Author: Steve

Steve,

What is the right percentage to give to a school or community organization? I have done some different things but have a huge opportunity and I want to be fair and make money. I have been doing 20% off the top for a couple of organizations but this one could be 500 plus on Saturday.

-Robert

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That’s a very hard one to answer Robert. It really depends on what you want to accomplish.

If you are trying to make money (nothing wrong with that) then you might want to go to ten percent.

If you truly support the mission of the organization and are personally invested in their success, then you would obviously give more.

In either case be sure to use the opportunity to collect emails for your marketing efforts. Also have business cards and flyers to hand out to customers who are interested in your catering services. Put up a big sign that says, “We Cater!” or something like that.

Always leverage charitable events into more gigs down the road.

Good luck!
-Steve

The weather is getting cooler in some parts of the country. How about adding another very profitable product to your hot dog cart?

COFFEE!

Hot drinks sell like hot cakes when the temps drop. Be ready to profit by reading (or re-reading) our guide to selling coffee and hot drinks on a cart.

Be sure to read the comments. As usual there’s gold to be found there.

-Steve

Why don’t we use roller grills and convenience store style steamers? Russ asked, so here is my opinion. I would love to hear yours in the comments!

Hi Steve,

Thank you for your great information as I move forward in planning a hot dog concession trailer. I constantly refer to your aids in educating myself.

Question: It seems like it is really less expensive and less hassle to purchase a hot dog and bun steamer, like the Advanco HDS-200 for my counter top. Put in the water, products and plug it in with a sufficient generator to power it and start slinging. What do you feel are the advantages and drawbacks to this system?

-Russ

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Hi Russ,

One disadvantage of these types of units is that they are very slow to heat up the product. They are designed for a gas station or convenience store where the clerk can “set it and forget it” all day.

Because it takes so long to heat the meat, you must load a lot of dogs all at once. This brings up problem number two – do you really want to serve hot dogs that have been sitting around for hours. And what happens to the buns after an hour? This unit claims to have a steam level adjustment so that might help.

Another drawback is that you would need to use a generator. Even the quiet (expensive) ones are a bit annoying and you can smell the exhaust at times.

I believe that it’s much better to heat up small batches of hot dogs throughout the day. The water pans on a hot dog cart make this quick and easy.

Cost. By the time you buy the Advanco HDS-200 and a good generator to run it, you will end up spending $700 or more. You can build an entire E-Z Built Hot Dog Cart for another hundred bucks. You will be able to serve fresh product a lot faster, and you won’t be reliant on electricity or gasoline.

The biggest disadvantage (this is HUGE) is the loss of your unique sales proposition. We need to separate ourselves from our competition by doing things differently than they do. The last thing we want to do is make the customer think that our hot dogs are no different than the ones they can get for a dollar at the convenience store. If they see you using the same machine as the gas station up the road, your perceived value just went in the crapper.

Running a fun and exciting cart with superior products and unusual condiments is what allows us to get three or four times as much money per sale. Look around at all the professional hot dog vendors. We all use propane and steam pans because it’s the best way to deliver a top quality meal – and an experience!

-Steve
HDP

P.S. Like I said in the beginning, this is just my opinion. I would love to hear from slingers who have successfully used these self contained units or roller grills in a street or festival situation. I’m open to new ideas. Tell us what you think in the comments below!

Image courtesy of Webstraunt Store

Who wants $700 for six hours of fun (I mean work)? I need several Hot Dog Cart vendors to work two day gigs.

You will give away 600 to 700 Hot Dogs each day, ketchup and mustard ONLY. The promoter will reimburse you up front for all product costs and pay you $700 for your time.

Here are the dates and cities I need to fill…

Sept 23-24 in Waite Park, Minnesota
Oct 7-8 Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
Oct 7-8 Osseo, Minnesota
Nov 4-5 Stillwater, Minnesota

Vendors will serve hot dogs for 3 hours each day. You must be licensed!

This are excellent gigs. I have worked with this promoter many times before. My slingers who have worked these gigs in the past have all had great things to say about it.

Call Mark (the promoter) at 260-271-9144 or email him at marklski@hotmail.com for dates and more info.

-Steve

P.S. Don’t have your hot dog biz up and running yet? There are big pay days like this one every weekend in towns across America that you’re missing out on. Want to get started? Click here for the best way.

Hot dogs are part of the American Experience. So are steam trains. What do you get when you put these two icons together? You get The Hot Dog Express!

Riding the Rails to Food Vending Success. The Hot Dog Express is a fully enclosed concession trailer built to look like an old fashioned steam locomotive. Cheryl Markwell is the current owner and she does a great business selling hot dogs, brats, sno-cones, popcorn, and retail items in Colorado.

Hidden Generator. Did I mention the caboose? It houses a Yamaha generator which provides electricity to the “locomotive” to power everything inside. That my friends is pure genius!

Gets Attention. Cheryl says this rig is a real “kid magnet”. I’ll bet it is! As we always preach here at Hot Dog Profits, you won’t sell a single hot dog if you don’t get people’s attention first. No problem getting attention with the Hot Dog Express, that’s for sure!

Yes, it’s for sale to the right buyer. Contains everything you need to get started! Blueprint, Manuals, Colorado Health Department paperwork included. The Hot Dog Express is ready to roll and it could be yours!

Want More Info? Call Cheryl at 719-966-9080 or email her at rmhotdogexpress@gmail.com for more information.

Click the photos below for a larger version…

Hi Steve,

I live in a very small rural area. Our McDonald’s is in a gas station. We have one grocery store, Piggly Wiggly. I have owned a restaurant for many years, but our library needed to expand and had to take my building to do so. Now, I am building a small food truck.

I first had to get out of restaurant mode, and begin to sell food truck mode. I have operated my truck a few times, and see a lot of things I have done incorrectly. Never sold hot dogs, nachos and cheese or such. Now I see the need and the market. (my restaurant was buffet style, older crowd.) There are no trucks in our area, or the 2 surrounding towns.

I have done the taste test with dogs, as you did, have decided on the one. How did you keep your buns? If I sell a burger, I grill my bun. That does not seem right for a hot dog. Remembering that this area thinks biscuits and gravy are the best food, (I am a yankee, and think donuts are a food group) they seem to like chili and cole slaw best on dogs. Are your buns kept warm? wow, lots of chatter for one question thanking in advance.

Love your blog, Janice

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Hi Janice,

First let me congratulate you on persevering in the face of adversity! A lot of people would have given up, but the fact that you are adapting and moving forward speaks volumes about your ability to succeed.

As for buns, I keep mine frozen in a deep freezer. They last a long time. I take them out of the freezer an hour before I head out so they can thaw.

On my cart I steam my buns, but if you have a big flat top griddle in your truck you could butter them and grill them face down. Toasted buns are really tasty. When I was a kid living in West Virginia that is how all the local diners served their hot dogs. I loved them!

Yes, chili and slaw are popular on hot dogs down south. Give them what they want!

If you want to get a lot of word of mouth advertising, put your yankee tastes to the test… how about a donut dog? Take a maple long john, slit it down the middle, and use it as a hot dog bun. Top it with cream cheese. Do you think the whole town would be talking about it? You bet they would.

Even if you don’t sell many donut dogs, just having it on your menu sets you apart from everyone else and will get you lots of attention and new customers.

Best of luck Janice!

-Steve
HDP

P. S. Everything you need to know about selling hot dogs is available here.

Hello Steve & fellow readers!

I have found the best advice in the article and comments here, you guys are AWESOME!

I’m from Canada (Montreal) where I operate a store front. I will attend a local festival next week that attracts over 200 000 people each year. It’s in its 4th year running. I sell vegan food (I know y’all sell meat, it’s ok…y’all can watch the documentatiries on Netflix when you’re ready ????).
There are approximately 10 restaurants/food trucks participating, which include one vegetarian, mussels (very popular and I’m next to them, the street will separate us), tacos, bbq. I’ll be selling pressed juice, faux sausage sandwiches, Jamaican patties, baked goods.

How do I plan 4% when I have different items on the menu? My shop is 6 blocks away from the event (north).

Has anyone had a complete flop? I’m putting it all in for this event so that I can attract people to my shop.

Also, should I set up another table with products for an extra stram of revenu?

Lastly, do you pay staff for the day or per hour?

Thanks in advance!
-Loren

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Hi Loren,

Use four percent as a total estimate for all your foods combined.

The fact that your shop is so close means that you don’t have to worry about running out of inventory. You can have a
“runner” replenish your stock as needed. This is a big advantage!

If one of your main goals is to get publicity for your shop (very smart), you should be handing out fliers and collecting email addresses so you can re-market to these folks. Have a clipboard stocked with email signup sheets and a bunch of pens ready.

I would not set up an extra table. You will have your hands full with the food. Pay your staff whatever seems fair to you.

Good luck!

-Steve

P.S. OK slingers, if you have any tips for Loren leave them in the comments below!

 

This question really resonated with me because a good friend of mine has spent the last 20 years in a wheelchair after an ATV crash. He didn’t let it stop him and he is now a financial advisor and a professor of economics. I don’t even notice his wheelchair anymore but I can understand how it might impact a person’s confidence when starting a public facing business like slingin’ hot dogs.

Today we’re going to blow that fear out of the water. Charles writes…

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Steve,

I just purchased your Hot Dog Profits Premium membership yesterday. I am very excited and nervous at the same time. I have a background in managing businesses for other people in one aspect or another. However the fear of failing on my own is not an easy one to overcome.

I have been disabled after an accident in 95 and have been in a wheelchair since then. Lots of people seem afraid of someone in a wheelchair as I have experienced many times over the years. Everything from not wanting to look you in the eyes to people who talk around you like you are not there.

I can’t help but feel like my disability will keep some potential customers away. I am resolved to work past this and I can only hope my physical disability only has a minimal affect on my new business.

Thanks for putting all of this information together!

Charles B.

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I wouldn’t worry about it Charles. In fact, I think it will actually be an asset.

The first step in the sales process is drawing attention to yourself. You won’t sell a thing if no one notices you. Serving hot dogs from a wheelchair will definitely get people’s attention and set you apart from any competition. People will admire your determination and self sufficiency. Heck – that’s the American way!

In fact, if I were you I would contact the local newspaper and TV station. Ask them if they would like to do a story on you. A story about a man who is overcoming his disability by starting a business that can be done from a wheelchair. The newspapers and TV love that sort of thing and you would get some great publicity out of it.

Also, I believe that people would be more inclined to buy a hot dog from you when they see you overcoming the odds that were stacked against you. Your strength will be an inspiration to thousands of people over the course of your new career.

In short, don’t let your disability hurt your business. Put it to work for you!

You’ll do great.

-Steve

P.S. If you have any advice for or encouragement for Charles, please leave a comment below. Thanks!

And the winner is…

“Turn down the heat – you’re smoking my buns!” – Mark Stricklett

Mark – give me your address so I can send you your prize.

Thanks for playing everyone. This was fun!

-Steve
HDP