Hi Steve,
We are hoping to have a cart built and starting our business in by the first of the year. My husband and I are disagreeing on what type of hot dog we should sell. I have read in your Carts of Cash book to do a neighborhood taste test and for the first couple of months sell a retail store dog (while working out the bugs). I have told my husband this, but he insists that we should sell a premium dog from a distributor. Can anyone tell me what brands of dogs they are selling, and are you selling a bun-length dog?
Thanks.
Kathy
*********************
Hey Kathy,
I generally tell folks to keep things as simple as possible in the beginning. When you first start up you will be really excited and probably a little nervous too, so anything you can do to make things as uncomplicated as possible is a good thing. After a week or so you will be comfortable enough to start experimenting with menu choice, sources for product, etc.
You must sell quality all beef dogs. You can’t get simpler than that. However, it doesn’t matter whether you get them from a retail store or a distributor at first. Do what is easiest. If you already have a distributor picked out that stocks the product you want to carry, there is no reason why you can’t use them right from the start. Nothing wrong with that.
Sell ’em all Kathy!
-Steve
Yes Vienna since the begining in june 46.00 for80.by the way my first month did enough to start a shaved ice bus. In combo with hot dog cart
Nice! Send me pics Keith!!!
Keith,
who are you getting your vienna dogs from?,, pls email me and let me know, and does that include delivery?
thanks
mike
All of the major brands have websites with contact info. Call the phone number and ask for the sales department. They can give you prices and tell you whether there is a distributor in your area.
After years of exerimenting the overall winner is: Hebrew national; 4/1 six inch. Lots of flavor stays in the dog because of the size, juicey as all get out, with no argument from the customer at a $4 price point. The cost is the same as the cheaper smaller.
Find them at restaurant depot.
Hebrew Nationals are very good.
what part of the country ? and where? and what is the type of culture ? if its the enviroment then what are your competitors selling ?
Look for an option that’s better than your competition ?
All true JR.
I think if your having conflict in deciding which dog to sell and you have
Steve’s coarse, he has a list in their of best dogs you can try. I myself
will be using Nathans but Vienna beef is the best but in some areas not
easy or cheap to get. A lot can be said for local area taste. Some dogs I
have never heard of but sell regionally well. Quality and service will take
you a long way.
Thanks Jim. I love Vienna too. Growing up in Chicago that was THE dog! (Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with Vienna or any other hot dog brand).
When we were getting ready to start we had our college age son and several of his friends come over and have a blind taste test with four or five brands of dogs and also white and whole grain buns. I was really surprised at how seriously they took their task! In the end, the overehelming choice was Hebrew National all beef Franks on whole grain buns. I pay more for my product but I will tell you that people NOTICE the difference! I charge a little more than the other carts but in a past email Steve sent out (quite a while ago) people will gladly pay for quality and will come back again and again. That has been the case with us.
Yep. People know that you get what you pay for, and most people want quality. I bet that taste test was fun!
That is exactly what we have experienced in our area as well. People will sell the cheapest dogs and wonder why they don’t have a following. We only sell top quility dogs but have has such an outstanding following that we have just expaned to a Hot Dog Cafe as well as the carts. Food quality is number 1!
Hey Pam, congrats on your expansion. Awesomeness!!!
Kathy,
This is my third year at it and I still agonize over my products, including hot dog brands. My customers claim we serve the best hot dog in town and not only are we seeing repeat business but new customer’s state that they heard we make a mean dog.
So, I guess we’ll stick with what they like. I use the all beef (8 to 1) hot dog from Sam’s Club (26¢ ea). My customers know what brand I use and say they still can’t make them as good as I make them. Don’t tell anyone but I cook them in water with a spoon full of (Better Than Beef) soup base. Best of luck!
Jack
Great tip Jack. Some slingers toss a couple of beef bullion cubes in the water for extra flavor.
I started out by selling Bakers and Chefs beef franks because they are inexpensive and aren’t too bad. I eventually started selling Vienna beef dogs because I feature Chicago style hot dogs and I wanted to be authentic. Steve is right though, I would keep it simple at first, see what your customers prefer and go from there.
I’ve seen your Chicago dogs Steve, and they are the real deal. You run a nice business there in Belton TX!
Hi Steve,
Why must it be an all beef hot dog? I was thinking about selling schonlands by Kayem. They contain beef and pork and have an excellent flavor. I get rave reviews from everyone who tries them.
Excellent comment. There are no rules that are set in stone but all beef dogs are generally perceived by the customer as being of higher quality. I do agree with you that some of the pork filled beef dogs do have a great flavor. If it works, definitely go with it John!
So, now it comes down to skin on or not? Kraut, warm or cold? Onions, raw or fried? Chili, with or without beans?
I understand the K.I.S.S program (Keep It Simple Simon) but what has been the better selling in most areas? I know this is all demographic, but has anyone done any kind of studies? I would think someone could get a lot of money from the feds for this.
I’m writing a grant proposal as we speak… 😉
We use the Sam’s Club brand Bakers and Chef’s all beef hotdogs. You have to use all beef, because pork turns green in the steam!
God Bless!
Wanda
No green weenies? Thanks Wanda!
Hi Kathy, good luck on your new business, it’s a lot of fun. As for hot dogs, I would look at the location where I would buy them and make it easy on yourself. The closest place for me is Gordon Foods Service (GFS). I’ve sold a bunch of 8-1 all beef dogs and 5-1 polish sausages from GFS and my customers really like them. I don’t sell footlongs because that calls for another size bun, I really believe in Steve’s statement about keeping it simple, especially in the beginning. Also, don’t worry about making mistakes, that’s how you learn. I’ve learned a lot in the 3 years I’ve done this and each year I get a little smarter. Happy hotdogging!!
Great advice Randy, especially the part about not being afraid to make mistakes. I’ve made some doosies, but I don’t regret very many of them. That’s how I learned what not to do.
I sell both. I sell an off brand all beef regular hot dog and a premium extra large dog “Hebrew National ” I sell more of the premium hot dogs, but its always nice to have the option for those who 1 don’t want to spend as much, and 2 aren’t as hungry. Try both! You definitely want a brand name hot dog as an option because shockingly there are a lot. Of people who know and look for quality dogs verses regular ball park franks.
Right on Bullseye. That is our point of difference, the thing that distinguishes us from the gas station roller dog. It’s one of the reasons we can charge more, that and a unique experience. Speaking of customer experiences, I just visited HDCN readers Marge and John who run The Twisted Dog cart in Michigan. They are super nice people and they have a super cool presentation. I shot some video of it which I will be posting here soon. Stay tuned…
I sell a locally made, gourmet hot dog and brat. People here appreciate something made locally. My buns are made at a local grocery store–fresh each day, just for my hot dog cart!!! I pay more for my dogs, but I also charge a premium price. And, folks LOVE MY DOGS!!!
Nice! Big national name brands are great because of the instant brand recognition, but the other side of the coin is the allure of a locally made, totally unique product that the customer can’t get anywhere else.
I’m doing a booth at a fair and I’m doing foot long beef hotdog with fries and drink what price should I ask for this my first year doing this and I want to b fair
You can charge more at fairs. I would charge $6 for that combo.
I agree with you Steve. The “KISS FORMULA” has worked so well for me. When I first started out I had a menu that looked like I was the next big dog in town. Then I started seeing people look at the menu all dazed, confused and undecided. Now it is just a Classic Hot Dog, 100% Beef Dog, Polish Dog, and a Hot Link that have been cooked in a rich beef broth. And then Chili, Nacho Cheese, and Sauerkraut, can be added with the standard fare of condiments, at a fair price. Rarely does anyone walk away from my cart. How simple is that ?
Simple indeed! Thanks Paul!
In our town we have a place that makes hotdogs . Martin Rosols have been around my life and my parents . People know them by name . I have Footlong Hotdogs pork and beef made I do stock I call Shorties just beef and shorties just turkey .
A popular local name carries a lot of weight. Good for you Laurie!
I use Ohse Premium all beef dogs which I buy from the grocery store.
Very good.
Hebrew National. I operate at a lake where we have a high Jewish population and people with just generally good taste. Many tell me that’s the only kind they buy for home. I did a taste test with all the local “Hot dog cart” brands; Nathans, Sabretts, Kayems and Muckes. All are great, but Hebrew National won for me and my customers. I have repeat customers from all over the state. Add a good chili, some barbecued onions and some customers come back for more on the spot!
Find out what works and stick with it. Thanks Robin!
I use Hebrew National (7/1’s) for my regular dogs at 2.25, Ballpark (4/1’s) at 2.50
and Costco’s polish at 3.75. I put Knorr brand chipolte chile flavor “bullion” cubes
in the water as well as 2 of their garlic cubes. My customers love em’….I have lots
of regular customers and am getting more new “regulars” all the time, many of them
are referrals…..I just raised the price of the polish by .50 and have had not one
comment about it….considering .25 for the regular and the 1/4 pounder too.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE A RECIPE FOR CREAM CHEESE FOR THE CREAM CHEESE
GUN????? Steve??
Here is a recipe from Joe:
“Let the brick of cheese come to room temp. Cut it in 1/4 ‘s and then get 10 oz. of soda water, has to be full strength and full of bubbles. Now take your kitchen aid with the balloon wire whip attachment. Start with a little soda water in the bottom and one piece of your quartered cream chesse and whip it. Stop, scrape, and turn the bottom, add more soda water. Continue doing so until 1/2 of the soda water and 1/2 of the cream cheese is whipped to your consistency. Now do it all over again with the second 1/2 of the cheese and soda water. Doing it in sections allows you to adjust it if its too soft.”
From A Cream Cheese Gun For Your Hot Dog Cart
Steve great topic!!
We too am a big supporter of the KISS theory. We do “Nathans ” dogs and Kielbasa and people love them. We do some local events, and we just sit there in amazement watching other vendors unload their cart, sno cone machine, cash registers, etc, etc. Seems like a lot of work and overhead. Were typically unloaded and selling in under 30 minutes.
We did the neighborhood dog test as well with Nathans, Hills, Sabretts, and a few others. Nathans was a hands down winner.
Nathans has a garlic heavy spice profile. I really like them because the garlic stands up well to most condiments. You can definitely still taste the dog, even when fully loaded. Thanks Bubbadogz!
I agree many great dogs out there. I plan to open summer 2013. I think nathans,vienna,hebrew,and boars head are good. I plan to sell a top brand and then maybe add a promo dog of the week like keogel,thurmans,fenway,rawleys etc. good journeys, junkyard dogs noel cooper
Promo dog of the week… interesting! Let us know how it goes Noel.
I live in Miami and I sell Vienna Chicago style hot dogs and polish sausage the very best you pay a little more but the quality excellent, you want your customer to come back and the secret is to steam the buns, I even buy the Vienna buns with the poppy seeds soooooooooo good, good luck.
I buy the Vienna buns too. They are made specifically for steaming. The result is hot fluffy loveliness! Thanks Miami Bobby!
Up until June of this year I’ve had GREAT success with the Bakers & Chefs all beef dogs. But recently there’s been a change. My Sam’ Club ran out three times in 5 weeks and when they did restock I noticed a significant change in quality. Flavor is not the same and shrinkage is horrible – from a bun-length uncooked, to almost the size of breakfast sausage after being in the warming tray for more than 15 minutes. Anyone else notice the same ?
Sounds like they increased the fat content. Higher fat content equals more shrinkage.
I noticed the difference a couple of weeks ago. I spoke with the manager at my Sam’s Club. She asked me to try and notice the which boxes were the inferior quality. It took me a week or two to notice the boxes that have a small white panel on the end of the box with a removeable sticker with product codes are the good ones. Sort through the boxes and pick those out. I’m not 100% sure of this, but it seemed to work.
Sounds like Sam’s Club uses several suppilers who make beef franks. I how you can find out which ones to buy. The manager offered to reimburse me for the inferior dogs, as my customers have come to expect good dogs from me.
Very interesting Greg!
I tried a case or 2 of bakers and chefs and found the same shrinkage problems and texture that wasn’t pleasant to say the least. You couldn’t hold them in the steamer for very long at all.
Seems like a common thread in this post…
what does that mean steve no good ?
Just check with your health department to see what is allowed.
Haute Dogs
Fancy schmancy! 😉
I agree with steve about all beef dogs. I sell a All Beef Dog 8/1 for $2. I go against all recommendation and sell a 100% Chicken 4/1 for $4 (don’t tell my customers because they said they don’t what to know what is in my Bigg Dogg). I also sell a 4/1 Pork, Beef and Chicken Sausage Dog for $4. I will say that you need to sell what you like to eat and can afford to buy. I would also check your area and see what other people are buying/selling. Check the prices and availability, if you can’t afford them or they are not available your headaches will get larger than your dogs.
Duggs Doggs
Good!! Good!!
Your secret is safe with us Michael.
We have in busines for about 5yrs don’t use any kind of massed produceed hot dog.
e have our dogs made for us by local meat markets p\our own recipe lean beef, lean pork, garlic. and some other spices very little sodium nitrate . We have customers who have acid reflexe hat stop 2 to 4 times week with no flare ups and our hot dogs have been voted the bestg ever eaten by many visitor to Murfreesboro Ar
I live in the shadow of Martinsville Speedway, so I HAVE to sell Jesse Jones dogs. But I also sell Nathans. It’s about 50/50.
The Red Racer.
I am in Waterbury CT where Frankies has set the bar for years & everyone loves Hummel’s…. I will be using a brand that is from MA that is a lot like a Hummel but with more garlic & spice taste. They have some good kellies also. For the red hots, I will be using Hummel though. I too had a teenage taste test with Nathan’s, Hummel, and a few others. The Blue Seal, the one’s from Chickopee Provisions in MA,(which sounds like an animal feed name) won, hands down. So, I will keep the company’s name for the dogs on the DL.
BTW… Does anyone know of a frankfurter bun (sides cut) that has the heavier bottom that won’t split the bun in 2, in CT?
“sounds like an animal feed name” – LOL! It does.
It seems that a lot depends on where you live! There are people that have so many choices that I have never heard of. In a town that carts are not a common site I seem to have limited choices. Customers have raved about the Sams brand more than any other we have tried. Not many takes for the Vienna brand with the skin, sorry to say. We have also noticed more shrinkage on the Baker & Chef brand since running out of stock several weeks back. The flavor is good but the size does now seem skimpy in the bun. We do not steam, but grill and have had to adjust to a smaller amount in the hopper until needed to adjust for the new shrinkage. Disappointed in the quality change and may be forced to change to the Hebrew National…not much more expensive at Costco and a good alternative. For Buns, we have used UGO – United Grocery Outlet. Cheaper than Sams or local gorcery stores plus you can order them in a sturdy BOX of 12 pkgs which makes moving them so much easier than anything else we’ve tried.
Location changes everything. We moved and are having to adjust. Old location could not cook onions and peppers fast enough. New location, not so much. We have names for our dog selections and found that makes a significan impact. Classic – plain, the Blogo(chicago style) The Texan -BBQ, the Outlaw -(spicy texan) the Bulldog – Chili/Slaw. You get regulars who enjoy familiarity and new customers that come to try the “recommended” selection. The point being good quality is important but so is the experience!
“good quality is important but so is the experience!”
Right on Meg and Dave! I love the names you came up with for your offerings. That alone will increase business.
Steve… I use Kunzler Grill Franks. They are made for gas grilling. They are a beef and pork hot dog. I used them on a roller grill when I owned a convinience store. There isn’t any sugar in them and don’t get black from the heat. I had the best dogs in town. I knew that is what I would sell on my cart. My customers say my dogs have the best tast of any dog they have eaten. Put some chili and cheese on them or my famous “slaw dog” and you have a tast that will send your tast buds to heaven.
I love it when my taste buds go to heaven! Good job Pap!
I am staring my truck and am I going to fast with hot dogs( serbretts )mmmm hamburgers sausage and peppers steak Sandwich fries and chips all drinks a buck what do u think steve
Sounds delicious!
What kind, where do people get their hot dogs in southern Ontario?
Steve or anyones input would be great. Im having a hard time deciding on hotdog buns. I already have a very good 100% all beef dog, awesome homemade chili but deciding on a good bun is driving me crazy. I wanted to use the fresh baked hotdog buns from the walmart bakery wich is 2 dollars for 8. These buns i do have to cut myself but they taste awsome but im having some peole say that a regular hot dog bun you buy from costco is just as good, 16 buns for 2.50,so i would be saving money. I am willing to take a small loss for the better bun but if a bun really doesn’t matter aslong as you have a good dog , I guess I will buy the cheaper ones……I CANT DECIDE!!!!! help
If you are selling a high end gourmet hot dog I would go with the premium buns. If you are selling $1 cheapies use the cheapie buns. I highly suggest going the gourmet route.
As an owner/operator of a comic and gaming business, we have learned that you “inter vat or evaporate” we just purchase a hot dog cart (we do of tournament gaming events which can be 20 to 200 gamer and friends) We have spent a great deal of time on the expected menu and have tried different brands. We find that Nathan hot dogs are the most consistence and get the best reviews. Others we have try ed do OK, but not even close to the positive comments when we used the Nathan dog. There are plenty of good dogs out there, i like German shepherds the best. Ha
Thanks Jessie
Thanks Jesse! Great philosophy for sure.
I’m making mexican hotdogs and have different names for them depending what’s on them. Some of the names are somewhat offensive to some people. Do you think this will help or hurt me? My target is the bartime college crowd.
You’ll never know until you try it, but if the names are racist, don’t do it.
Don’t ever use racist names. EVER. This shouldn’t even need to be said. However, if you are talking about naming your hot dogs with suggestive names similar to the way certain bar drinks are named (screaming orgasm, sex on the beach, etc) then that is your call to make. It could be very effective in the market you are targeting. I would personally never do it, just because I would be too embarrassed and wouldn’t feel right saying those kinds of things if front of women. But that’s just me. Let me know what you decide and how it goes.
what is a fair price for a foot long hot dog combo with chips and soda
and footlong hotdog combo with fries and soda
what brands make the footlong hotdogs and foot long polish
A fair price is whatever you and the customer agree on. Are you just selling a hot dog or are you selling an awesome experience. The difference can be worth 2X profits.
I am selling hotdog and an awesome expereince too
there going to be footlong sonoran style hotdogs
using sonoran fresh hotdog bread
would 8 dollars for sonoran footlong hotdog
combo with chips and soda be a good price
or 8 dollars combo for a footlong hotdog
with fries and a soda what would you charge for the combo
If you are selling in an affluent or tourist area then you may be able to get that. Go for it! You can always lower your prices if it doesn’t sell.
what type of a dog line up works best im thinking all beef; cajun; polish; in linguica for my cart one bun chips soda candy chili in cheese !
I’d buy ’em all, lol! The only way to know is to try them out and see how folks like them. Keep the winners, ditch the losers.
I just bought a cart and looking for a few locations that I can set up in. The cart is being built and will be ready on friday. I hope after reading a lot of these comments it keeps me from making a lot of mistakes. I’m near myrtle Beach and I hope this goes well
Good for you Chris. I have a start up guide that will show you everything you need to know:
https://hotdogprofitspremium.com