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So you want to start a business?
Why not a hot dog stand?

"How do you make a hot dog stand? Take away its chair." My 9 year old neighbor

If you're entrepreneurial, a hot dog pushcart is a pretty inexpensive way to start your own business. For $20 you can buy plans on the internet to build your own cart from about $500 worth of parts. For less than $2,000 you can get a pretty nice professionally built cart, and for $10,000 you can get a fancy trailer in which two people can stand and work. There are even large trucks with commercial kitchens available.

The wholesale cost of a quality hot dog is about 20¢, a bun costs about 10¢, and the condiments cost about 10¢ per sandwich. That makes your cost about 40¢ each. If you can move volume, you can buy for less. Typical resale price in Chicago is about $1.95, so your gross is about $1.45 per sale.

If you sell 200 hot dogs per day, 360 days per year (hey, take some holidays off), you would sell 72,000 dogs per year and could gross over $100,000 (not including soft drinks, chips, etc.). That's cash money. No credit cards or checks. To stay open this much you'll need a high traffic spot, indoors, and employees.

Subtract your overhead: Payroll, napkins, propane, rent, license fees, freebies for the cops, and other supplies, and there's still a decent profit for a pretty small upfront investment and a lotta work. Oh yes, don't forget to subtract from the profit the dogs you eat yourself.

Here are some suppliers who sell pushcarts and vending trucks:

All American Hot Dog Carts

Carts of America

Vendor Spot Hot Dog Carts

VendingTrucks.com

NataliesTrailer

Concessiontrailers.com

Cateringtruck.com

This page was revised 6/26/2009


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AmazingRibs  Barbecue logoAmazingRibs.com is all about the Zen of Barbecue, cooking ribs, and all kinds of BBQ recipes and techniques: Barbecue baby back ribs, spare ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, chicken, smoked turkey, steak, lamb, barbecue sauces, rubs, and great side dishes, with the net's best buying guide to barbecue smokers and cookers. It is written, illustrated, and coded solely by Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn.

About links on this site. Other than clearly marked ads, links and recommendations on this site are all products, services, and websites I truly admire, and are never paid endorsements. Your suggestions are always welcome. If you would like me to link to your website, click here to read my links policy first.

Barbecue Hot Stuff AwardsProduct Reviews and Meathead's Hot Stuff Awards. Meathead's Hot Stuff Awards are highly recommended products that I have tested personally or that have been tested by reliable sources. Awards are based on features, quality, and value. Rest assured that when I recommend a product, it is really because I like it, not because someone has paid me to say so or because the company is an advertiser or sponsor. I purchase most products I review although occasionally suppliers send me samples.

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