Don’t tell the kiddies…

See you next year!

-Steve

Japadog definitely has a USP – Unique Selling Proposition.
In other words, they have given people a reason to buy from them instead of the all the other “same old” hot dog carts. The USP allows them to sell at a premium price point.

You can tell by the long lines that people will pay for a quality dog and and a unique customer experience.

Do a little experiment with me. You’re not a hotdogger. You’re a customer.
Think hard about how you would feel standing in line at Japadog for the first time. I bet you would feel…

Excitement. Anticipation. A sense of adventure. A feeling of novelty. Extreme curiosity. Exclusivity. Luxury. Perhaps even decadent in a culinary way…

How many people would you tell about your street food experience over the next several days? What would make you talk about it so much?

How would you feel being the guy or gal that turned all their friends on to this new kind of hot dog? Do you think your friends would thank you for discovering this for them?

Yeah. They would. A lot.

That’s the power of a USP.

OK – come back to earth. Put on your business hat. Check out Japadog’s menu (click for a big picture). Pay attention to the price points – we’re learning something very important today.

Q: Do you have an awesome-can’t-fail-kick-ass-great-super-cool-
wowee-neato-keen idea for a hot dog cart, but don’t know where to start?

A: I cover everything you need to know at www.HotDogBiz101.com. I’ll show you how to make your dream a reality. That’s what I do.

What is your USP? Tell me about it in the comments!

-Steve

Steve,

I have a couple questions, please!

As a newbie…Have you ever done a survey to determine what your readers do
about going to the restroom while working their carts? Do they leave their
cart?  Who watches it while they are gone?  Have they ever had any problems
when they leave; theft, etc.?

What do all of the women do that seem to be in the industry?  What about at night, outside of a bar nightclub, etc OR an event/festival?

It certainly determines your location for selling…doesn’t it?!  Just curious…

Thanks!

Buddy-

OK readers, let’s hear how you handle this delicate situation. Comments!

To celebrate the new product launch, we ran a contest for the very first Cash Tracker customers, and we gave away a brand new hot dog cart.

First Prize

The winner was… Chris Ayala of Alamo Hot Dogs in San Antonio, Texas. Congratulations Chris!

As it turns out, Chris is definitely on the right track with his business.

Now for the second prize.

You didn’t know there was going to be a second prize did you? Neither did I.
I just felt like doing it at the last minute.

It’s good to be the king (King Weenie that is).

I’m giving the second prize winner their choice of either of my training programs, the Hot Dog Biz 101 “Platinum” Package (which contains the Carts of Cash training manual and CD set), or the E-Z Built Hot Dog Cart Video and Plans Package.

Who won second place? Drum roll please…. Dwain Tolson of Big D’s Dog House in Eaton, Ohio. Congratulations Dwain!

This was awesome. Thanks to all who entered.

The drawing was administered by Random.org. You can find an entrant accessible public record of this contest here.

Now it’s time for me to get back to work here at HDCN. I’ll have a brandy-new story for you on Monday. Keep an eye on your in box.

Thanks for your patience dear readers,

-Steve

UPDATE: Contest closed.

Here we go again. Best caption wins a free pair of hot dog cart chip clips.

Enter your caption in the comments below. Contest ends, oh… sometime on Sunday evening I guess.

I will announce the winner in Monday’s issue of HDCN.

Let’s have some fun, but remember – keep it clean folks. This is a G rated blog.

-Steve

Just south of Kathleen, on Kathleen Road, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., most any day of the week, you're likely to see an unusual hotdog stand. Retired power plant engineer Jim Belcher, at center, owns "Hellacious Hot Dogs". The motto on his business card reads "Eat & Rest In Peace". Jim uses a 1982 Cadillac hearse as his attention getting trademark.

By Kyle Kennedy
THE LEDGER

LAKELAND | Death is an unavoidable topic around Jim Belcher’s hot dog stand.

It’s not so much the plastic skeleton perched above the cart or the fact that Belcher grew up in a Boston-area funeral home.

No, it would have to be the 1982 black Cadillac hearse he parks off Kathleen Road when Hellacious Hot Dogs opens for the day’s business.

“People see this, and they want to know what’s going on over here. It’s unreal how it works, but it works,” said the 50-year-old Lakeland resident as he served lunch one recent afternoon. “I’m pretty popular. It’s not because of the hearse, it’s the food.”

Three years ago Belcher retired from a career as a power plant engineer in Holbrook, Mass., and moved to Lakeland to be near his older brother. He bought the Cadillac from his family’s funeral home with plans to go into the cadaver transport business, but it didn’t work out.

So Belcher started thinking about the days he used to work as a line cook in restaurants and what he could possibly do with that glossy black hearse.

In early 2008, Hellacious Hot Dogs set up shop near the intersection of Kathleen and Spivey roads. People noticed.

“It’s a head-turner,” Belcher says. “I use it for storage. It’s the best kind of car you can have. But that’s as far as I go. I don’t cut meat in there.”

His macabre marketing extends to the menu, where a plain, all-beef hot dog is called a “Stiff” and sets you back $1.25. Want cheese and bacon on that dog? Order the “The Undertaker.” A combo with chips and drink is “The Procession.”

The hot dogs are good, but people can’t help talking about the car.

“I just know I could never drive one of those. I think it’s neat though,” said Carrie Bacon, 51, as she stopped for a bite.

A nearby survey crew spots the hearse and ambles over for a meal break.

“Different … very different,” one of the workers remarks before ordering a Stiff.

Sometimes Belcher dons a black hat; gloves; and an apron for maximum effect.

He says it’s easy not to take things too seriously when you’ve grown up in a funeral home, which is now owned and operated by his younger brother.

“I lived around death all my life. I respect it, too, because it’s a hard thing to accept, especially when you see families crying,” he said. “I’m not making fun of anything that has to do with death. It’s my trademark.”

Yet when he got older, Belcher wanted nothing to do with the funeral business. The grim work of moving and preparing bodies for visitation was too much, he said; he preferred to handle the flowers and wash the hearse instead.

Neighborhood kids would often decline to come over and play.

“They thought it was morbid,” he said.

He went on to pull stints as a cook, plumber, welder and other jobs before ultimately spending 25 years as an engineer. He’s been married three times but has no kids and laments that his once-blond crew cut is going gray.

Belcher says he enjoys the independence of having his own business, even if it’s just a hot dog stand and a hearse. He chats up customers in a distinct Boston accent, his creased face pink from the sun.

And he seems to love the attention, even the puzzled looks. He likes how a roadside oddity and cheap, tasty food can improve someone’s day.

“That’s why I say live it up and have a hot dog, because life goes fast, like a candle.”

*********************************

BTW,  if you’ve been thinking about starting a hot dog cart business, I’m running a sale on “Carts of Cash” until midnight on the 31st. Enter the word Success in the coupon code box and save $10.

Happy Halloween everyone!

-Steve

I’ve been getting a few emails lately asking me what exactly is a Chicago style hot dog and why is it so special. What’s the big deal, anyways? (In Chicago we don’t say “anyway”. We say “anyways?” like it’s a question. FYI)

Here’s a quote, “A Chicago hot dog is probably the healthiest of the variants because of the abundance of toppings belonging to the fruit and vegetable classification”.

Pbbbbbt!

Like anyone really cares – it’s a hot dog for crying out loud. Besides, is it still healthy if I eat three of them in one sitting?

I’ll tell you why it’s so great – it’s so great because of all the flavors, textures, and temperatures that come together in one bite. They really work amazingly well together.

If you’ve never tried a Chicago dog, make some at home and give ‘em a try. Here’s the sequence:

1. Steamed bun – with poppy seeds if you can get ‘em.

2. All beef hot dog – steamed or boiled – Vienna Beef brand is my favorite.

3. Mustard – regular yellow, not brown or spicy.

4. Two tomato slices – wedge between the dog and bun.

5. Dill pickle spear – on the other side of the dog from the tomatoes.

6. Onion – chopped

7. Relish – Neon green from Vienna is the real deal. Yes, it tastes different. You can also use regular sweet pickle relish if you can’t get the neon stuff.

8. Two sport peppers – these can be hard to find, and no they are not jalapenos. I bought mine in 5 gallon buckets from my distributor who ran a truck to the Vienna plant in Chicago once a week.

9. Celery salt – just a light sprinkle but oh, so important. This is the “secret sauce” that ties all the flavors together!

Here’s a clever stop action animation depicting the construction of a proper Chicago style hot dog at one of my all time favorite restaurants, Portillo’s Hot Dogs in Chicago. Dick Portillo started out with a hot dog stand and now owns over 40 Portillo’s restaurants! But that’s a story for another time…

As you saw in the video, you should never put ketchup on a Chicago dog. True!

I have been known to use ketchup on a hot dog from time to time but NEVER on the Chicago version. There is too much sweetness in ketchup and it completely wrecks the savory/salty/crunchy/spicy thing that does the happy dance on your taste buds with every bite.

As Nancy Reagan said, “Just say no to ketchup on a Chicago dog”.

That was her, right?

-Steve

A few months ago, I posted one of the first pictures ever taken of an elusive new species of street vendor – the Grillwalker. Now we have video!

Apparently multiple grillwalkers have been sighted in Berlin, selling wurst (sausages) to locals and tourists alike.

The first grillwalker was spotted in 1997 after Bertram Rohloff invented the contraption to get around local street vending laws. As long as nothing touched the ground, no permits were required.

The Grillwalker franchise is growing in Germany, with Mr. Rohloff hiring subcontractors to wear the devices in Berlin and other cities.

What do you think – great idea, or just a novelty? Would you strap one of these things on? Will we see grillwalkers in New York, Chicago, or L.A. anytime soon?

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Thanks Hannalisa and Tom for bringing this to my attention!

-Steve

In any case, Roswell plays host to a very successful annual UFO festival and Steve sold a ton of hot dogs there this year. Here is the email he sent me.

Steve,

Here are a few pics, me and the Aliens at the 62nd Annual UFO festival. It is alot of work, but events are very lucrative. Being new in this business, I did very  well, I handled my self as a professional and kept my cool. Had I  not read your course “Carts of Cash”, I probably wouldn’t have made it.

Gross was $920 in 2 days Fri. and Sat. Expenses were $180.00 So $740.00 for me, and I get to set up every sat. and sun. at this same spot, the International UFO Museum, at no charge, just a convience to all the visitors.

Life is GOOOOOD!!!!

Steve Coronado
“Fat Franks”
Roswell, NM

Steve is absolutely crushing it right out of the gate! His story is an inspiration to all and a testimony to what is possible in the hot dog cart business.

I hope you enjoy the show!

Click the link to listen online or right click to download the MP3 so you can listen on your iPod.

Hot Dog Cart Radio – Steve Coronado of “Fat Franks”

Hey, are you still kicking around the idea of starting your own hot dog cart?  With a little bit of training and a positive attitude YOU could be making full time money working part time hours just like Steve Coronado is.

I’m here to help!

-Steve

Renee, a customer of mine in South Carolina  just wrote to let me know that she’s open for business. Awesome news Renee!!! She took her time getting going which isn’t a bad idea. I’ll let her tell you about it in her own words because I LOVE her attitude.

Hi Steve,

Now open for business! Finally! Things are going slowly but surely, I’m making a name for myself and customers are starting to seek me out. But I like slow but sure – gives me a chance to work out the kinks and the bugs. (No, those are not 60′s rock groups:) Oh wait, actually I think there was a group named The Kinks. Sorry, my 60′s memories are kinda hazy. Too much sex, drugs and rock and roll – LOL!!!!

It’s been a long, interesting, sometimes frustrating summer getting everything going, but it’s worth it.  Just got word this morning that I’ve secured a new really great location.  I’ll probably be adding a second cart before long.

And BTW, thanks for your website and all your advice/inspiration – it’s really kept me going, plus it’s just plain fun!  So thanks again Steve.

Renee Crenshaw
Renee’s Dogs
Lake Wylie, SC

p.s. If I had a caption for this picture it would be “Little old retired lady finally goes over the edge and gets into the hot dog cart business”

p.p.s. My husband is now going over that same edge into insanity and wants to build a hot dog cart on our pontoon boat to put out on the lake near here for next summer. I’m personally cringing – boat+fire=disaster!

Way to go Renee!

By the way, hot dog carts and boats were made for each other…

-Steve

Update: I just found some more pics of Renee and her cart – enjoy!