Hot Dog Cart News

What Do You Want To Accomplish in The 10’s?

Seems like only a few years ago that we were all waiting for our computers to stop working when the clock chimed midnight Y2K.

I can’t believe it’s been 10 years already. A decade goes by mighty fast.

New years resolutions are fine, but lets kick it up a notch. Since we are all too well aware of how time flies, lets make some new decade’s resolutions.

What do you want to accomplish in your hot dog business between now and 2020?

Put it in print in the comments – it makes it real.

Happy 2010 everyone!

-Steve

Twas the Night Before Christmas – Dogger Style

HDCN reader Pocono Hot Dog (J. Gagion) sent me his version of the Christmas classic. It’s really good! Enjoy.

“Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the streets, were carts upon carts, selling Country smoked meats,
I stopped in Chicago to sample their wares, but when I asked them for ketchup, I got nothing but Stares, Just Hot Vienna Sausage Loaded with fun, Sport Peppers and Tomato
ON A POPPYSEED BUN??
On to Baltimore City that Inner Harbor Town, at J. Gagions Cart I plunked two fifty down, For his Chesapeake Dog my taste buds were achin, 100% beef with Old Bay and Smoked Bacon, The slaw that he served was not on the side, but right on the dog, between the buns it did ride.
On to New York to see what they Know, but first, just two stops in the Grand Mountains Pocono,
The Worlds Largest Chili Dog was the Point of their Sign, and the eyes in my stomach were much bigger than mine,
I feasted for hours before I went on my way, for I had Lunch and Dinner and Breakfast the next Day.
Headed East through the Water Gap, with My stomach a fill, We stopped by the Roadside of all places, Buttzville
With Fresh Buttermilk I toasted my My server Big Bonnie, and wolfed down a Classic from the Hot Dogger Named Johnny .
On Dasher and Prancer Lets take off in this rig,
we are headed to Broadway in the Apple so big,
Where Hundreds of carts serve no Regrets, just Traditional Weiners with the name of Sabrett,
You can get em with Chile and Onions and Kraut, but I favor the specials the Vendors put out, Some favor the Chile
of Coney Island Fame, Like Nathans Famous, but what’s in a name. Some Like Mustard and Ketchup and Relish instead,
I chose the Latter with Onions of Red.
I head now to the Border, Be in Canada by Night, But not before sampling HOTS of red and white.
MERRY Christmas to all
…..and to all a good BITE….

The Christmas Hot Dog Cart

I just received an awesome email from Andy Kouris in Florida. He shared a cool way to Christmas up your cart . Here it is in his own words…

Hey Steve,

Here are three pictures of what I did at my downtown St. Petersburg Florida location.

I took an old umbrella I had and I covered it in red felt type fabric I bought at joann fabrics and attached it with a spray can of arts and crafts glue.

Then I used a hot glue gun to attach the white material around the edge.

I then rolled up some of the white fabric into a giant pompom and sewed it with nylon fishing line to the top and tada, I have an excellent conversation piece, and we all know how important it is to start talking to potential customers in this business is.

Happy holidays
Andy Kouris

DOGGIE STYLE

325 Central ave.

Downtown St. Pete
Florida

Thanks for sharing that great tip Andy.

Merry Christmas to all of you dear readers, and God bless you and your families!

-Steve

Hot Dog Cart Radio – Chuck Leidy (From the Lost Interview Series)

Today you’re going to hear an interview that I did last summer with Chuck Leidy from the Portland area. Chuck has seen and done a lot over the years. He served our great country in the Marine Corps, did a stint in corporate America, and has been involved in many businesses of his own.

One day while attending a fair with his wife, Chuck saw that the hot dog vendor’s line was moving like crazy while all the other concession lines were barely moving at all.

Sensing a competitive advantage, and therefore a business opportunity, Chuck jumped in the hot dog line and began his recon mission. What he discovered at that fair was so exciting that he started his own hot dog business soon after, and he has become very good at it.

I know that you’ll enjoy this conversation with one of the most successful hot doggers that I have had the pleasure to interview so far.

The origin of “The Lost Interview Series”

About a week before the Cash Tracker launch, the hard drive on my 6 month old Mac Book Pro took a dirt nap. Seeing as how my computer was practically new, I had neglected to perform back ups as regularly as I should have.

As a result, I lost a ton of data, including about a half dozen of the best interviews I have ever done for Hot Dog Cart Radio.

I was really, really upset with myself.

REALLY.

Three days ago, I ran across an old external hard drive which I had put in a drawer several months ago and subsequently forgot about.

I plugged it in. The drive whirred to life. The icon appeared on my desktop. Had I backed up to this drive? Would the interviews possibly be on it? I double clicked the icon and waited…

YES! There they were. The interviews I did last summer that I thought were gone forever.

I’ll be sharing The Lost Interview Series with you over the next few months. Stay tuned.

Here’s the interview with Chuck Leidy.

Click the link below to listen online or right click to download the MP3.

Hot Dog Cart Radio – Chuck Leidy

-Steve

We Have a Winner…Hot Dog Cash Tracker Contest

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the last two weeks, I just released my most ambitious project to date. It’s bookkeeping software for hot dog carts called Cash Tracker.

To celebrate the new product launch, we ran a contest for the very first Cash Tracker customers, and we gave away a brand new hot dog cart.

First Prize

The winner was… Chris Ayala of Alamo Hot Dogs in San Antonio, Texas. Congratulations Chris!

As it turns out, Chris is definitely on the right track with his business.

Now for the second prize.

You didn’t know there was going to be a second prize did you? Neither did I.
I just felt like doing it at the last minute.

It’s good to be the king (King Weenie that is).

I’m giving the second prize winner their choice of either of my training programs, the Hot Dog Biz 101 “Platinum” Package (which contains the Carts of Cash training manual and CD set), or the E-Z Built Hot Dog Cart Video and Plans Package.

Who won second place? Drum roll please…. Dwain Tolson of Big D’s Dog House in Eaton, Ohio. Congratulations Dwain!

This was awesome. Thanks to all who entered.

The drawing was administered by Random.org. You can find an entrant accessible public record of this contest here.

Now it’s time for me to get back to work here at HDCN. I’ll have a brandy-new story for you on Monday. Keep an eye on your in box.

Thanks for your patience dear readers,

-Steve

Yelp! Hot Dog Cart Reviews are Market Research

Yelp is a restaurant review site by the people, for the people. In other words, regular customers rating their favorite, and not so favorite restaurants.

This is all fine and dandy if you want to know how good that Chinese place up the road is, and that’s how most people use it.

But today I’m going to show you how to use it as a research tool.

Ever wonder how many hot dog carts are in your town? Want to find out where they are so you can check them out? Do you want to see their strengths and weaknesses from the eyes and taste buds of their clientele?

Ever wonder what your customers are saying about YOU?

Just pop on over to www.yelp.com and do a search for “hot dog cart” in your town. Here’s an example for San Jose, California. Click here.

This is a great way to see what your local market looks like from the comfort of your own home.

Market research in your pajamas. Dig it!

-Steve

P.S. 3 days left to get your Cash Tracker activation code and enter the drawing for the free hot dog cart.

Got Hot Dogs. What else are you into?

Update 12/11/09: Wow, you people respond fast! I got all the answers I was looking for, and some alternatives to think about (thanks Danika!)

Remember, you still have a chance to purchase an activation code which will automatically enter you in the free hot dog cart contest at http://www.HotDogCashTracker.com

All the videos and free downloads are available there now. If nothing else, you need to go there just to download my FREE report “101 Hot Dog Cart Business Deductions”.  It could save you thousands on your taxes.

-Steve

Hot Dog Cash Tracker

UPDATE 12/8/09: We’re Live! Activation codes are now available. Get yours today and be automatically entered to win the FREE hot dog cart!

Go to http://www.HotDogCashTracker.com You gotta get in it to win it!

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The contest is over but you can get Cash Tracker at a nice discount for a limited time only at http://www.HotDogCashTracker.com