Hot Dog Related Stuff
 

I've been doing all kinds of research on the hot dog business lately. There was a TON of stuff I didn't know and I've been learning a lot.

I never knew people in the south put slaw on their dogs. I didn't know Chili dogs came from Cincinnati or that their chili has chocolate in it. There's terminology associated when buying food from distributors, etc.

I'm excited. This is really going to happen.

Right now I'm learning a lot about the paperwork, accounting, business structures, tax ids, the different ways you can use the cart to make money with the cart depending on your business model, the health codes, permits, licenses, temperatures, procedures, best locations, ways to make the health inspector happy, ways to avoid being hassled by cops, etc.

There are a number of books out there about this business. I got 2. I'm also considering going to Hot Dog University. It was on the CBS News.



This combined with working my with my uncle Manny should really prepare me to open the best possible hot dog business in a clean, safe, and profitable way and to provide an excellent product and experience for the customers.

I'll know by the end of the month if I'm moving forward on this. It's looking good so far though.

I'd love to hear from you guys about what your favorite hot dogs are. What brand? What toppings? Where did you get 'em? What makes you stop for a dog?

In Florida there's a lot of competition in the hot dog business, but I'll give it a shot. They have a chain down there called "Hot Dog Heaven" so I thought it would be good to use the name "Devil Dogs" as a fun way to compete. Maybe we could setup a contest every year between us. We'd both make money and it would be funny. Besides selling hot dogs, brats, and italian sausage & peppers, I could sell t-shirts, hats with horns on 'em, keychains, etc.


I'm still trying to come up with a cute, fun, mischievous but non-threatening, hot dog mascot with horns and a pitchfork with a pointy arrow tail. I can put it on menus, signs, punch cards, hats, t-shirts, the van I'll use to pull the cart, etc. for branding.

my favorite is a Cincy-style chili hot dog. We call them coneys. See Skyline Chili for the real Cincy chili-dog deal. NOT Gold Star!!

Vienna Beef Fire Dogs, or any hot link.

My favorite dog, because I can't get them here, is a Chicago street-style:
sport peppers, pickle spears, tomato slices, sweet relish, spicy mustard, sauerkraut, and and all-beef frank and/or polish sausage.

A friend of mine (my boss actually) turned me on to hotdogs with sauerkraut plus HORSERADISH. Yowzah! That's got a kick.

Where do you go to the bathroom when you are selling dogs? You don't leave your cart unattended, do you? I imagine you need to be in place from about 10 to 4 or so. Can you hold it that long?

white hots!

I used to eat mine with sauerkraut and relish and mustard...not all at once though! Cheese dogs are a current favorite since mustard is off my menu.

Depends?

Stadium Pal?

Wait, hasn't driving to Florida wearing a diaper been done before?

Ha!

We have NuWay hot dogs here. They make their own wieners.

At this place you had better be prepared to wait. Everybody that is somebody eats here. It's old as the hills. And even more famous. No telling what celeb you may run into here.
The joint hasn't changed in as long as anyone can remember. That is key to their success.
Nathan's wieners are good. And available.

HebNats, as my brother-in-law likes to call them. Hebrew National

It wasn't until I read the wiki that I found out that Hebrew National is not kosher enough for Orthodox Jews.

Still, at least the supervision that they have exceeds the increasingly weak FDA inspection.

If you want to be sure it all came from a cow, specifically the front half of the cow, Hebrew National is the way to go.

My only beef with them :rolleyes: is that like many kosher meat products, they just love to use garlic. Sometimes I have to switch to Nathans just to change up the flavor.

BTW, the hand grinder I bought at the QVC outlet comes with 3 packets of seasonings and a few feet of sausage casing. I do want to try making my own at some point. Are all casings edible now or are they just meant to hold the meat in place and be peeled off before cooking?