More News, Articles, Stories, and Resources for your Hot Dog Vending Business:

Hot Dog Sales Hold Their Own: Economy be damned, Hot Dog Carts are STILL good bussiness (click here)

"Miniboom of hot dog cart vendors a sign of the times": In hard times, the appeal of low-cost self-employment soars — and a tiny stainless steel restaurant on two wheels gleams. (click here)

"The Art of the Cart": If  you want to know how to hawk a hot dog, you go to Hot Dog University! (click here)

"Teen's Education Goes to the (Hot)dogs": With business plan and lofty goals, 2 Bend (Oregon) students are running a hot dog stand - before they're even graduated (click here)

"Hal Trades in the Corporate Ladder for a Hotdog Stand": Giving up your suit for an apron (click here)

"Mall Hotdog Cart has 'Cheers' Ambience": Steamy weather can't keep regulars away
(click here)

"Trucker Trades Big Rig for Hotdog Cart": Vendor says Rising Fuel Costs led to Career Change (click here)

"His Dream Job is One to Relish...(with Mustard)": Retired Airline Mechanic now has his 'dream job' (click here)

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GETTING STARTED IN THE HOT DOG VENDING BUSINESS: THE BASICS

So ya wanna sell weenies, eh? Not a bad choice for anybody who wants to make some good money, either part time OR full time. If you’re friendly, like people, and enjoy being outdoors, you’ve got what it takes to start planning your new hot dog vending business. And if you like hot dogs (and who doesn’t?), then you’ll really enjoy this easy-to-run business.  More than a few hot dog carts have led their owners to a sizeable income, financial security, and even growth into multiple carts or even brick-and-mortar restaurants.

If you’ve never owned your own business before, your first lesson here will be the basics of ANY business: Licenses and Taxes. The city, county, state, and/or federal government all want to make sure they will get their taxes, whether they be sales taxes or licensing fees. It’s extremely simple to find out what licenses you’ll need to get…simply call your local city hall, tell them you’re considering opening up a hot dog cart, and they will be happy to let you know what particular permits you’ll need and who you have to see. Undoubtedly, a city or county health department will need to issue you a license, and it makes good sense to talk with these folks BEFORE you buy any equipment…they’ll let you know what standards your hot dog cart or trailer must meet to be legal, and any foods that you may not serve.

Now that you know the legalities of operating your business, it’s time to purchase your equipment. You’ll find many hot dog cart and trailer vendors on these pages, and most will have a wide variety of new and used machines, from the ultra simple (and inexpensive) to lavish custom-made hot dog emporiums on wheels. A little bit of clicking and looking at various vendor’s stock will give you just about all the information you need to decide what size and type of machine will work for you and your budget.

Finding the location (or locations) for your new enterprise will undoubtedly be your biggest challenge. There are a plenty of good locations, a few really good locations, and LOTS of BAD locations. The good news is that if your first location doesn’t do well, you can always move your cart someplace better! Obviously, you need to be in a place where there are lots of people…and that means FOOT traffic, not just lots of people driving by. Consider busy city parks, train and bus stations, school and university campuses, in front of “Big Box” stores, downtown (corner parking lots make an excellent choice for lunch-time business), the zoo, office and light industrial parks, near popular strips of bars and taverns, and more.

Negotiating with the landlord for your use of space is part of your job, and you’ll get the best results if you represent your hot dog cart business in the most professional manner. To him, it’s just a hot dog cart, and he possibly does not see the small amount of rent you’re offering as worth the trouble. Dress in a suit and tie to show you are not just a tiny business, but a professional businessman. Be sure to point out the benefits he’ll receive in addition to the rent you’ll be paying, such as the close availability of food for his employees, the possible additional foot traffic to his store, the benefits to his customers. Use only the finest ingredients and be proud to point this out. Show him your sparkling clean hot dog cart and the clean apron and hat you or your employees will be wearing when manning the cart. Finally, in negotiating the lease terms, always pay a flat rent (not a percentage of sales), and insist on a maximum annual percentage that he can increase your rent. (If your location is exceptionally successful, your landlord otherwise might be tempted to raise your rent drastically.)

As your first day of operation nears, you’ll be shopping for the best ingredients (try several different brands of hot dogs, sausages, and buns out on your family and friends, and listen to their opinions!).  Practice cooking on your new cart, add some flair to your presentation, put on your clean apron, and get ready to cook up some profitable business with your new Hot Dog Vending Cart!