While I was slingin’ hot dogs at the parade last Sunday I kept thinking about all of my students out there (that means you, dear reader). I asked myself, “Self, do my hot dog cart sisters and brothers know all the different ways to handle all this cash?”
It dawned on me that a lot of you may be doing it the hard way, over-complicating things, or struggling with keeping things straight on the fly. So I shot a video in my garage this morning to teach you the ancient art of working from a money roll.
So, this is how I roll…
P.S. Don’t forget that you need be able to take credit cards too. You can get a free portable credit card reader here.
I learned this skill from an old carney I used to hang around with. Let me know any tricks you may have in the comments. This old ‘dogger still likes to learn new tricks!
-Steve
Nice Game of Steve Card Monty…….
Sending this vidio to the cashiers at the Local Supermarket…..They do not have a clue how to count back….If the Screen doesn’t tell them how much change they are lost!!!
Steve, when operating alone how do you handle making change and doing the preparation and maintain cleanliness. I sometimes have trouble with opening the buns with tongs alone.
Simple and easy, I love it! I prefer the pocket apron. Am using a two pocket (nail) apron; am right handed so put $1’s & 5’s in left pocket and quarters in the right. $10’s and $20’s go in the right pants pocket. I think I would like a three pocket apron but haven’t seen one yet, don’t have any uniform stores nearby.
Amen Pocono Hot Dog! Most cashiers today cannot do math in their head.
Great video, Steve!
The more I learn from you, the more I feel I was made for this kind of work!
I work from a 3 pocket apron as you mentioned, but I use the middle one for a “potholder” for the lids. I keep quarters in one side and singles in the other. All I can see to improve right now is to keep 5’s in with the quarters so I don’t have to keep running to the cashbox I use.
Just one question. What do you or others do when you run out of fives? AND singles? I’ve had days that I call $20 days. EVERYONE gives me 20’s and those fives go fast. Then someone orders 1 hot dog and hands me a $50 bill. There goes all my change and I keep about $100 like you suggest. I don’t do a huge business, but sometimes, the change just flies away in a hurry! Any suggestions?
Thank you, Steve! That is a great teaching tool. I just thought about it, but did you know that lots of high school kids that have come out of High School, ready to start seeking a job, don’t really know how to count out change! I purchased a chicken leg and a drink about 8 months ago. The cost was $1.90. I paid with a $100.00 bill. It took the young man 20 min. to try to figure it out, then he called his manager over, an older girl, and I finally got my correct change after 10 more minutes, but I had to count it out for them! It was amazing. Neither, of them had a clue of how much the change was.
Then the manager, step over to me and ask me if I needed a job? I told her it would do her good, to work in a flea market for about a year.
Anyway Steve, your videos are needed out here in Hot Dog Land. It would help beginners just starting out!
Gregory
I do it exactly the same way, but I use a money clip to hold me huge wad!
Robin,
Maybe you should keep a secret stash of ones and tens on you.
-Steve
Steve Card Monty…Python. Thanks Pocono, lol!
Thanks Gregory. By the way, how was the chicken leg?
-Steve
Hot Curly, Congrats on your wad!
Dennis,
Over the years I’ve developed a “no glove” serving technique (I freakin’ HATE gloves). My hands never touch the food. Sounds like I need to make another video…
-Steve
I know of a guy who runs on the honor system!
bills in a clear plastic container. And customers make there own change. He works out of a permanent spot so he has a lot of regulars and he keeps a very close eye on it while you are making change. But I figure that for a six dollar meal and you drop in a ten I leave the rest as a tip! and think a lot of others do the same. so he his making good tips also.
I love it Sidney!
Steve:
This is a great video, thanks Steve!! I’m already doing this and with a 3 pocket apron. Works Great! Mac Daddy (my husband) uses the pocket method like you just did-easier for him. Can’t wait for him to see this as I’ve been stressing this with our helper friends at festivals, etc. Thanks! Mrs. Mac Daddy
Great Video I might be able to teach my wife how to do that lol
Wives sharing with their husbands. Husbands sharing with their wives. Hot dogging is better than marriage counseling!
-Steve
Steve,
That’s all I work with is ones, fives and quarters! They go fast when someone whips out a fifty and say that’s all they’ve got, and always after the order is filled. I flat out turn away the hundreds, but just the twenties eat it up sometimes. But thanks for the advice.
Steve…nice topic
I have been trained to keep 10’s & 20′ only in my left front pants pocket, as I am right handed.
I do not use change and rarely do I get it. That leaves the front right pocket for 1’s & 5’s. I like to not show how much I am holding, so every time I can put together $25 I wrap a broccoli rubberband around each fold stack of $25. Back pockets are never touched even if I loose a sale.
joe
Thanks Joe. Good points.
-Steve
Ok, now I know what I am doing is correct because I am doing it the same way Steve is doing it. I do use a apron and $10, $5, $1 but no quarters, I normally start off with $75 at my street spot and $200 at Festivals.
Duggs Doggs Good!! Good!!
Hey Steve as always good info!
If you can, also do one showing how to do it when your working by yourself with gloves on.
I use a cash box keep ones and fives and quarters on top. I keep extra ones and quarter rolls in te bottom. Big bills go in the bottom tens under the fives.
Big Dog House, Come get ya one!!!!!
Thanks!! Great info as always Steve!
Steve I kinda work the same way but different. I always have 40 bucks in my hand and the rest i leave in my pants pocket. 1st I use a money changer that is rigged to my cart. I find this to be the best devise for making coin change. 2nd you hand me a 10 bill, I pull out my money and place there 10 on the bottom of my bills, if there is any doupt I just turn my hand over and say yes you handed me a 10. turn the hand over and count back puttting the money right in there hands. I found out in large crowds putting the money down money has a bad habit of taken off. it the money is not in your hand and on the table and that bill gets away you are responsible for his money. if you put the bill in his hands and he lets go thats is his probelm an dyes this has happend to me to many times.
You should make a habit of showing the money changer for the carts this can help in many ways. lets say you are charging 250 for a dog and this happend to me as well. you grap the 2 quarters from the money changer while he is making his dog and you ask for the money. he sayes I paid you aleady. no sir you did not and open your hands to show him the 2 quarters. he says thats right I didnt pay you. having the money changer ther is like helping you in collecting
Tony
I use a paper binder clip for my money clip for bills. The best ever. I never keep 20’s or larger in my roll. I keep them in my side pocket. I use the 2 and 3 compartment apron. Roll clip, left and quarters in the middle.
Apronman.com in NJ has aprons with up to 7 pockets.
Good video Steve. It’s pretty easy since they really don’t teach you to count in school any more. Darn computers!!
The best lookin’ hot dog man in Georgia handles his money the same way I do? Nice!
-Steve
Attila, I used a cash box when I had my permanent hot dog stand. Works good. Thanks for your input!
-Steve
Good info Tony, Buns, Mikki, and Matthews. (That sounds like an old seventies band…)
Steve, a no glove video sounds great. Being in the strickest county in the country when it comes to the Health Dept. regs, we are required to wear gloves at all times unless you can demonstrate that they are not needed. Some of the inspectors will still demand two gloves though. I’m down to one glove on my right hand so I can count money out of my apron with my left an not run into to much hassle. Oh, how come I know we are the strickest county? Friends of ours have the first food truck in Dupage county(Sandw’ch is the name) and the company that built the truck said so. I’ve been to other counties and the insp. agree. Mr. Tiki
Thanks again for all your guidance! I learn something everyday… or at least once a week when your email arrives!!!
Yes, no glove video sounds great… and another one on working from an apron would be good too.
Oh, and as far as loosing sales because someone wants change for $100, how about posting a sign that simply states “No Bills Larger Than $20.” At a local gas station there is a sign that says “We Would Appreciate As Many $1 Bills As You Can Manage.”
Three pocket aprons are great!! If you have a Reastaurant Depot close they carry them in several colors.
Hey, the side tables… look good… Please, take pictures of them and send them… will try to upgrade…
Great way to give change, way lot easier
Thanks
My husband got me a changer for coins; $25. @ restaurant supply store. They hold $$25. Change and are one of my best assets. Click , click, done. I have two. You must try it. You can give change without digging in your pocket/ apron. Hope this helps someone, sure helped me manage coins and be professional at the same time.
Thanks Steve for all your great tips.
This is for Dennis C. About opening the buns and handleing the money etc. I hope this helps.
This is what I do.
The night before I get everything ready, I have a tuberware container it holds about 40 buns. So I take each bun and a square piece of wax paper ,and split each bun then roll the wax paper around each bun and lay it in the container, after it’s full just put the lid on and your ready. The next day while I’m setting up I take the plexi glass slideing doors off and put the container on the shelve,, when a customer wants a dog just keep the lid loose grab a bun in the paper open the paper the bun is already split drop your dog in and your done. I hope this helps. good luck. Oh and by the way you don;t really need a glove because your not touching the bun.
I like this idea a lot! Thanks!
Good Video! Steve can you post that link again for the apron? It has a 404 error.
Man, Y’all know more than my wife! Thanks
Hi Steve,
I use to work from an apron, and always made sure to wear pants with pockets. But after a busy day my apron and pants started to get heavy with change. We use coins for $1 and $2 up here in Canada. So now I work with a cash box. I like the box because I’ts quicker and my employes and I can work from one float. I think it looks better too. Great video ! I look forward to the next ones.
Janet
GREAT RESPONSE…COOL BEANS
$$ PICKS UP EVERYONES AWARENESS
THANKS JOE
One thought to add is that places where carts are setup are targets for counterfeit bills so look closely. Avoid showing a large wads of cash. I wasn’t aware of the extended counter so maybe you could show a cart feature at the begining of each video. Keep it coming and Happy Hot Dogging to everyone.
Hi Steve,
Great video, but i have a question. It is very hard to have gloves on and handle food and try and handle money at the same time. Any suggestions? I can’t afford to keep changing gloves!
it sounds like you would go through a lot of gloves this way I wonder that to myself.
Steve –
Great video; thanks Steve! And another request for handling food and money. And, the table extensions, please.
Steve, the website you gave us for the three pocket apron comes up with a “404” error.?? Thanks
I’m glad people have brought up the handling food and cash simultaneously issue. I have been contemplating getting started, but this issue caused me pause. What Pat (above) suggests seems like a pretty good idea. Basically, have your buns already wrapped in wax paper, with a bit of wax paper tucked in side the already-split bun. Another idea I thought of that is, admittedly, a bit out there, was to rig a change maker to my cart somehow (like the changemakers on a soda machine). Then I started to go down the rabbit hole and envision a robotic hot dog slinger. I could probably make a pretty good one, but don’t know if the market is there to make them successful.
Domo origato Mr Roboto. Or maybe it’s Mr. Hotdogo…
hi Steve,
I am writing about your table extensions, they look great. I would like to know if you tow the extensions with your cart or if they come off; if they are removable I should say? Thanks.
I take them off when I tow the cart.