Susan Provenzano has a very unique hot dog cart that looks like a fire truck. Not a toy firetruck, but a REALLY REAL looking fire truck. This rig is an attention getter. Susan writes… Here is some info on the Fire truck Hot Dog Cart/Kiosk. It is one of only four ever built two are in Canada and one in Ca.
The cart is just over 10 ft long & 4 ft wide & has a 3ft counter height. It has 2 Beverage Air refrigerator/ freezers, A Breadbox that will hold over 30 packs of 16 ct rolls, Hot & cold running water with a 12 gal fresh water holding tank & 15.5 gal gray tank.
Tons of storage all doors on cart open & have keyed locks. Also has 2 doors with clear glass set up as lighted display cases with shelves. Front windshield drops down were there is a built in Ice Bin and two pull out trays set up for relish & onion pumps. It has a built in lock box safe. All lights on cart work, headlights, tail lights, marker lights, and can be set to flash or not.
Kitchen area rolls away from rest of cart for easy clean up or to roll to commissary, that is also how you get to hot water heater, water pump, sink plumbing, and one of the two electrical panels.
The cart is all electric and can be set up different ways depending on your electrical needs at different locations. The kitchen area can be plugged right in to the truck part of the unit, then the whole thing plugged in to a 30 or 50 amp RV style plug with the 100 ft cord (included) or two separate cords one from kitchen area & one from truck in to common house hold 20 amp plugs using adapters. Or of course if you have a generator.
~CONTEST~
We ran a fun contest when this article first appeared but it’s now over. Congrats to the winner!
-Steve
How about a cart that looks like a BBQ with flames from top to bottom?
I love the wraps but now it’s time to think…
Thanks for the contest Steve!!!
Id make mine look like one of the old baseball parks. Everyone remembers getting a great hot dog at a ball park.
I’d use my “Capt’n Mike’s Hot Dawgs” logo….With a beach theme….
I’d make it good old Red, White and Blue!
Nothing is more patriotic than a good old American Hot Dog!
Except maybe Mom and Apple Pie?
Hummmm! Gives me another idea!
Hi Steve,
I would put mirror graphics on the cart, along with basic pictures of what I am selling. The mirror graphics are truly reflective and people are vain. They would see themselves in the reflection and naturally look your way! The very thing that we want! Free attention. Ever walk past a plate glass window and admire yourself? Same concept. Draw their eyes and you have them by the stomach.
Have a great Hot doggin’ day!
Wanda Swan, Owner, Dixie Kitchen
Love the firetruck! What is the set up time on the unit? How do you transport?
– Wrap idea. Think about a wrap with hotdogs stacked every where, decorated with slaw or chili and onions – or just plain old mustard. Dogs on the side, top, countertop – just plastered everywhere! Humm, makes me hungry just thinking about it!
Mark
– Top Dawgs, Georgia
I would use my logo, a Beaver holding hot dog and put my slogan in big letters. “If its not a Daddy Dog…. Spit it Out! Beavers is my last name so I can get away with a logo like that. It gets all kinds of laughs from my t-shirts. I can imagine the talk it would get if it was blown up on my cart.
I would use a comic superfriends/superheros theme and call my cart “SuperDogs”. Everything in the cart would have a superhero theme (Cardboard standups, promotional items, Logo “Power-up with a Superdog”). Kids love superheros and let’s face it, kids drive purchases. Kids passing the cart would force mom and dad to stop and buy.
I would have a military theme and name my dogs top dogs of the military.marine dog,army dog.navy dog,air force dog,lets support our troops.
How about a dedication to like 9/11 with the NYPD,NYFD,NY Yankees logos like that American Chopper 9/11 NYFD fire theme bike they did.
How about a Coney Island beach theme? Isn’t that where hot dogs were invented?
@Wanda;
The mirror thing sounds nice at first, but when I walk past one all I think of is…DIET!!!!!
Not to mention the chance of sunlight reflecting into passing cars.
We would have ours look like a dog – canine to the layperson – with a hot dog in it’s mouth since our cart will be called “IT’S A DOG EAT DOG WORLD” Hoping to start up next yr in Hbg, PA!
Nice set up! For a wrap idea ? I’d go a little more drastic and say there are 9 wonders of the World. The natural 8 wonders of the world and then the 9th wonder of the world would be the invention of the hot dog cart…. then give a free soda or chip to every ninth customer! Give the customer something to look forward to and you keep loyalty high! I give a free punch on my combo card as an incentive to keep people coming back. You only lose if you can’t keep’em coming back! LOL… Big Momma
Since my dogs and buns will be steamed, I would go with a wrap that looked like and old locomotive steam engine, pulling a cart of happy hot dogs!
the design I almost used was an illusion. It makes the cart look see through. Like you were looking into the cart with lots of intricate wiring and gears and plumbing inside. Kind of like looking into the Terminator or something. Its awsome
I have been a lurker here for many months. My Father in Law died early this past year. He left me an older Willydogs basic cart. I used it all summer in a part time capacity under the name Firehouse Franks (I am a firefighter). I had a ball doing this and plan on making it a bigger part time gig next year.
That wrap idea is awesome. I am going to get one with the firehouse theme. Thanks for all the info you folks provide -It is invaluable.
I am also in the military, ARMY and presently AZ NATIONAL GUARD, and have been planning “SGT Ds. DOGS” for a while now. I had the idea of wrapping the cart to look like a C-130 with PARADOGGERS, haha, just thought of that one, jumping out with their parachutes on and landing into awaiting rolls. The dogs would be named after the enlisted ranks or various mottos ie; The All American, The Screaming Eagle…
Wow, what a cool rig. For a wrap, I would do a low flame along the bottom and just a couple of firefighters in full bunting gear helmets and all holding hot dogs to the flame with one of the tools they use to break and pry buildings with. I would also incorporate the IAFF Logos in gold to show support of firefighters everywhere.
I would do a NASCAR theme, with some of top drivers cars on the cart. The cars have so much color on them.
Well we are currently creating Happy Dogs and our design is going to be tie-dye. Its all about the power of suggestion, say happy and you automatically feel a little bit happier. The Tie dye design is also about happiness and lots of color.
So far, so awesome! You folks ROCK!!!
Let’s get even more ideas…share this on Facebook by clicking the blue “f Share” button in the top left corner.
Let’s drag a bunch of people over here and see how many more wrap ideas we can get.
-Steve
I would do the history of hot dogs. Pics of where it started, who invented them, how they have changed over the years, and different kinds and styles, along with old and new slogans. Ex, I wish I were an Oscar Meyer wiener.
As our cart is named “THE GREAT AMERICAN DAWG WAGON” I would wrap it with pictures of different breeds of dogs exploding thru the cart each one holding a different style of hot dog in it’s paws
Jim & Kay
My cart is named “Buns on the Run.” This is suitable since we are moble and can serve almost anywhere. Lets wrap it with a hot dog in a bun with face, with mustard and ketchup down the middle and beads of sweat in the color of mustard and ketchup, since he’s running. The color of the shoes are green for relish.
My wrap idea would take a little time,because i would love just to take all kinds of pictures of my customers young,old,black ,white,yellow,all different types.Let everybody see just how people get along while enjoying a great american hot dog.Imagine the looks on their faces when they see their faces in a nice bright wrap on your cart,or driving down the road,and people seeing the pictures of everyone just getting together,and having fun,eating a good hot dog.Wow how many customers would come by saying someday they may see their picture on your cart,just the little things that brings America together!!!!!!!!
Well here is my shot at the cart wrap. Seeing it is the American Dream to be in some kind of business and the Freedom that is only here in America. I would wrap it with the American Flag with the Eagle of Strength and the Dove of Peace on it in a antique finish. Live The Dream!
These ideas are all awesome!
I like the illusion idea
I would go one step further with this
and my idea is:
The illusion of the side of the cart is the side-walk and little weiner dogs are waiting in line with American flags on for “bibs” – and the weiner dog at the front is being handed a dog with ketchup and mustard.
Hope I win!!! ;o)
My cart is going to be Electric green with black trim. My logo will be present on both sides like fender graphics. I plan to install under-carriage lighting (green as well) and a car stereo. The theme here is a “fast and furious” type street racer feel to attract the younger patrons at the local downtown bar seen. I am also using glass tile (Apple green) to top the cart so the light will reflect there as well, this also adds to the carts professional look and feel. It is going to be a real eye catcher because of its overwhelming color palate and at night with the lighting on I will stand out like no cart before.
Mad Dogs
sides off cart looks like a big hot dog with legs ,a smiling dogs face on it ,with a lote of little hot dog puppys around it,with a sign on top that says =you’r size is what we have. lol
I think all of these ideas are great. My winning submission will be a little take on alot of them. I am going to have my wrap this way-diamond plate all of the edges for a stand out, sharp, clean look-the logo will naturally be on all 4 sides and stand out in a starburst with a dog looking out (like he is pulling the starburst open) with a dawg in it’s mouth. I will also have dawgs (plain-chili and ketchup/mustard) on both sides that look like they have steam coming off of them. I will have “ice cold” drinks and bottles of water (with the ice cold in a font and color to stand out, like crystalized water dripping off of the bottles), naturally I will have a few bags of chips thrown in there as well. The color scheme will be flaming like Gregs but a little lighter as I think some of his colors are just a little too dark in spots (for my taste). I will have Catering-Parties-Events in capital letters along the bottom on all four sides just above my phone number which will also be reflective to stand out at nite too. I am then going to step it up a notch like Richard and add undercarriage lighting and some type of music (50/60’s always seem to put people in a good mood). On the back I will also have something to the effect of “your following behind I Like It Like That Dawg Wagon, keep following us on facebook, twitter and our website.” since it will be on the back of the truck being towed around town and somebody will always be behind you when your driving. Oh yeah, a couple more little things to step it up a notch will be to widen it to the outer fenders like someone else recently did (gain alot more room with little effert) and the wrap will come all the way down to cover the trailer frame so it looks like the whole “box” is all built as part of the trailer (instead of the “box” looking like it is bolted to the trailer). Then a set of chrome rims and I am done!!
I would put my dancing dog on it (What is on my cargo trailer.) It attracts so many people and people know right from the get go what we are selling,
Now picture this, a reception hall,parking lot full of cars,lots of people going in the hall,and in the foreground there is a hot dog cart set up,and the wedding party is standing in line to buy a hot dog.The bride and groom are sharing one hot dog.Caption ” No day is complete,until you have a hot dog”
Hey Guys. My original hot dog cart concept was called “Man bites Dog” (There’s a dogger in Austin, TX with that name so I shelved it until I could learn more about his TM). If I was doing that one though, I would wrap the cart in enlarged newsprint, complete with columns, headlines and pictures including funny fake articles to entertain the customers. The main Headline would be the name “Man Bites Dog” across the top; an obvious play on the classic story about a dog biting a man. The associated photo of that could show a fella chomping down on one of my delicious dogs. What do ya think?
Scott
That is a nice lookin’ rig. My choice of wrap would be a Charcoal Grill for the body of the cart. The top of the cart looking like a bed of coals with a couple of hot dogs on the grill. On my Tower I would put a picture of a Chef with a pair of tongs/facing the business end of the cart
I have a Top Dog cart and the front panel is my ad space. We already do a panel for Big Dog Charities. What i’d like is that fire truck and wrap it with “Hot Dogs for Heros” graphics from the armed forces, fire and police. Then do my charity work to donate all proceeds to our service men/women
I was reading this thread and realized I had to post.
Anyone looking for wraps, we can do it.
We’re located in Raleigh/Durham NC
signscientist dot com
If I were a hot dogger just starting out and wanting to wrap my cart I think I would be seeking out a few sponsors for the cart first. Perhaps an ice sponsor and a propane sponsor to put on the wrap. Those are usually your two biggest overhead cost taken care of just by putting their name on your cart wrap. After that I think I would still stick with the brightest red or yellow colors to finish it. My customers can just peek down the street to look for those bright colors to know if I’m there or not.
I think that I would use just a big hotdog like the logo on hotdog biz 101, (everything but the add), why would you want to re-build the engine when it runs great. When you already have a great looking hotdog picture. Note: Steve you could just add it to your current package as an additional item, they can get the plans to build an E-Z-BUILT CART and get the artwork as well for just an addional charge.. ha
How about a trolley car built on a golf cart frame
i would put the platform on the back & call it trolley dogs
how about a pic of and old fair with all the ladies and men ,kids to dressed in old fair days of yesteryear and injoying a hot dog,and drink at the fair
I would use a wrap of my Cocker Spaniel trying to take a big bite out of a Hot Dog. It fits in with the name of my business and my slogan…”BITE THE DOG BEFORE THE DOG BITES YOU”