Good morning, Steve!
I negotiated what I think is an excellent deal with my Municipality. I live in a stereotypically small town (about 5,000 people living inside town limits) not unlike many you may remember from Minnesota, with much of the downtown still being original old buildings and storefronts and our Town Hall and Market Square smack dab in the middle. My cart will get a regular lunchtime spot right in front of Town Hall in a beautiful little parkette with benches and a fountain facing onto the Market Square.
My permit will be $100.00 per month, which I originally thought was a little pricey but it’s strictly month to month only for the months that I’m open, and we negotiated nice extras such as evening and weekend access to the community parks and soccer fields and the real bonus is that I will have contracted exclusivity to the downtown area. Overall I think I did ok being as the County provided the Health inspection and permit completely free.
I thought you might be interested in the story that will be running in our local weekly paper as well. I’ll post it below and send you a picture when I’m all set up on my site for the first time.
Have an awesome day!
Darren
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BBQ Champion fires up the grill in Napanee
Everyone loves a good old-fashioned Hot Dog, and local entrepreneur Darren
Clark wants to show Napanee just how good a Hot Dog can be when “Doggie
‘Style’ Premium Franks & Sausages” cranks open its red umbrella on the
Market Square for the first time this week.
Clark, a Napanee native who lived for many years in the Ottawa and Greater
Toronto areas, is happy to have returned home and left the ‘rat race’
behind, but does miss one aspect of city life – the Hot Dog vendors.
“I have had a love of eating from the carts ever since my Dad bought me a
Hot Dog in Yorkville on a family trip 25 years ago,” he says nostalgically.
“I remember it vividly, and for years afterward when I was living and
working in the city I made regular lunch stops at the vendors – to this day
I have trouble walking by one at any time without stopping. There is nothing
like the experience of a Hot Dog or Sausage cooked on a curbside grill.”
Clark knows a thing or two about good food and grilling. A few years ago he
evolved his longtime hobby of cooking into a passion for sport – throwing
his recipes and technique into the ring with serious contenders and
competing on the Professional BBQ circuit. After several seasons and
thousands of miles traveled throughout Ontario and the Northeastern U.S. on
weekends, he accumulated dozens of trophies and titles, including a clean
sweep of the Canadian National Championship and subsequently representing
our country at the prestigious Jack Daniels World Invitational in Lynchburg,
TN.
“That was definitely the pinnacle of my competitive BBQ career,” he recalls.
“Being at the premier event in the world and counted among the very best is
indescribable. I was cooking with people who were legends – I was on a first
name basis with Food Network hosts and cookbook authors. After that event I
knew that my competition days were over – there was nothing left to aspire
to.”
But the love of cooking and entertaining remained. “After returning to
Napanee I BBQ’d at a few large parties for friends and have always enjoyed
hosting guests at home dinner parties. Almost everyone I have ever fed has
told me I should be cooking for a living. One day I started to take them
seriously.”
The restaurant business was out of the question due to high startup cost and
overhead. “Not to mention that being stuck in a kitchen while my patrons
were out front eliminated the social interaction that I enjoy so much,” he
adds. “I wanted to meet each customer and feed them as if they were being
hosted at a party or in my home. That was when I remembered the Hot Dog
carts.”
Having spent time in several cities known for their Hot Dogs, Clark knew
that there are numerous regional differences in preparation and dressing,
all of which produce delicious results. In true food-fanatic fashion, he
developed a concept which would allow Napanee patrons a world-class Hot Dog experience.
“I’m bringing the best of Toronto, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia and
Chicago street cuisine to Napanee!” he says excitedly. “I’m offering the
very best Jumbo Franks and Sausages either from the grill or steamed, served
on fresh locally baked rolls along with a virtual buffet of sauces and
toppings, both traditional and unique. The combinations and variations are
almost limitless, and everyone will get the best Hot Dog they’ve ever had
exactly the way they like.”
As well as the old standbys of ketchup, relish and yellow mustard, a quick
glance at his cart reveals several additional exotic mustards, Thai hot
sauce, New York red onion sauce, his own award-winning Championship BBQ
sauce, and a large multi-bin condiment station with everything from Bermuda
onion to Coleslaw.
Speaking of his cart, the varying street-vending styles he incorporates
utilize different types of equipment, so his hybrid concept required a
custom-built hybrid cart.
“I am so thrilled with my cart!” he enthuses, “My family and I joke that
it’s my 14 square foot restaurant, and really it is. It is completely
self-contained with a Broil King BBQ grill, a full 30” steam table, a
110-can built-in drink cooler, and a hadwashing basin with both hot & cold
running water. My favourite feature is that it is designed to either be
towed to a destination, or for parks and other venues where vehicles can’t
go, it can be manually pushed with handles like the original New York
streetcarts.”
As well as working his regular lunch location Outside of Napanee Town Hall
between 10:30 and 3:00, You will find Darren and his hot dog cart regularly smiling
and grilling at varying events and venues around town on evenings and
weekends. He has also gone back to his BBQ roots and is available for hire
cooking favourites like Pulled Pork, Ribs and Whole Hog for private parties
under the catering side of his business, “What Have You Been Smokin’?
Championship BBQ”.
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Dear Darren,
I am interested in how you structured the contract (lease) with the city. If you can post the lease online that would be totally helpful to everyone that is hesitant about getting started as a Hot Dog Vendor.
In my area Lake Geneva, WI, local restauranteurs oppose all competion, City Counsel meetings become “WAR ZONES”.
I beleive that a lot of folks like me just do not know how to proceed legally into any business.
I have taken courses in business and accounting and have put questions to the instructors that could not be readily answered. Your help would be much appreciated by all.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best regards,
Clifford
Congratulations Daren. Where can I get pictures and a diagram of this cart? It sounds like the kiond of cart I would like to build and have in my town.any help will be appreciated.
Bob..
Hi Bob,
Darren built his cart with my E-Z Built Hot Dog Cart package, and he did a wonderful job!
For more info and pictures go to http://www.BuildAHotDogCart.com
-Steve
Congrats, Darren
good luck on your venture, I have found a spot at our court house downtown also, betwwen the local lake, local parks and our college I am hoping to find a great spot that is fun and profitable.
cheers
I would be curious to know how you approached your local municipality, at what level and department? Location is always the hardest thing….
Hi Folks!
I just checked in here before my morning prep chores.
Thanks for the comments and questions. As far as approaching my Municipality, it really was refreshingly easy, and finally my 20 years of Sales experience paid off.
I had some pictures of my new, clean approved cart in hand and a one minute “elevator speech” prepared about my concept and why it would be good for the town. I went straight to Town Hall and found an advocate there in the Town Clerk, who gave the idea her blessing and referred me to the Building/Planning office to hash out the zoning. Same speech, same support. Building Department agreed to endorse the zoning to allow a mobile food unit for a period of four months, after which I can apply for an extension should I wish to stay there (pending any objections this application should be approved without a hitch) and referred me to Parks & Recreation which also looks after all Municipal Buildings. One more pitch and the assurance that my clean self-contained cart would be an enhancement to the enjoyment of the park as opposed to a hindrance, and we negotiated a simple lease agreement.
I hope this information was beneficial. Good luck to all and enjoy the Dog Days of Summer!!!