Hot Dog Cart News for 2013
Osborne's Dreammaker Hot Dog Carts Arrive Soon
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
My Hot Dog Cart Business
Well, it's year 9 and running for my gourmet mobile hot dog cart business. People ask me why I call my cart a gourmet cart? The meat is deli fresh and I cook it up in a special way and serve it hot in my own style and flavor.. you will rarely see us serving up the same old menu item. Today's markets offer so many pre-cooked meats and items that a mobile food/hot dog vendor could really give their customers a good variety from shredded flavored meats to anything that looks like a frank. Frankly speaking the menu possibilities are unlimited only by your health department police. Our health department locally will allow us to re-heat pre-cooked non potentially hazardous foods, and we comply. Our food supplier, supplies us with a good selection of pub burgers, pre-cooked bratwurst, jalepeno sausages, shredded beef, whole cooked chicken breast.. virtually unlimited. Recently we tried a new item.. outstanding response. Have you ever tried honey sweet grilled corndogs? Yummy !! It's my new favorite item. Take care, the mobile business is fun. Get into it because you love the idea of it, enjoy the fun and the people you meet in the business. If you have fun, the money will come. I promise, it will come because people will see your passion for the business and they can't say no to a happy hot dog vendor no matter what your product is.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
First Public Event of 2009
Ok, this is it. The sun is shining today and we are preparing for our carts to come out of hibernation. We will be at Kruse International Auction Park in Fort Wayne Indiana on Sunday, April 26 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm to serve up some steaming hot brats w/ kraut, hot dogs & bbq smoked sausage. We love SCCA and we have been following them around for the last 7 years or so... will be good to see our friends and fill their bellies of warm food. If you are in the area, if you live near there it is some of the best obstacle course racing in Indiana. Come see them smoke their brakes and squeal the tires. And of course while you are there, have a hot dog.
Friday, April 24, 2009
I WANT TO BUY A HOT DOG CART
Well, you want to buy a hot dog cart. Here are some things to think about before you go shopping. 10 EASY STEPS TO A HOT DOG CART BUSINESS
1) Check with your local county health deparment and zoning to see if you can even operate a hot dog cart where you live.
2) What is your market audience? street vending, catering, special events, private audiences? This will ultimately determine what cart you will need.
3) Where is your business plan? There is plenty of help around for that. Soon I will be posting a sample business plan for hot dog vendors on my new website. Keep your eye out for it.
4) Determine your start up budget. 3k is bottom level for starting up one of the most affordable businesses you will ever own.
5)Research your cart, remember price isn't everything check out the feedback... see how their customers feel about them. Make sure that they have schematics available for health department approval.
6) Be careful about buying used, especially an established business if you don't know the reputation. Do you want to buy a bad reputation prior to even getting started, lots of people know the cart's appearance.
7) Leave yourself plenty of time to place your cart order especially if it is nearing the season. Good manufacturers will be busy at this time and could take up to 4 weeks to fabricate your cart. 4 weeks is long enough for most carts, custom carts allow 6 weeks.
8) While your cart is being built get your promo items done, logo's, t shirts, business cards, attend network meetings, hand out flyers lot's to do now that you have decided.
9) Dont worry about a location, just get a city permit for operating in general... get out there. Doesn't matter what you make the first week, just get out there and serve people. The location is your marketing tool to get a better location.
10) For the Love of God, and your customers please practice on your friends.. family or something. It takes time to be a good hot dog vendor. You will get burnt, don't cuss in public and always smile even if your hand's on fire.
Smile, Smile, Smile.... Deb
1) Check with your local county health deparment and zoning to see if you can even operate a hot dog cart where you live.
2) What is your market audience? street vending, catering, special events, private audiences? This will ultimately determine what cart you will need.
3) Where is your business plan? There is plenty of help around for that. Soon I will be posting a sample business plan for hot dog vendors on my new website. Keep your eye out for it.
4) Determine your start up budget. 3k is bottom level for starting up one of the most affordable businesses you will ever own.
5)Research your cart, remember price isn't everything check out the feedback... see how their customers feel about them. Make sure that they have schematics available for health department approval.
6) Be careful about buying used, especially an established business if you don't know the reputation. Do you want to buy a bad reputation prior to even getting started, lots of people know the cart's appearance.
7) Leave yourself plenty of time to place your cart order especially if it is nearing the season. Good manufacturers will be busy at this time and could take up to 4 weeks to fabricate your cart. 4 weeks is long enough for most carts, custom carts allow 6 weeks.
8) While your cart is being built get your promo items done, logo's, t shirts, business cards, attend network meetings, hand out flyers lot's to do now that you have decided.
9) Dont worry about a location, just get a city permit for operating in general... get out there. Doesn't matter what you make the first week, just get out there and serve people. The location is your marketing tool to get a better location.
10) For the Love of God, and your customers please practice on your friends.. family or something. It takes time to be a good hot dog vendor. You will get burnt, don't cuss in public and always smile even if your hand's on fire.
Smile, Smile, Smile.... Deb
Making Money with Hot Dog Carts
Hot Dog Carts & the economy. What do you think is the most commonly asked question that I get from my customer regarding the hot dog business? Do these things really make money?
Where do I start? Do these things really make money? What the hot dogs? The carts? I have never come into the shop in the morning just to be amazed at how much money is flowing from my hot dog cart collection. These "things" as some may call my beloved hobby carts, have never made a dime. NO, honestly.. not a dime. However, if you are saying as a tool is it possible for me to make money? Then a resounding "YES" would be in order.
First of all the fact is that the average restaurant start up project could well cost you over 100K and that is looking for used appliances and cheap help. Then monthly you get every imanginable bill in the world as added overhead. Then you get daily walk in sales people who think if you own a restaurant you have money "yeah, right." Advertise, Advertise they tell you is the answer. Well, there are actually some coupon foodies out there that will try out a new place with a coupon but it had better be damn good if they come back and pay full price next time ! lol
Second of all is the staff, if they don't eat you out of house and home then they probably will get their friends to help out. Maybe they will just crank up the air so that they stay cool in the kitchen once you leave or turn up the heat so that their feet are hot while their cheeks are red. Don't forget to mention how they think you never pay them enough for what they do... am I stretching the truth? Weigh in... tell me what you think
As if that is not enough, you buy your equipment.. stoves, refrigerators, prep tables and such and then get a tax bill from somebody later that thinks you ought to pay for them again. Yes, like they bought them? Excuse me, someone said this was a free nation. Obviously they weren't born here and didn't pay taxes. Not to say that mobile food operators don't pay their portion of taxes but they don't have serious overhead and the utility bills don't come in once you think you may have made enough to buy yourself a cup of coffee.
The brick and mortar food establishment will always have more overhead and more headaches. Try taking a vacation. Go ahead, leave your staff in charge when you are gone. I dare ya.
The average hot dog vendor sells 100-150 dogs per day at their location. The average sale of a hot dog is $2.00. That equates to a gross of about $200-$300.00 per day, not counting side item sales. Overhead costs of a location is usually 25%, Food costs while escalating still around 25% you take home 50%. Tell me, what profession is it that you make $150.00 per day in? A good location will gross $500.00 per day.. what is 50% of that in your pocket? And..do you miss the electric bill at the end of the month? Most locations will trade employee meal coupons, catered events and favors in lieu of rent. Try it. City transient permits are free in most cities, especially if you are a vetran.
Where do I start? Do these things really make money? What the hot dogs? The carts? I have never come into the shop in the morning just to be amazed at how much money is flowing from my hot dog cart collection. These "things" as some may call my beloved hobby carts, have never made a dime. NO, honestly.. not a dime. However, if you are saying as a tool is it possible for me to make money? Then a resounding "YES" would be in order.
First of all the fact is that the average restaurant start up project could well cost you over 100K and that is looking for used appliances and cheap help. Then monthly you get every imanginable bill in the world as added overhead. Then you get daily walk in sales people who think if you own a restaurant you have money "yeah, right." Advertise, Advertise they tell you is the answer. Well, there are actually some coupon foodies out there that will try out a new place with a coupon but it had better be damn good if they come back and pay full price next time ! lol
Second of all is the staff, if they don't eat you out of house and home then they probably will get their friends to help out. Maybe they will just crank up the air so that they stay cool in the kitchen once you leave or turn up the heat so that their feet are hot while their cheeks are red. Don't forget to mention how they think you never pay them enough for what they do... am I stretching the truth? Weigh in... tell me what you think
As if that is not enough, you buy your equipment.. stoves, refrigerators, prep tables and such and then get a tax bill from somebody later that thinks you ought to pay for them again. Yes, like they bought them? Excuse me, someone said this was a free nation. Obviously they weren't born here and didn't pay taxes. Not to say that mobile food operators don't pay their portion of taxes but they don't have serious overhead and the utility bills don't come in once you think you may have made enough to buy yourself a cup of coffee.
The brick and mortar food establishment will always have more overhead and more headaches. Try taking a vacation. Go ahead, leave your staff in charge when you are gone. I dare ya.
The average hot dog vendor sells 100-150 dogs per day at their location. The average sale of a hot dog is $2.00. That equates to a gross of about $200-$300.00 per day, not counting side item sales. Overhead costs of a location is usually 25%, Food costs while escalating still around 25% you take home 50%. Tell me, what profession is it that you make $150.00 per day in? A good location will gross $500.00 per day.. what is 50% of that in your pocket? And..do you miss the electric bill at the end of the month? Most locations will trade employee meal coupons, catered events and favors in lieu of rent. Try it. City transient permits are free in most cities, especially if you are a vetran.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Twitter Community
Hey, all of my friends out there. Are you part of the twitter community? Do you tweet? No, I didn't spell that wrong.. I am too often called sweet but I also like to tweet of recent. I found this amazing social network where you can follow friends, foodies and the lot and find out alot about the industry in a short time. Come with me... I am the weeniequeen on twitter and would be happy to have you as one of my followers. I promise, although my life is busy, really busy teaching food safety classes, investigating health department regulations from county to county for my customers, making sure that their hot dog cart is actually one that can be licensed in their county and supporting them long after the purchase by being their friend and business advisor I am going to post useful information while I am still able to be actively selling hot dogs. Yes, price analysis in the business..locations, commissary ideas and problem resolution is all here. If you have a problem, tweet about it. I will try to help !!!
Hot Dog Cart World
Wow, this is going to be amazing, I haven't been this excited since the inception of starting my own hot dog business back in 2000. I loved leaving the executive world of pantyhose and suits and venturing out on my own to see if people really did love my hot dogs as much as I did. Now, I am helping people start their own hot dog business and loving every minute of it. At Carts of America, Inc located at Ft Wayne Indiana all of my dreams are coming true. Not only have I accomplished the successful career of a hot dog vendor I have also helped many others to accomplish their dreams of being a hot dog vendor. Now, a new project on the burner. I hope all of my hot dog foodies will help. Your input will be immeasurable to say the least. I am starting a site called Hotdogcartworld.com this site is meant to bring together a support community for hot dog vendors and mobile food vendors. It will host a blog site to ask questions, get answers and input from those who would never stop to talk to you about the business on the street. You will be able to find liability insurance, business plans, website designs, logo and printed business materials everything from a -z in the hot dog industry will be coming together in the next few months on that site. I could use help, I can't do it alone. Let's help the next generation of hot dog vendors keep this occupation alive. Whether you have one of my carts... or you have a competitors cart, I don't care.. I will help you with your needs. After all, I am just a hot dog vendor.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Purchasing a Mobile Hot Dog Cart
Although I may seem a bit one sided in this issue due to the fact that I sell quality made mobile food carts, I myself was in the position of being a buyer of a hot dog cart quite some time ago. The industry intrigued me. I didn't want to be like everyone else. Guess what? I am not even comparable to your average, street corner hot dog vendor. I am me. A girl hot dog vendor. Ten years ago a girl hot dog vending owner was rare. Oh yes, men owners may have used pretty girls to attract customers to their carts dressed in scanty clothing.... but girl owners? Not many. Nowadays, women are running large corporations as well as the corner hot dog stand. I would like to hear from all of the women hot dog business owners, big or small for a hobby or for a profit. Voice in.. and maybe one day if we can be successful hot dog vendors we will actually be seriously considered to run the country. Think so?
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