The following is a guest article written by Hot Dog Profits Premium student Robin Delancy.
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Hi Steve,
Here is how I handle large take out orders at my hot dog cart.
Actually, in my first year, I lost what could have been a very steady and lucrative customer because of this and my inexperience with it. He came by and ordered 12 dogs to go and said he’d be back in 20 minutes. Then I got swamped with people when I was halfway through his order. I thought I’d make it taking them and finishing his order as I seemed to have plenty of time. But he came back in 10. Then he decided to take what I had, paid and left and never came back. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen that way too often, but I’ve learned how to deal with it as follows.
One woman wanted 4 chili dogs, 4 chili cheese and 2 pulled porks, Plus sodas and chips. I lined up all the dogs by category, 4 chilis first and wrapped them and my brother kicks in at that point and packages them. Then the chili cheese and I do the same routine. Finally, I get the pork sandwiches done and wrap them up. With Dan doing the bagging and me doing the fixing in categories, it goes pretty fast. I tell the customer where the sodas and chips are so they take care of half of it and pick out what they want.
If it’s a bunch of kids from the beach, it’s even easier as they always want hot dogs. I line them up and get a count of how many dogs the whole group wants. I can line up as many as 14 at a time. Then I go down the line and ask them, “OK, number 1, what’s going on your dog?”, then number 2 what would you like?” Etc. It goes fast and the kids love it! I tell them to line up everything else on the table before they take it all away and I tally it up for each group or whoever is paying.
The rest of my customers are quite understanding and although I apologize for the wait they all tell me, “Don’t worry about it, you’re doing fine.”
If it’s contractors, I always feel the need for speed as I know they have a limited lunch hour, so a simple question of who’s paying, or Seperate or together, gets me into the same routine with the necessary variations.
The walking tacos are so popular people are ordering doubles! So next year I’ll have to have large and small on the menu! People seem quite surprised when they see the variety I have on the menu. For a small cart I do offer quite a lot and I can vary it any way they like. For instance, if they don’t want peppers on the sausage, they can have it any way they like with other toppings. If they can’t decide between barbecued onions or raw I suggest both. Some have even had pulled pork on the dogs! People love my flexibility. Some kids have shared a dog and while one wanted ketchup and one wanted mustard, I could see a fight starting. So I put mustard on half and ketchup on the other half. They cut it down the middle and everyone was happy!
So that’s about it, Steve. I hope that helps a little. I’m very much a people person and have always lived a high profile life of one sort or another. I get excited with crowds and move fast and aim to please. I think that’s why I’ve learned to make it a good experience even for the people waiting in line. At times I’ve even, literally, had to juggle the condiment bottles! Try that without getting ketchup and mustard all over yourself! *:)) laughing
Talk to you soon,
Robin/Dixie/Lakeside Lunch
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Thanks Robin – great tips!!!
You certainly have come a long way. From student to teacher – I love it!!!
-Steve
Robin, I think if you have the people put on their own condiments you would see greater speed. On my cart i have a condiment holder , it seems to work great !!
let me know your thoughts. Also I am interested in your tacos and pulled pork !!
Larry
Maybe so, but people are messy & will leave you the mess to clean up.
I agree with Jim. I like to put the condiments on. Gives me a chance to put on a little show for the customer. It really enhances the experience and differentiates you from the roller grill dogs at the gas station. I always say, “Don’t sell a hot dog. Sell an experience!”
That’s right matey. Be a destination !!!
Also, I have a quite varied list of condiments: both cold and hot. I think things would get very confusing if I let them out on the cold and I put on the hot ones. Liability issues if they did the hot. And this way they get the custom build they like such as cold on the bottom hot one on top, or everything else first and sauerkraut on top of it all. Most all my customers like as much as they can get on it and some like it in certain order. BUT if they want to.put on their own cold stuff I’m happy to let them and I build the rest. But most prefer that I put it all together.
New phone. Pardon the typos. Spell checker gives funny results sometimes.
Thanks Steve! Always a pleasure! And by the way, I have 2 dog sleds. That’s how I do 14 at a time.
Hmmm, student to teacher. You ARE full of surprises!
Double dog sleds. Nice!
We have a dog sled also. It’s a great help.
Hey Robin I want a ticket to see your juggling act !!
Arrrr har har har !!
1St Mate Jim.
I let the customers put it on themselves. I used to do it myself but I have other things on my menu and it just takes to much time for people to make up there minds and when that happens others will walk away. I enjoy being busy but I do not want my customer’s to wait so I always have lots of dogs and sausage ready to start my weekend and have 2 burgers cooked halfway and then zip locked so that way if people order cheese steaks I can take care of everyone at one time. When you are by yourself its best you plan things out. When the two burgers sell cook 2 more halfway through and zip locked.
Not a fan of half cooked meat. It’s either raw or fully cooked on my cart. Over 145 or under 40 degrees.
My biggest seller is the walking taco. They always ask what’s on it. I always tell them I’m going to “custom” build it to their specs. Contractors really relate to that. Meat, shredded cheese, diced tomatoe, shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, & jalapeno peppers on a 1.75 oz. bag of Doritos are the options. I’m surprised how many veggie only, no meat orders I get. Lining up everything makes it go fast. I also have a large decal out front showing a completed walking taco. I plan to use a large color decal when I start doing “Chicago dogs” this spring. A running dialog with the first few customers as you work keeps most from getting impatient and leaving. I only offer a 32 oz. lemonade shakeup, and have not lost one sale since I quit having two sizes. Really speeds things up.
You Folks are crazy letting the customer dress their dogs. All it’s going to take is one customer to make a complaint to the health department. If a customer wants to dress their dogs I ask them to first wash their hands then don a pair of gloves. It’s all about food safety! along with portion control
I love Robins ideas, you go girl, I’m going to add italian beef to my menu this summer. I would never let a customer dress their dog, only because I like to do it, and I agree that its an experience, and being a better experience then if they go to the gas staion dog.
I think taco nacho is gong to be a hit as well.
I LOOOVE italian beef!
To Papa Smurf, keep selling the walking tacos! I have them on my cart, and people can not get enough of them! It is a new twist on selling, you have your hot dogs and more, but variety is the spice of life! People do find the walking taco, a got to try it food! I have worked and tweaked my taco meat sauce recipe for over two years, and people will dive in once they taste it, gotta gotta come back for more! Make sure your taco meat recipe has a little bite, but not too hot I like what you said about using Doritos, in place of fritos, again people love a new twist, a new angle , for your food, keep selling and happy hot dogging to every hot dog slinger out there!
As Steve says it’s all about the show.the only time I put condiments out is large events then it’s cold toppings only. We even have fun when it’s a naked dog. Hot dog carts are suppose to build the dogs from the bun up. This season I also am getting larger orders form businesses I ask them to Put the order on paper and snap a pic of it and text it to me that way I get the toppings right with a time for pick up… I text back the price it makes for a fast transaction when they get there as well as protects you on early show up.
Great idea Jimmy!
Robin, do you have a website and/or a menu online? I’d like to see what you’re selling!
My health department forbids customer handle dogs until it’s theirs to eat.
Why don’t you give your customers your phone number. I do, they text me with their orders so I have them ready in bags when they show up.
Am a very busy cart and having the luxury of my customers not having to wait, since most of them only have a half hour lunch and most if their time is relegated to driving if they want something else
Right on Gary.
I don’t think its very sanitary to have people slopping their own condiments on plus I don’t believe our Board of Health allows it. If you put out the prepackaged one, they grab a handful and therefore waste them.
I always put the condiments on myself.
We just started selling walking tacos and they’re starting to take off. I have one question about text/phone orders. How often do you get stiffed? We’ve had to stop taking phone orders because they never come get them. I can’t afford to throw away product away.
Yes, that can be a problem. I never took phone orders for individuals, only for groups and companies. Just state minimum phone order $25 or something like that.