Tag: hot dog carts

How to Get Started Part Time, Take it Full Time, Quit Your Job, and Live the Dream!

If you’ve been following this newsletter for any amount of time you’ve seen example after example of regular  folks just like you making a great full time income with hot dog carts.  But how exactly did these folks get their start?

One of the hardest things to get your head around is the start up phase.  You work a full time J.O.B. (Just Over Broke), so how do you get your cart business going?

Should you just quit and jump right in full time?  That’s certainly one option especially if you have a few months of living expenses saved up, or if you work 2nd or 3rd shift and have your days free.

A better option is to start by running your hot dog cart as a side business.  This allows you to gain experience and start getting your brand established in the community.  You will learn what works and what doesn’t, where the best locations are, and most importantly you’ll begin making those all important contacts with local business owners – possible commissary and vending site partners.

Here is my top 20 list of part time gigs:

  1. Store grand openings
  2. Auto dealerships
  3. Catering gigs
  4. Birthday parties (especially lucrative with the party profit multiplier tips in my book)
  5. Craft shows
  6. Car shows
  7. Gun shows
  8. Motorcycle shows
  9. Cruise nights
  10. Saturday in the park
  11. Boat landings
  12. Golf courses
  13. Little league games
  14. Soccer games
  15. Football games
  16. Art festivals
  17. Concerts
  18. Marathons
  19. Bicycle races
  20. Air shows

Keep all of your profits in your business bank account and start building that cushion, because in a short time you will have enough experience, brand recognition in the community, and the right partnerships established to go full time.  You can fire your boss, stop getting up at 5 am, and finally strike out on your own like you’ve dreamed of for years (decades?).

One morning in the near future you will walk to the trash can and gently, respectfully drop your trusty but no longer necessary alarm clock next to the empty champagne bottle.  You’re free.

Congratulations!

– Steve

Want to get started today? I’ll help you personally, every step of the way. Click Here.

Propane vs Electric Hot Dog Carts

Today’s “Hot Dog Cart News Q and A”: Propane or electric?

HDCN reader Rick S. emailed to tell me about a cart he is purchasing. It’s a large cart with caster wheels, kind of a mall kiosk type unit. The cart is semi-stripped and Rick will be outfitting it with steam tables and other equipment.

Rick wants to know whether he should go with propane powered appliances or electric.

Here’s his email:

Steve, I have a question that might be a good one for ‘Hot Dog Cart News’.

I do not know if  I will always sell near access to electricty hookup, and if I should get all electric equipment, or buy propane fueled equipment. And If so, what kind of propane fueled equipment is there?

I saw somewhere online that a propane fueled coffee maker (standard 5 cup size) cost around $1,000 through a certain site. But are there other propane run items such as:

Crock pot- for heating cheese to sell nachos.
Ice maker- for serving shaved ice.
fan- for on those hot summer days
etc

Just curious what kind of equipment exist, that would not require electricity hookup.

Thanks,

Rick

What do you think hot doggers?  Should Rick go with all propane appliances? A combination of propane (steam tables and grills) and some electric (fan,  shaved ice machine)?

Those propane appliances are a bit spendy…

I’m a big fan of deep cycle marine batteries to power some electrical appliances (radios, fans) but appliances with heating elements (crock pots, coffee makers) suck a lot of current. They will run down your batteries pretty fast.

What about generators? If you use ’em, how about some recommendations for a good quiet one?

What are your opinions of propane vs 12 volt battery vs 120 volt generator power? Let’s hear you in the comments…

-Steve

Hellacious Hot Dogs – Happy Halloween!

Just south of Kathleen, on Kathleen Road, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., most any day of the week, you’re likely to see an unusual hotdog stand. Retired power plant engineer Jim Belcher, at center, owns “Hellacious Hot Dogs”. The motto on his business card reads “Eat & Rest In Peace”. Jim uses a 1982 Cadillac hearse as his attention getting trademark.

Continue reading “Hellacious Hot Dogs – Happy Halloween!”

Operation Weenie Freeze: Winter Dog Slingin’ Tips

It’s coming – the season of higher profits and lower temperatures.

When folks ask me if they should stay open during the winter months I always say. “Sure – if you like cold weather.”

You can usually make as much if not more money in the winter as you can in the summer. As a matter of fact, you will probably sell more in November than you did in August because hot food just plain sells better when it’s cold out.

Your competitors may pack it in for the winter, but the customers still need to Continue reading “Operation Weenie Freeze: Winter Dog Slingin’ Tips”

Hot Dog Cart Dream Becomes Reality

The following article appeared in a recent issue of the Tennessean. Hope you enjoy it.  -Steve

By Dessislava Yankova

When a Sumner resident arrived at a friend’s house for their first date, she saw two tables covered with food.

“I asked, ‘How many people are coming?’ and he said, ‘Just you,’” Jennifer Shofner recalls. “We had four meats. There was enough food for 20 people.”

It turned out that Shofner’s date and now-husband Jesse has a passion for food and cooking that after years of practice recently materialized into a hotdog Continue reading “Hot Dog Cart Dream Becomes Reality”

VIDEO LESSON: Chicago Style Hot Dog (No Gloves Method)

Chicago Style Hot Dogs

Chicago Style Hot Dog.  What’s the big deal?  I’ve been getting a few emails lately asking me what exactly is a Chicago style hot dog and why is it so special. What’s the big deal, anyways? (In Chicago we don’t say “anyway”. We say “anyways?” like it’s a question. FYI)

You’ll find the video at the end of this article.

Here’s a quote, “A Chicago style hot dog is probably the healthiest of the variants because of the abundance of toppings belonging to the fruit and vegetable classification”.

Pbbbbbt!

Like anyone really cares – it’s a hot dog for crying out loud. Besides, is it still healthy if I eat three of them in one sitting?

I’ll tell you why a Chicago Style Hot Dog is so great – it’s so great because of all the flavors, textures, and temperatures that come together in one bite. They really work amazingly well together.

If you’ve never tried a Chicago Style hot dog, make some at home and give ’em a try. Here’s the sequence:

How to make a Chicago Style Hot Dog

1. Steamed bun – with poppy seeds if you can get ’em.

2. All beef hot dog – steamed or boiled – Vienna Beef brand is my favorite.

3. Mustard – regular yellow, not brown or spicy.

4. Two tomato slices – wedge between the dog and bun.

5. Dill pickle spear – on the other side of the dog from the tomatoes.

6. Onion – chopped

7. Relish – Neon green from Vienna is the real deal. Yes, it tastes different. You can also use regular sweet pickle relish if you can’t get the neon stuff.

8. Two sport peppers – these can be hard to find, and no they are not jalapenos. I bought mine in 5 gallon buckets from my distributor who ran a truck to the Vienna plant in Chicago once a week.

9. Celery salt – just a light sprinkle but oh, so important. This is the “secret sauce” that ties all the flavors together!

The following video is from our training program at HotDogProfitsPremium.com. I show the construction of a proper Chicago style hot dog at my cart, as well as my “No Gloves” technique…

Click on the video below to watch it!

As you saw in the video, you should never put ketchup on a Chicago style hot dog. True!

I have been known to use ketchup on a hot dog from time to time but NEVER on the Chicago version. There is too much sweetness in ketchup and it completely wrecks the savory/salty/crunchy/spicy thing that does the happy dance on your taste buds with every bite.

As Nancy Reagan said, “Just say no to ketchup on a Chicago dog”.

That was her, right?

-Steve

Video: St. Louis’ Best Hot Dog of 2009

I’ve seen the Frank’s N Brats stand outside Busch Stadium when I go see the Cards play, but I’ve never stopped. Something I need to do, especially now that they are the best in town!

I ran across the following story in the Riverfront Times, a St. Louis news blog. There’s a great marketing hook in there that could make you huge money, so pay attention… Continue reading “Video: St. Louis’ Best Hot Dog of 2009”

Carts of Cash in Poland!

Hello Steve,

I purchased your Carts of Cash course a while ago and I thought I drop you a line.

I am based in Poland, Europe, so my experience may not be that relevant, but anyway.

I have really enjoyed your books as they give valuable info about hotdog vending. Moreover your story is a true confidence booster if someone gives Continue reading “Carts of Cash in Poland!”

Hot Dog Cart Radio – Interview with Steve Coronado of “Fat Franks” in Roswell, New Mexico

Here is an oldie but a goodie! I interviewed Steve Coronado many years ago but his story is still so inspiring and a testimony to what is possible in the hot dog cart business.

I hope you enjoy the show!

Click the link to listen online or right click to download the MP3 so you can listen on your iPod.

Hot Dog Cart Radio – Steve Coronado of “Fat Franks”

Hey, are you still kicking around the idea of starting your own hot dog cart?  With a little bit of training and a positive attitude YOU could be making full time money working part time hours just like Steve Coronado is.

I’m here to help!

-Steve

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Steve Coronado started his hot dog cart business in Roswell, New Mexico – the site of what the military says was a high altitude surveillance balloon accident in 1947. These days Roswell is famous because many UFO proponents maintain that alien spacecraft debris and bodies were recovered, and that the military then engaged in a cover-up.

In any case, Roswell plays host to a very successful annual UFO festival and Steve sold a ton of hot dogs there this year. Here is the email he sent me.

*******************

Steve,

Here are a few pics, me and the Aliens at the 62nd Annual UFO festival. It is alot of work, but events are very lucrative. Being new in this business, I did very  well, I handled my self as a professional and kept my cool. Had I  not read your course “Carts of Cash”, I probably wouldn’t have made it.

Gross was $920 in 2 days Fri. and Sat. Expenses were $180.00 So $740.00 for me, and I get to set up every sat. and sun. at this same spot, the International UFO Museum, at no charge, just a convenience to all the visitors.

Life is GOOOOOD!!!!

Steve Coronado
“Fat Franks”
Roswell, NM