HUUUUGE WIN!!!!!
Steve,
I just wanted to drop you a quick note. The EZ Built Hot Dog cart has been on the street in Sioux Falls, SD for about 6 weeks and business is awesome.
We have a normal location at a busy intersection and sell Nathan’s 1/4 lbs All Beef Hot Dogs and some brats and polish sausages.
One day a guy drove up on a motorcycle and “begged” us to bring the *Dog House*, (that’s the name of the cart) to his business. I asked him if he had traffic in his store and he said he did. He would not charge us anything and the exposure would be great.
I said we would give it a shot on a Saturday. I asked him what store he managed and he said “K-Mart” on the west side of Sioux Falls.
We couldn’t keep up with the foot traffic. Started at 10AM and sold out by 1:30PM. We took a wild guess and prepared for 200 dogs, brats and sausages. Probably could have done a hundred more.
Here is a picture of the EZ Built Hot Dog cart right before we ended for the day.
Its the best 90 bucks i ever spent for the dvd’s and plans. It paid for itself the first day. The cart was paid for after the first week.
Joe Prostrollo
Sioux Falls, SD
***********************
“I asked him what store he managed and he said K-Mart…”
NICE!!!
I’m so proud of Joe and all the rest of you hot doggers who are making it happen all across this great country of ours.
I’m also very humbled that so many of you chose my hot dog cart business training materials to give you a head start in the hot dog biz. When I wrote “Carts of Cash” three years ago I had no idea what a wonderful and supportive bunch of folks I would have the pleasure of serving.
I may be biased but I think running the worlds funnest (yes, funnest) business turns us hot doggers into some of the nicest people in the world. How can you be anything but happy when you do this for a living, even if it’s just part time?
Congratulations to Joe and every one else who is living the American dream by selling the all American food. Whether you are a seasoned pro or have yet to sling your first dog, my hat is off to all of you, dear readers.
Now give it up for Joe in the comments!
-Steve
Nice!!! Your success is very encouraging as I’m trying to get the courage to begin. Continued success to you.
Your success is very encouraging! I’m in the same boat as Ray. I am getting ready for retirement (or being laid off) and I want to do a hot dog stand. Here in Connecticut, there are more permits and licenses required than you can shake a stick at. It’s kind of daunting.
Joe, it’s really great to hear your doing wonderful at your new venture. Let’s give Joe a high 5 !
Steve you are just a old soft heart!! Tear!! Tear!!. Hope you the best Joe, keep the customers happy and have fun.
Note: Duggs Doggs will be at Walmart in Waynesboro, Georgia 31 July 2010 1100-0200
Duggs Doggs
“Good!! Good!!””
Great job!! I would have thought they would have to go through corporate. Good Luck!!
Great story Joe… real inspiration. I’m saving up to get a cart and get started myself. Can’t wait to get out there!
nice looking cart, could we have some more pics ?
good luck Ron
nice looking cart, could we have some more pics ?
good luck with k-mart. most of the ones i’ve seen have food courts in side. so you lucked out.
Way to go Joe! I’m curious, our local K-mart has a snack bar and sells roller dogs. Does your store sell dogs? I would think the manager wouldn’t want the competition.
Jackpot location, and Nathan’s is a delicious dog!
Amazing! Maybe other Hot Doggers can approach local K Marts and point to your joint success.
Great job, Joe!
Awesome score Joe, Sell ‘Em All! Have fun!
Glad to hear of your success, Joe. To those trying to build up the courage, try starting out part time. I am still working full time and only do a few events and on a busy street corner on Saturdays for lunch. I have given out several business cards to churches and people “thinking” about a catered event. When the demand is there, I’ll retire to a business that is fun, profitable and fits my schedule.
Hearing about the success Joe is having is encouraging to all of us. Good luck Joe!
Congrats Joe! That is so awesome. I’ll bet we could have knocked you over with a feather when he said “K-Mart”!
Happy Doggin’!
Good job and great location. Many Kmarts across the nation have closed their snack bars so this leaves a big opportunity ($$$$) for doggers.
Good luck on ur new place. It is a beautiful thang to be hot doggin.
How exciting to have something like that happen. I’m in AZ and haven’t been able to find work so I’m looking at this business. Sounds like a winner!
Great Job!!! That’s awesome and very encouraging! God Bless!
Joe,
What an awsome thing to have happen!! The best part is the fact you were already doing well in your old location and then this happened.
I have been reading and posting comments for several months now and I have to agree with Steve, the people who have taken the leap and those of us who have not yet done so (unemolyed) seem to be some of the most supportive folks I have never met in person.
All of you keep the fire burning within me. And once I do get back on my feet, plan on joining the community. But in the mean time, thanks for allowing me enjoy your succsess even though I am an outsider.
Joe keep up the awsome job!!!
That is Awesome! Me and a buddy are about to
“Jump in” to the cart Business and stories like this
are a joy too see… Thank you and goodluck
I READ THE FIRST COMMENT AND FIRST OF ALL WTG JOE THEN TO AL HORNER I DELIVERED RV’S IN NEW INGLAND AND CONN. IS THE WORST STATE I HAVE EVER BEEN IN THE DRIVERS ARE CRAZY SELFISH ITS NO WONDER YOU ARE BUMPING YOUR HEAD AGAINST A WALL GO SOME WHERE THEY APPRECIATE EACH OTHER AND LIFE IN GENERAL
WAY TO GO, JOE! It was meant to happen! You’re in a great place to sell brats and kielbasa. I couldn’t get them to sell here in this part of New England. I’m still trying to figure out what the varied population here would like most. Seems hot dogs alone are my biggest seller.
To Perry,
Come on in! The business is great! It’s fun, your own hours, experimenting with food, meeting great people. And Steve, you’re right, I’m finding this business to be more of a fraternity. I’ve met every hot dogger in the area and all are welcoming and friendly and most are willing to swap recipes and visit each others carts.
Great start Joe. Congratulations! my “Lunch Under the Umbrella” opened this week at the Lowes store in North Tampa. Hope we have the same success.
Congratulations Joe! I hope I have half of the luck you had. or should I say opportunity knocks. I just got my commissary today. next up health inspection then park permits fire inspection and one more cart inspection for the parks permit. which is done by the same people who inspected the first time. just the way for them to get double the fee. they really make you jump through all kinds of hoops up here in New Jersey. I will be using the advice I learned from Steve’s books to negotiate a deal with a local Best Buy appliance store near my neighborhood. I think people will be looking for an inexpensive meal after they dump a ton of money on a big screen TV. and I will be waiting outside the door for them.
@Al Horner: What part of CT are you in? I only had to get a peddlars permit and state tax permit. Then there was the Servesafe course. Insurance was the biggest fiasco I had.
Way to go Joe.That is so awesome,what a place.My wife and i started a month ago in Ar.We love it the people we’ve met alone is amazing,were doing good and only getting better and you will to..
DuggsDogs how did u get into a walmart,Wow thats awesome.Good luck…
so are you there on a regular basis or was this a one time event? your cart even matches Kmarts colors!I purchaces the ez build plans but have not found anyone to build it for me,so I went out and purchaced a cart but its too heavy for me so I am still trying to get one built from Steves plans.Great start Joe,keep up the good work.
Way to go Joe! What a gift! Lowe’s we tried here in Ak> Had to go to Street Eats, NOT! The manager has no flexibility! 🙁 Tried Wal-Mart too! Only Non Profit! They also have a McDonalds inside! So far the ballpark and our wonderful Goose Lake has been the BEST for us here, since we choose not to do a corner. The bids here in Anchorage run between $8k and up to $22,000. Yell, bids for a corner!!!!!! You can make it back but holy cow! Not where we want to be at this point! Too many other opportunities. This has been a really trying summer, ya’ll have heat and we have had nothing but rain, and wind! Warm has been 60, hot has been 75 (7 sunny days), today was the 1st rain out! We have opened everyday!!! When I complain, I remember, I can put on more clothes and you can just get so naked and still not cool. My hat is off to all of you! Hang in there and try to stay cool! But most of all keep having fun and slinging dogs! We are here in Alaska! Yes Steve, this is the funnest business in the world! We’re old, we know this for a fact, and we are full time! Guess you would call this our “retirement” fun!!!!! ( D ) fund 🙂
Hey Everyone, thanks for the great comments. I’ll send more pics soon of the cart that I built with Steve’s plans. I have a location on the US Bank parking lot. The general manager of K-Mart rode his motorcyle by the cart everyday and then stopped on Memorial Day and invited me to come to his place. As I said, it was great but my loyalty was the bank where all my original customers expect me to be.
All you “Doggers” and newbies, I’m going to give you a tip, FREE of charge. Go visit with the president or whom ever is in charge of the community college in your town. Most will let you set up shop because they don’t really have food service for the students. Not a university or college but the Vo-Tech or community college. You will be surprised.
Your story was very encouraging! What a great opportunity!
I’m sooooooo excited. Super congrats Joe. Thanks for sharing. Did I say I’m sooooooo excited!!!!!!