Hot Dog Cart News

18 Comments so far ↓

• Rodney Murphy // Jun 22, 2009 at 6:25 am

  Hi Steve, got your Carts of Cash book and man is it what I have been looking for. All the info is in the book. I recomend Carts of Cash program to anyone thinking about starting a hot dog cart business. I plan to open around September. Thanks Steve for a GREAT book. Rodney

• Bill // Jun 22, 2009 at 6:51 am

  Let me play devils advocate here.

  What exactly is the customer tipping us for?

  I’d like to think there’s more of a reason to put the jar there than for a money grab.

  Just because its food service tips shouldn’t be assumed… I’m also irked when I am at a fast food spot like Quizno’s and have to scratch out the tip field of the credit card receipt.

• steve // Jun 22, 2009 at 7:56 am

  Your welcome Rodney.

  Glad you like it!

  -Steve

• Frankie // Jun 22, 2009 at 7:59 am

  I am so wanting to start a hot dog cart but money
  is really tight do you have any suggestions.

• steve // Jun 22, 2009 at 8:17 am

  Hi Bill,

  It’s traditional to tip in certain businesses. I give a base tip to all wait staff at restaurants, regardless of how well they served me. I tip really well if they served me really well.

  I tip my barber, my pizza delivery girl, and I used to tip my newspaper boy back when they rode bikes and personally collected your subscription dues.

  Now some guy flies by and whips the paper out out his car window at 30 miles an hour. I keep throwing quarters at him but so far none have made it inside the vehicle. It is fun, though

  Hot dog carts are one of those businesses where it is traditional to tip, but you don’t have to if it is counter to some deeply held philosophical belief.

  I tip well, mostly because it makes me feel good to see a look of genuine appreciation on the face of someone who is working really hard, at a job that may not be particularly glamorous.

  Don’t be offended when you see the add tip line on your fast food receipt. It’s not personal.

  -Steve

• Ron // Jun 22, 2009 at 11:47 am

  Tipping depends on the venue. I work a club late night. My first night, customers actually requested I put a tip jar out. Now, tipping is anywhere between 25% and 30% of my revenue.

• Tim // Jun 22, 2009 at 5:06 pm

  Guess I need to get a tip jar

• Ralph // Jun 22, 2009 at 7:51 pm

  HI STEVE. THANX FOR THE EXCELLENT COURSE. I BOUGHT 2 OTHERS AND YERS IS BY FAR THE BEST…. THEN YOU KEEP THIS GREAT SIGHT GOING TO HELP US ALL THE TIME. THEN YOU HELP OUT WITH THE PETITION IN YUBA CITY CAL. YOU’RE A GREAT MAN STEVE. IT’S A PLEASURE TO KNOW YA.

• hannalisa // Jun 23, 2009 at 5:47 am

  LOVE this post, steve! and whether folks tip or not the ideas for tip jars are just plain fun … and that’s what the experience we’re trying to create is all about. GREAT ideas. thanks!
  hannalisat@hanna’s hotties

• Susan // Jun 23, 2009 at 7:26 am

  I worked a night club in New Mexico many moons agho. Being a 5 ft 9 in tall girl and mostly the customers averaged in at 5 ft 6, I really needed to come up with a plan to get them to come to my bar. The set up was 5 bars, mine was the first to pass. So I decided to put up a suction cupped basketball hoop over the tip jar on the bar, learn spanish and teach them all how to play “Dollar Football.” If they made it in, (which was rare) I bought them a beer. If they did not make it in, I keep the loot. I quickly became popular & wealthy!!

• Paul // Jun 24, 2009 at 3:38 am

  Theres a real funny jar in a club i go to “Tips please…..Cos a Crack habit ain’t cheap” Will send a picture if i can! They also have a glass tankard filled with water & a quarter of a lemon floating in it, & it says if you can balance 20c or more on it you win a free drink (imposibble of course ^^)

• Mike // Jul 2, 2009 at 5:33 pm

  Some folks are Givers and then there are other folks who are takers. Its like stingy people and not stingy people. I personaly like to reward kind people with a tip. A better tip than those that are not so kind. It appears that when you are dealing with the public, your smile and kindness will help your personal stimulus program. Please excuse any misspelled words…:), do I seem to be on track here, Dawgers? 1.smile, 2.kindness, 3.tip jar = full…:)

• Rick // Mar 23, 2010 at 8:03 am

  People generally tip in restaurants and they typically do not for fast food. A hot dog cart is kind of “in-between”. I think a tip jar will help to encourage people to tip.

  I have some funny tip jar stickers for sale on my site. I also offer advice on how to increase tips for waiters, delivery drivers, shuttle bus drivers, and baristas. I don’t have specific advice for hot dog cart owners…yet. I’d be interested to hear some suggestions though.

• bOB // Jul 23, 2010 at 2:30 pm

  I never tip when people ASK for it. That’s rude. Tip jars, with no writing beyond “Tips” is borderline. Anything beyond that is in your face, rude. If you don’t like it, get a real job.

• steve // Jul 23, 2010 at 5:08 pm

  Hey bOB,
  Tips are part of the food service business. If some folks want to get creative and make the customers chuckle, more power to them. As far as getting a “real” job goes, putting your ass on the line every day and depending on no one but yourself is about as real as it gets. The guys and gals who do this for a living are some of the finest people on the planet and I’m extremely proud of each and every one of them. You can keep your “real” job and have your future contolled by a boss who only cares about his own career. I’d rather control my own destiny. Btw, cheap people are usually unhappy people.

• jeff // Jan 19, 2011 at 6:46 am

  steve i agree a good jar ,and sayings that will get a smile out of people is where it at ,and if they tip so be it

• Rick // Jun 21, 2011 at 6:43 pm

  I am with Bob on this one… Although I don’t have a problem with tipping in a sit down restaurant, because that server is making $2.18 an hour and RELIES on tips to SURVIVE.

  Someone selling fast food is making at least minimum wage and is probably closer to $9.00 an hour and therefore does not need a tip. They are doing what they are getting paid to do…SERVE

  A barista is deserving of a tip if for no other reason they are FAST when there is a long line.

  A pizza delivery guy/gal deserves a tip because trying to make a living while driving ANYTHING but a scooter these days is a challenge not to mention the wear and tear on your car.

  A bartender deserves a tip for the same reasons as a barista.

  Putting the tip jar on the hot dog cart just because you can? I don’t so. Unless, someone operating the cart does not own the cart.

• Jessie // Jul 8, 2011 at 1:06 am

  I work and run a hot dog cart and whoever above thinks that this entails nothing more than sticking a hot dog in a bun and handing it to the customer.. do some research before you start spouting your mouth off. I.. along with tons of other street vendors I know work our asses off on a daily basis. Tips are givin by choice for good food, fun smiling servers and fast & friendly service. A tip jar isn’t to “force” customers to tip.. its the customers choice to tip. So many people tipped us personally all day everyday without a tip jar frequently asking where are tip jar was, we finally put one out. Minimum wage is minimum wage no matter what state you’re in and servers do rely on tips regardless of the “type” of establishment. But hey, thanks for your 2 cents of ignorance on the subject you stingy naive dumb $#&%!!

  Oh.. and have a fabulous day!