Chapter 10
Other Equipment and Supplies
Now let’s talk about all the miscellaneous items that you’ll need:
• Coolers. You will need three medium size coolers. You will use one to store your frozen hot dogs, as well as a large bag of spare chopped onions. The other two are for sodas. I put Pepsi and Root Beer in one, Diet Pepsi and bottled water in the other. Experiment to see what sells best in your area. The idea is to separate the high calorie drinks from the no calorie drinks. Label the coolers so that the customer can quickly find the drink they prefer. I use black marker on yellow duct tape. It’s easy to read and it’s removable. A cooler full of soda and ice is heavy – get coolers with wheels and a tow handle. Your back will thank you.
• Plastic storage bin with snap on lid. This is for your buns. Not your buns, the hot dog buns! Ha ha ha…(Be prepared – you’ll hear at least three “buns” jokes per day). Get a container large enough to hold about 20 bags of buns.
• Pans. If you purchase a cart from a manufacturer it should come with a set of steam pans. It’s a good idea to buy a spare set. There will be times when you forget to wash your pans at the end of the day. Of course you won’t realize it until the next day. It’s nice to have a clean set ready to go.
• Tongs. You will need two large tongs for handling the dogs. I like the kind that have a spring which keeps the tongs open. You need two because if you drop one on the ground during a rush, you don’t want to stop to wash it. Just grab the spare and keep going.
• Thermometer. You will need a small thermometer to test the internal temperature of your hot dogs. There are two types, digital and dial. I like the dial kind, because the digital one always seemed run out of battery power at just the wrong time. The dial is reliable. Call me old school.
• Knife. You won’t need it often, but you will need it. I use mine to cut the hot dogs into small bites when my toddlers come by for lunch. Get a small paring knife with a plastic handle because wooden handles can harbor bacteria. Store it safely out of reach of the customers.
• Cutting board. Plastic of course. Use it to slice tomatoes if you serve Chicago Style dogs. The kind with a built in juice groove works well.
• Folding camp chair. This is for your personal buns…
• Wax paper sheets. To wrap the hot dogs in.
• Paper bags. Ask the customer if they need a bag. Many will say no and save you some money in the process. Brown bags cost less, white bags look cleaner. How do you want to position your brand?
• Napkins. Give each customer two unless they ask for extras. If you let the customer take their own, you’ll pay for it. Literally.
• Paper towels. They are an expense, but also a convenience. You can use rags instead. If you want to use paper towels, be sure to mount a holder somewhere on your cart.
• Pump dispensers. One each for ketchup, mustard, and relish.
• Folding table. For your condiments, if the customers fix their own. Don’t buy the cheap kind with a cardboard top. Spend a little extra for one with a hard plastic top.
• Squirt bottles. If you top the hot dogs yourself (recommended procedure for Chicago Style) you’ll need three full bottles of mustard, and one full bottle of ketchup.
• Serving spoons. Stainless steel. One each for relish and mustard if you top your own.
• Bleach bucket and rags. Fill a two gallon plastic bucket halfway full of water and add a capful of bleach. This makes a good disinfectant/sanitizing solution. Keep two rags in the bucket and use them to periodically wipe down the serving area. Keep the bucket on the ground where no one will trip over it.
• Two 5 gallon water containers approved for potable water. Use one for transporting clean cooking water to the site, leave the other empty for discarding old cooking water at the end of the day. Wrap some red tape around the handle of the dirty water container and write “WASTE WATER” on all sides so you will never confuse it with the clean water container.
Steve,
If wooden handles can harbor bacteria, will the wooden cart also? Would the health inspector think of this?
Thanks
Boyd
All wood must be painted or otherwise sealed. That means the inside of the cart also.
99 percent of the health codes in the US don’t specify that a food cart must be constructed of any specific material. The specification usually only states that “food contact surfaces must be non-porous and easily cleanable”. Painted wood satisfies those requirements.
If it makes you or your inspector happy, you can certainly laminate a piece of FRP, formica, or even a thin sheet of stainless steel on the work surface of the cart.
What class of fire extinguisher would one use for a hotdog cart and where can I get it.
Great question Rick!
When I was a young man I had a welding instructor who told me, “Whenever you are welding, always have a fire extinguisher close by and you’ll never need to use it. The one time you weld with no extinguisher handy you’ll catch something on fire for sure.”
She (yes, she) welded up the cracked floorboards on my 82 Mustang GT after class one night in exchange for a six pack of Guinness Extra Stout. Ahh, those were the days.
But I digress…
Fire extinguishers are classified A, B, or C (or a combination of these) on the label.
A = ordinary combustibles
B = flammable liquids
C = electrical
Many are classified A:B:C and fight all three types of fires. This would be a good choice so that you are prepared for any situation. You can find them at any hardware or home store. Keep one near your cart and you’ll never need to use it.
You might want to pick up some Guinness while you’re at it. It just goes so well with fire extinguishers (in my mind at least).
Cheers!
-Steve
I have a question. I live in Las Vegas and met with my health inspector before I bought a cart. This was to find out what kind of cart would be approved before I spent money on a cart. The health inspector told me that the whole entire cart had to be NSF approved not just the kids and pans. Do you know anyone living in the Las Vegas area that has a hot dog cart? I find it hard to believe that I have to pay thousands of dollars more to have a whole entire cart NSF approved and not just the pans and lids. I don’t know. But I think my health inspector is trying to pull a fast one on me.
Hi Rick, Sometimes the inspector has no idea what he’s talking about. Sometimes they are too lazy to actually read their own code. The only way to know for sure is to get a copy of the food code for your area and read it yourself. One thing to look for – if NSF is called out in the code, check to see if it reads “NSF” or “NSF equivalent”. NSF means getting an NSF approved cart. NSF equivalent means it only has to be built to NSF specs, not actually approved by the NSF. Good luck!
Hi Steve, What size wrap for the hot dog? Foil or wax?
Thanks
Hi Charles,
Restaurant supply houses and Sam’s Club sell pre-cut wraps in both foil and wax paper. I like the wax paper for everyday vending. If you are doing deliveries, the foil sheets will keep the dogs warmer longer. It’s really a matter of personal preference. Try both and see which you like better.
Does the relish dispense okay in the pump container without clogging?
Mary, Delish Dawgs
I don’t care too much for the pump relish. It does clog sometimes.
hey steve, what size cooler would you classfiy as medium?
Leo
45 to 55 quart. Somewhere in that area.