Cool items for hot dog vendors

Every now and then vendors submit some awesome ideas or things they have found.  Here is the last batch of innovative attention getting ideas.

The hot dog gun                                                         

How bout the mustard and ketchup monsters.  One vendor sales these from the cart.  I think doing a kids part or catering event it would be fun to use them.

Squeeze ketchup out of their noses.


















I used these some.  Nothing like having a line full of people and asking the next customer what they want on their dog and picking up the ketchup or mustard trick bottles and aiming it at their face and squeezing.  Out pops yellow or red string and startles the unassuming patron.  Fun Fun Fun!




Squirt bottles





The hot dog pen and magnet.  Write in style.

For those whom success has left you with extra cash to spend, try this 6 foot high statue that should be in the living room of every serious vendor.

Click to get yours now!

Show your team spirit with these handy grillers.  Many teams to choose from.





If you have a suggestion or have found something cool, please email me.

First day out... letter

This letter was sent today from Cory!  Great looking set up!




Hey Ben,

Just wanted to send the attached picture along to you. My first job! I purchased the Cash Cow and man is it awesome! I love it! I set up over this past weekend and everything went smoothly. The cart did great and it was very well received by the community. However, I was at a slow location and probably will try and find somewhere with a bit more traffic. Still, I covered my cost of inventory with a little extra to spare! AND I was way overstocked for this particular location. Please extend my thanks along to your staff. The gentleman who assisted with our pickup of the cart was great (Casey I believe his name was?)!

Thanks again for a quality product! It works great and is super easy to pull and set up. Already looking ahead to upgrading to something larger and lease out this one.

Sincerely,

Cory

To grill or not to grill - OR: Steam or boil?

I am asked quite frequently about grilling dogs. It's a great question. I think if you could ask 100 different vendors their opinion on grilling, boiling or steaming you would find that boiling is most preferred. I will expand on this to help you decide your method of attack.

Steaming: This is the process of using a spillage pan with the bottom filled with water. Inset into this pan is a perforated pan that allows the boiling hot water below to steam thru onto the food.

Pros: Steam is attractive coming from a cart and allows for quick cooking of frozen foods and steaming buns. Many of the long time doggers use this method with great success.

Cons: Steaming can change the color of the hot dogs. It also doesn't allow for long holding periods. Too much steam and your dog will shrivel and some dogs, all depending on the type of casing and meat, will split and turn grey.

Boiling: This method requires no explanation. Boil water, drop in hot dogs.

Pros: Quickly boil 30 or 40 dogs at a time. Turn off heat when done and they can sit in hot water while awaiting their fates. Tip: Add in a beef bullion cube or a can of beer to the boiling water prior to cooking the first batch. This will saturate the water with flavor and prevent the water from sapping out the flavor of the dogs. A garlic clove is a great addition also.

Cons: Often referred to Dirty water dogs, it holds no negatives for me. I love to boil my dogs and find that I have less waste and great looking and tasting hot dogs, no mater the brand. However, dogs can split and bust if boiled too long. 6 minutes from frozen to done is my rule, practice on your cart to get the timing down.

Grilling: Grilling dogs is the most attractive and customer friendly way to serve dogs and involves cooking your dogs over an open flame.

Pros: They seem to taste better. They are more appealing with grill marks. Grilling creates smoke from the drippings hitting the hot interior of the grill body, this often has an attractive smell and can bring folks a running.

Cons: Grilling frozen dogs is difficult, this means you have to have more open and thawed stock. Grilled dogs do not hold long. If you aren't serving them immediately, the skins get tough and start to shrivel. Grilling requires more space as you can not stack hot dogs on a grill like can be done when boiling or steaming.

A grill either brought with you or attached to a cart makes for great eye candy to customers. I know I just explained that boiling and steaming would be better, but if you are boiling and steaming and then using the grill to create the aroma and ambiance that customers love. When customers start lining up, I often will throw my soaking wet dogs from the boiling pan onto that super hot grill, steam and smoke rise and it all smells so good.

Bottom line, I would use a grill, but only to touch up the hot dogs, not to cook and serve.

Sausages, Italians, brats or whatever, are great split lengthwise and then opened up and laid on top of the grill, this creates beautiful grill marks and adds to the delicious smells coming from your cart.

Please post your experience and opinions below. Contradictory information does not offend me and I welcome any and all advice and experience as it helps us all.

Need a cart? Low on funds? Here's some tips!

If you haven't watched my video yet and heard how bad off I was when I started in the hot dog business, here's the link: Free Training

If you are in a bad way right now or you can see the writing on the wall and want to get into the hot dog vending business, but you have limited to no funds; here's some help.

First let's say you have limited funds, less than $1000. Start looking on Craigslist or check out Crazedlist for Craigslist searches over a multi-city or even multi-state area at one time. Search in the business listings for "concession", "hotdog", "carts" and "vending". Search separately each keyword, then also search under the general listings also. Note: Beware listings for concession stands at ridiculous low prices that give a gmail address but no phone number, these are usually, ok always, SCAMS!!!

Follow my instructions and tips before purchasing: here (look for the video on used carts)

Also check out Ebay, but look only in your area. You always want to be able to go and see the cart first when dealing with used carts. Ebay is also full of scams operating as real manufacturers of new carts, always check first on Google, Roadfood and even RipOffReport before buying. Don't always rely solely on these resources as anyone with an internet connection can post negative stuff, but if you find similar stories on multiple sites from multiple people, then be-AWARE.

This time of year like no other is the best for finding great deals on used carts.

But you want a new cart, I certainly understand. If you are handy at all and have some tools at your disposal, then maybe building a cart would be your best bet. My friend Steve offers a course with video instructions with complete parts list on how to build a cart for less than $1000. See it here, and by the way, I make not one dime off this, I truly have nothing to gain by sharing this with you other than it warms my heart to help someone else.

I almost forgot, consider placing a free ad on craigslist in the wanted section:

I am looking for a hotdog cart! Please contact me thru craigslist if you have one and are willing to sell or rent. Please send pictures and contact info.

Note: Do not put your email or your phone number on this type of listing, let them contact you thru craigslist first before divulging your contact info.

This by the way, is the best way to start with no money. Advertise for free on craigslist or similar websites that you would like to rent, profit share or help someone run their hot dog cart. It is always harder to get started in business with no money, but it is doable. There are people running carts successfully all over the country who have a couple or even several days a week that they don't operate the cart. This could be your opportunity. Also, many succe

ssful vendors in the northern states don't even run their carts in the winter. Your offer may just be what they needed to hear as they hunker down for winter. Yes, I know, this means you would have to work in the blistering cold, but, it beats going hungry. No, I am not being callous, I would shovel shit and love it if it meant my family has food on the table. For those of you that find a cart to rent or lease or even profit share with someone this winter, you might just be able to buy a new cart this spring.

I know it can be difficult, even demeaning, but where there is a will, there is a way. I wish you well!

Hot Dogs saved my life!

It was 3 years ago, I lost everything. After buying a hot dog cart and digging my way out of the hole I was in, I finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel. The light was hot dog carts.

Within 7 weeks, I owned 2 more carts and had paid for them with the profit from the first cart. WOW!

Now as a dog vendor and manufacturer of carts: www.BensCarts.com, I have started doing free webinars. These webinars allow people from all over the world to listen in and learn about the hot dog business.

My goal is to teach and help others get started in this wonderful business. You can attend one of these webinars absolutely free just by going here: www.LearnHotDogs.com

I look forward to hearing of your success.