal rule of thumb is five “no’s” before I go. And a lot of times I don’t stop at five.
Good luck Rick, I know you’ll do great and this will lead to more good things for you. You’ve got a whale, matey! Grit your teeth and give me your best “Aaaargh!”
If you have any tips for Rick, leave them in the comments. Thanks!
-Steve
Hi Steve, 
Susan and Renee contacted me with a curious dilemma – there are too many people at their hot dog cart in downtown Phoenix. (Well, yeah… look at those smiles!!! – more pics below)
I got an email from a Hot Dog Cart News reader telling me to check out what Doug Stacey (Harrisburg resident and owner of Papa’s Almost Famous Hot Dogs) was doing to help after the F4 tornado devastated his town. He writes…
I couldn’t agree more. Regular readers of this newsletter know I have a soft spot for first responders and those who serve in the military. I feel the same way about folks like Doug Stacey. Regular folks doing extraordinary things to help people right when they need it the most. You have earned hero status. I’m humbled.
