Chapter 14
Dogs, Chips, and Soda – the Perfect Meal
If you’re new to the hot dog vending business, I highly suggest that you keep it simple, at least to start. The first few days will be stressful just like any new job, so you don’t want to unnecessarily complicate things. Serving a basic menu of hot dogs, single serving bags of chips and canned soda will get you off on the right foot.
After you’ve been in business a month or so, you can begin to think about offering the gourmet experience such as venison lamb sausages and a choice of 20 different condiments. Every new cart operator dreams of differentiating himself from the competition, and believe me, every customer will have a suggestion for a new item that they just know will sell like crazy.
I know that no matter what I say, the temptation to go through this menu experimentation process is so strong that you will just have to try it to get it out of your system. Eventually you’ll come out the other side with the understanding that this is a business based on speed and convenience. Joe Public is hungry and pressed for time. He just wants a good quality hot dog with a little mustard and onion and something to wash it down.
If you’re not convinced yet, let me tell you the best reason for keeping it simple. The reason I call a dog, chips and soda “the perfect meal” is because all of these products are classified by the health department as non-hazardous foods. All hot dogs (and some sausages) are pre-cooked at the factory and the casing acts as packaging. Of course, bags of chips and cans of soda are also pre-packaged. So are bags of hot dog buns. In other words, these foods are very safe and pose a much lower threat of bacterial contamination than say, raw hamburger or uncooked Italian sausage.
This is a very important distinction. If you stock only non-hazardous foods on your cart, there are fewer rules to comply with. You will have a much easier time with the health inspector and your operating costs will be significantly lower. In my county a non-hazardous food classification means that I don’t need a full hot water hand washing system with a mixing faucet built in to my cart as I would if I were serving sausages that needed to be cooked before serving.
All that I need is a pump bottle of liquid soap, a source of clean water for hand washing, and a receptacle so the water doesn’t drain on the ground. I use a plastic water jug with a valve that stays in the open position without having to be held. It drains into a bowl then through a short length of PVC pipe and into another plastic water jug underneath.
Serving the “perfect meal” may even qualify you for a commissary waiver from the health department, again depending on your local codes. I discuss this in detail in a following chapter.
what hot dogs are the best to serv im to bring something different to ohio
Hey Rick,
Any quality all beef dog will serve as a good base for some interesting condiments. It’s not necessary but think about having your hot dogs made for you by a local meat processor. That’s what I do. My dogs are made from 100% Black Angus Beef and I make sure my customers know it by putting that fact on my marketing materials.
In any case it’s often the condiments that make the dog different.
how much do you pay for y our dogs that might be a good ideal.
I pay $32.80 a case which is .41 a dog.
Hi Steve most of the dogs I have purchased to try have been running me around .33 to .40 per dog but Im still not sure as to how to price them. Because they all have been all beef dogs just different brand names. Also, I have been trying to debate whether to switch to a much less expensive dog which is the all beef sam’s club dogs since the crowd I serve are mainly people coming from a local bars in the citys downtown area which it seems they just want something quick and fast to eat. But with the fourth of july quickly approaching $$$$$ …I need to decide or need some deciding factors.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Start out with the Sam’s Club hot dogs and see how it goes. You may be pleasantly surprised!
If I serve chili most likely I will need a Commissary? and you said you use chili Man chili is it better than the other brands?
Probably, yes. I like Chili Man. I’ve switched over to that brand on my own cart and my customers love it.
Here in Miami County Indiana If I serve pre-cooked chili (available from Gordon Foods) I am ok serving it as it is pre-cooked Our Health Inspector told me basically anything pre-cooked would be ok, until I get the food handlers license then I can serve almost everything, I of course was pushing the limits to see what he would accept and I said lasagna and he said if it is pre-cooked we looked at each other and bot said “Pasta Cart” Endless possibilities for out little carts. I also at Gordons Foods found all kind of pre-cooked breakfast items. Just heat and serve. So we are looking at somewhere we can do breakfast on the first day of hunting season.
Wow, that’s really great. You got a pretty cool inspector!
Hi Steve,
Just got my commissary and getting ready to get the state license..I am hoping to be open for the first day of hunting season as well..I’m going to try maybe sausage dogs with scrambled eggs. I have a propane grill on my cart. Any ideas on precooked eggs?!
Thanks!
Make the eggs in your commissary and cool them quickly. Keep them below 40 degrees until you reheat them on the cart. Always check with your HD of course.
Nice! Thanks for the links Bernie!
🙂
I experimented last night and took two qt ziplock bags placed two eggs,cut up kabaka sausage, bell pepper, shredded cheese salt, pepper. Placed in boiling water for about 9-10 minutes wrapped them in flour tortillas. This was a receipe from one of the members. I may try this after I get some experience.
My wife said this is better than McDonalds.
Sounds deeelish!
Are the eggs cooked or uncooked? Since you put them in boiling water I’m thinking uncooked but want to be clear. I’ll have to try it!
I am in California and am partial to the way steamed or boiled Sabrettes kind of have a crisp snap when you bite into them.
Do you know of any other brands off hand that have the same quality/texture.
ANYONE ELSE THAT CARES TO SHARE IN ON MY QUESTION, i WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK.
Thanks,
Joe
Little Joe’s NY Style Hot Dogs
Hi Joe,
The “snap” that you describe comes from a natural casing. Any hot dog that uses a natural casing (as opposed to “skinless”) will have the snap you are looking for.
-Steve
People have been asking me about the Red Hots – Red Hot Dogs. Have you ever used them? Just curious….
I have eaten them (delicious) but have never sold them. I’ve heard good things from those that do sell them.
Hi,
We were discussing making our own coney sauce.
Have you had any experience in this area?
Thanks alot
The trick is to simmer your raw ground beef in water while mashing it with a fork or potato masher, instead of browning it in a pan. This makes the beef very fine grained.
Hello Steve ,I’m new to the hot dog world .what I do in life is I’m a garbage man .I would like to work my own hours not some one else’s but anyway I’m hoping for this summer but anyway I’ll keep you tuned in
Walter bell
P.s.it will be a team effort me n my granddaughter
Go for it Walter. You can do it!
Know anyone who sells veggie dogs?
I never have sold them, sorry.