The hot dog truck listed for sale HERE has been sold.
I received this email this morning:
Thank you very much for posting this for me. I sold the truck yesterday, so it can be removed now. Thanks!
Trucks listed on The Hot Dog Truck don't last long.
Looking to sell a hot dog truck, trailer or cart? Check out the used equipment page, the ads are FREE!
Hot Dog Truck for Sale in New Jersey has been SOLD!
Guest Post Opportunity on Hot Dog Stories
Do you like hot dogs? Do you have a favorite hot dog joint you think the world should know about? Want to be featured on Hot Dog Stories? I want your Hot Dog Story!
I am accepting guest posts for Hot Dog Stories. It's a great opportunity for someone with their own blog (it doesn't have to be about hot dogs) to write on a site that gets thousands of visitors per month. I'll even give you a shout out on The Hot Dog Truck ( a PR3 site) when you write your story.
This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to share their love of that great American food: the hot dog. At the same time, you'll get some exposure for your blog and TWO backlinks.
Hop on over to Hot Dog Stories to see how the posts are constructed and see how to do a guest post there.
If you would like to guest post on The Hot Dog Truck, leave a comment here and I will get in touch.
My Blog Log Bites the Dust
I received this email yesterday:
Dear MyBlogLog Customer,
You have been identified as a customer of Yahoo! MyBlogLog. We will officially discontinue Yahoo! MyBlogLog effective May 24, 2011. Your agreement with Yahoo!, to the extent that it applies to the Yahoo! MyBlogLog, will terminate on May 24, 2011.
After May 24, 2011 your credit card will no longer be charged for premium services on MyBlogLog. We will refund you the unused portion of your subscription, if any. The refund will appear as a credit via the billing method we have on file for you. To make sure that your billing information is correct and up to date, visit https://billing.yahoo.com.
Questions?
If you have questions about these changes, please visit the Yahoo! MyBlogLog help pages.
We thank you for being a customer on Yahoo! MyBlogLog.
Sincerely,
The Yahoo! My BlogLog Team
I haven't had a MyBlogLog widget on this site for 2 or 3 years now. When I first started out with The Hot Dog Truck, MyBlogLog was all the rage. It seemed like every blog had one of their widgets and there were many other services that rushed to compete. I found MyBlogLog to be kind of spammy after a while and removed the widget.
I think the ultimate downfall of MyBlogLog was the expansion of Facebook as a social media site. Facebook and it's now nearly ubiquitous "like" button have eliminated the need for services like MyBlogLog. Google Followers is another MBlogLogish service that seems to have caught on as MyBlogLog fell into the spammy abyss of useless widgets.
I literally hadn't logged into MyBlogLog account for nearly two years until I received this email. What I saw was a page full of links to posts about buying mobile phones, off beat apparel and shaky business opportunities; not a heck of a lot of community building going on there it seems. That's probably why they're shutting down- they have become irrelevant to their "users" who are most likely making the same types of connections on Facebook.
I won't mourn your passing, MyBlogLog. Something else will come along and be the "next big thing" in your place.
Obama Budget Cuts Explained
My mom sent me this gem the other day- she HATES Obama.
This seems very timely.
Trust me, you have to watch this one. I promise you'll end up smarter in just a minute and thirty-eight seconds.
Recently Mr. Obama announced that over the next 90-days he is going to work to cut 100-Million dollars of spending out of the Federal Budget.
A college student explains....
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's HOT DOG MAN!
I was looking around for a website the other day and I came across Hotdogman.org. There isn't much info there, just a bunch of pictures of hot dog men as super heroes, like these guys. Cool stuff!
Hot Dog Man, saving the world one wienie at a time!
The Karl Ehmer Hot Dog Cart in Hillsdale, NJ
Here's a video about a successful hot dog cart in New Jersey.
The key to their success? Good food, consistency and a pleasurable personality!
Do You want to be a Sniper?
If you have any interest in making money online, there's a great article on Hot Dog! Money Online that describes a system I have used for a few years that really works. It talks about Google Sniper 2, the latest version of Google Sniper. As I said, I have been using these tactics for a few years and they definitely have worked for me.
In the article, I describe how I have used the system and how easy it is to set up.
Check it out.
You know the internet has taken over your life when....
You know the internet has taken over your life when:
-you Facebook chat your kids to come to dinner.
-you IM your wife from the kitchen to let her know the tea kettle is boiling.
-the entire household comes to a screeching halt because the router needs to be reset.
-your tweets become more important than actually talking to someone
-you don't have a land line in your home because you Skype
-your smart phone is your best friend
-you "google" yourself
-you have 4,345 "friends," most of whom you have never met
-you have carpal tunnel syndrome, a bad back and are at least ten pounds overweight
-you say things like "fail," "pwned", "LOL," and "can I haz that" in regular conversations
A Hot Dog Program
Here's a clip from A Hot Dog Program. This is the show that launched my career as a Hotdogman.
A Hot Dog Program takes a look at different hot dog joints around the nation. If you're a wannabe hot dog man or you just love hot dogs, this video is a great bit of Americana.
When Insults Had Class
Another funny one from my dad's emails:
These glorious insults are from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words.
___________________________________
The exchange between Churchill & Lady Astor:
She said, "If you were my husband I'd give you poison."
He said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."
A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease."
"That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."
"He had delusions of adequacy."
- Walter Kerr
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."
- Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."
- Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."
- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).
"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."
- Moses Hadas
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."
- Mark Twain
"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.."
- Oscar Wilde
"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one."
- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second.... if there is one."
- Winston Churchill, in response.
"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here."
- Stephen Bishop
"He is a self-made man and worships his creator."
- John Bright
"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial."
- Irvin S. Cobb
"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others."
- Samuel Johnson
"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up."
- Paul Keating
"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily."
- Charles, Count Talleyrand
"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him."
- Forrest Tucker
"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?"
- Mark Twain
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork."
- Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.."
- Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination."
- Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music."
- Billy Wilder
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."
- Groucho Marx
This or That
This or that is a new site that lets you create a mini poll and share it with your friends on Facebook. Basically, you ask whether people would like one thing or another: This or That.
I created one.
Which do you prefer, grilled Pearl Franks or steamed Kayem Franks?
Go vote now!
Pitchers and Catchers
Pitchers and catchers reported to Spring training yesterday!
This means a couple of things to me:
1. Spring is right around the corner
2. Hot Dog season is right around the corner!
Spring is obvious-there are only 34 days until the first day of Spring which comes on March 20 at 11:21 PM this year. Seeing baseball again conjures images of warm, sunny days on emerald fields- a far cry from the snow covered deep freeze we are in now. When the pitchers and catchers report, the proverbial light is at the end of the tunnel.
Hot Dog season always started for me around the first of April-45 days from today. That's when the real games start. Baseball and hot dogs go together like, well, like baseball and hot dogs! Even though most ballpark hot dogs can't measure up to a dog you'd get from your local hot dog truck, the symbiotic relationship of baseball and hot dogs makes the start of baseball season a tubesteak milestone.
It won't be long until all the hot dog carts and trucks (at least the ones that packed it in for the winter) start dotting the landscape and serving up that finest of delicacies- the roadside hot dog.
So get pumped for Spring training. Hot dog season is right around the corner!
Hot Dog Truck for Sale in New Jersey
One of the reasons a lot of people stop by the Hot Dog Truck dot com is they are thinking of buying a used hot dog truck. I have free ads for anyone looking to sell a hot dog cart, trailer or truck on THIS PAGE. The ads don't stay up there for long, because a free ad on the Hot Dog Truck usually means you can sell your used hot dog truck fast.
I just got an email from a guy in New Jersey named Charlie who wants to sell his hot dog truck. Here's his free ad:
HOT DOG / LUNCH TRUCK FOR SALE
Ocean Gate, NJ
$ 11,900.00
TRUCK OFFERS: Outdoor accessible Coffee Maker
Warming Oven
Griddle and BBQ Grill
Hot Dog Station and Condiment Warmers (steam station)
Refrigerator (floor unit)
Two Large Serving Windows
Two outer Accessible Shelves for Snacks & Sandwiches etc.
Large Built-In Cooler Outside under Shelves
Two Sky Lights and Vent Hood over Grill
Three Sinks and Built-In Water Tank with Supply Lines to Sinks & Coffee Unit
Built-In Propane Tank underneath Truck
Stainless Steel Interior Counters and Shelves.
INCLUDED:
A Frame Road Sign
Cash Draw
Utensils, Two Cutting Boards, Coffee Pot & Filters, Coffee Cups & Lids.
50 ft Potable Water Hoses.
Full Tank of Propane
Email me for more pictures, or to come see the truck!
SOLD!
I Got You Babe- Happy Valentine's Day
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
JibJab is now offering a Risk FREE Trial!
Hot Dog Cart Insurance
If you are looking to start a hot dog business, you will need liability insurance for your hot dog cart, trailer or truck. There is simply no way of getting around it-nobody will let you on their property (or on public property) without liability insurance - no insurance, no business.
I get a lot of emails from vendors and those starting out looking for answers about where to get insurance for their new hot dog business.
After speaking with different insurance carriers and agencies, I came across Bolt Insurance - a national insurance agency that specializes in servicing small businesses and can provide affordable liability insurance for mobile food vendors. They have a simple online form that will generate quotes for you from all the major insurance carriers that will write liability insurance in your state. It's true one stop shopping.
The folks at Bolt won't give you any high pressure B.S. or sell your name to some insurance agent lead farm. They WANT your business. So if you are looking around for Hot Dog Cart Insurance, click the image below for a FREE Quote and compare quotes online from multiple insurance companies, FAST!
Silent Movie Valentine
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
JibJab is now offering a Risk FREE Trial!
Field Trip Purgatory
I got the idea for this post from a comment I left on one of my Blog Catalog reader's sites, When a Southern Woman Rambles. Maybe I should start a blog called "When a Hotdogman Rambles." Oh, wait, it's called The Hot Dog Truck! Ms. Brown was ranting about Field Trip Hell, so I left a comment with my perspective. This little post was gleaned from my comments on that post.
I am always being asked to volunteer at my kids' schools for one thing or another, but I have a very strict policy when it comes to those requests: I have an age cutoff of 12 for volunteering to chaperon or otherwise help in my children's classrooms in any way. This is primarily due to the fact that 12 and unders are far easier to intimidate than teens. 12 and unders may be rambunctious, but they generally do what an authority figure (like a field trip chaperon) tells them to do, especially if he is six feet tall, has a booming voice and acts like he's what my 14 year old would call "scary."
Teenagers are a different animal. Everyone knows that children aged 13-19 know far more about anything in the world than any parent or teacher. They will question and sometimes outright defy nearly every request for compliance, no matter how simple. Once kids hit age 13, they roll their eyes and say "REALLY?!?!" a lot. I don't like getting eyerolls-with 4 teenagers, I get my full quota at home and then some.
Volunteering for my 6 year old's kindergarten class is a piece of cake. They get a little hopped up from time to time, but their sense of self preservation is still very active. On some subconscious level, their little six year old brains tell them "that person is bigger than you, don't piss him off." But I have yet to have to get heavy handed with the kindergartners, they're quite fun actually. Plus I usually get all the fruit juice I can drink.
I have a distinct advantage over the other chaperons: I have pretty much seen just about anything a kindergartner can dish out, so I am not surprised. It's real easy to tell the first time parents of a kindergartner; they're the ones who waffle between complete and unrelenting discipline and wishy washy enabling. If my group starts wigging out on me, I usually tell them to go climb on something which infuriates the newbie parents who fear the children will injure themselves, damage property, or worse.
One frantic mommy chaperon recently remarked that I can get away with that stuff because I was the lone "cool dad" chaperoning a field trip to an apple orchard. She told me this as my group was happily climbing a tree while her group was milling about and whining "how come THEY get to climb it?" while she tried to lecture them on the dangers of insects, splinters and climbing "strange trees." When it was time to go, I said, "outta the tree kids, let's roll." They promptly plopped out of the tree, splinter free, and followed me dutifully to the nearby bus. My frantic, newbie mommy friend spent the next five minutes pleading with her group to follow her.Since I am usually one of very few dads (if not the only one) on various excursions and since I allow my group to do what many mommies would never consider letting their group do, I am viewed by the kids with the awe reserved for most super heroes, sports figures and the Wonder Pets.
One of the big reasons I was able to successfully dodge responsibility for chaperoning or otherwise volunteering for my older kids once they reached 13 was there was always a younger sibling waiting in the wings. All I had to say was, "I did this stuff for you when you were their age, now it's their turn." Not that any teen would want their parent chaperoning a school field trip anyway-too embarrassing. I had one moment of weakness when I agreed to help paint my then 14 year-old's school, but we did that on three consecutive nights without the kids. It was almost like a vacation.
Unfortunately-at least for school volunteer purposes, I won't have another waiting in the wings when the 6 year old gets to be 13 (we've gotten out of production and into maintenance), so my previous method of evasion won't work. When and if she asks me to volunteer for something at her school when she reaches that age, I will have to just roll my eyes and say, "REALLY?!?!"
The Hotdogman's Top Ten Favorite Lyrics of ALL TIME
I have always liked music. Back in the day, I had hundreds of albums. Then I migrated to CDs. Now I get all my music from a small device about the size of an old cassette tape (remember those).
Over the years, I have heard my favorite tunes many times and there are some lyrics that just grab me every time. I have a list of my Top Ten Favorite Lyrics-with videos- for your enjoyment. Feel free to add one of your own in the comments section.
10. "I wanna rock and roll all night, and party every day!"
This song is the embodiment of what rock and roll is. Fun, fast, and loud. My toes always tap to this one. The first concert I ever went to was a KISS
9. "Don't cry, don't brace your eye, it's only teenage wasteland."
Anger, energy and execution. One of my favorite "get psyched" tunes EVAH! I saw The Who
8. "Nah, nah, nah, nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, Hey Jude"
It's hard to pick a Beatles
7. "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need."
Another band that could make the entire list, but this one is still sound advice today. The building tension of the song from a haunting ballad into a soaring groove is just awesome. I sawThe Rolling Stones
6. "Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dreams"
I heard this song for the first time when I was about twelve years old and I immediately went out and bought the album. A sticker on the album cover said to "play this record LOUD." I did. A lot. I like all the Led Zeppelin
5. "Nembutal numbs it all, but I prefer ALCOHOL!"
The Clash
4. "I just want to fly, put your arms around me baby."
Sugar Ray
3. "No his mind is not for rent, To any god or government, Always hopeful, yet discontent, He knows changes aren't permanent, But change is"
Sheer poetry. I frigging LOVE Rush
2. "Oh oh what I want to know is are you kind?"
Well, are you? I saw The Grateful Dead
And now, the Hotdogman's number one favorite lyric of all time (and it may surprise you)....
"Nothing matters but the weekend, from a Tuesday point of view." and "Lunatics anonymous, that's where we belong!"
This song by The Kings
I had so much fun putting this post together, I am going to do another one in the future. Please leave a comment with your favorites!
LITTLE GIRL ON A PLANE and SISTER MARY ANN'S GASOLINE
Best one yet from Dad's email:
A Congressman was seated next to a little girl on an airplane so he turned to her and said, "Do you want to talk? Flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."
The little girl, who had just started to read her book, replied to the total stranger, "What would you want to talk about?"
"Oh, I don't know," said the congressman. "How about global warming, universal health care or stimulus packages?" as he smiled smugly.
"OK," she said. "Those could be interesting topics but let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, but a horse produces clumps. Why do you suppose that is?"
The legislator, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea."
To which the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss global warming, universal health care or the economy, when you don't know shit?" And, then she went back to reading her book.
Mom got into the act this week with this one:
Sister Mary Ann, who worked for a home health agency, was out making her rounds visiting homebound patients when she ran out of gas. As luck would have it, a Texaco Gasoline station was just a block away.
She walked to the station to borrow a gas can and buy some gas. The attendant told her that the only gas can he owned had been loaned out, but she could wait until it was returned. Since Sister Mary Ann was on the way to see a patient, she decided not to wait and walked back to her car.
She looked for something in her car that she could fill with gas and spotted the bedpan she was taking to the patient. Always resourceful, Sister Mary Ann carried the bedpan to the station,
filled it with gasoline, and carried the full bedpan back to her car.
As she was pouring the gas into her tank, two Baptists watched from across the street.. One of them turned to the other and said,
'If it starts, I'm turning Catholic.'!!
Do you have what it takes to run your own Hot Dog business?
Lots of people come to this site looking for information about how to start a hot dog business or information about finding a used hot dog cart or used hot dog truck. I do my best to steer them to my How to Start a Hot Dog Business site, but there is a lot of information here too.
One thing I have never really talked about is what it takes to be a hot dog man.
You see, a lot of people view the hot dog business with a somewhat romantic lens. They envision working 3-4 hours a day and making a high five/low six figure income. While you can make that kind of money, it takes a lot more than 3-4 hours a day. Believe it or not, running a hot dog business actually requires work!
I have always been entrepreneurial. I had a paper route (remember those?) at age 10 and by age 12, I was wholesaling nursery stock that I grew in my back yard to local garden centers and landscapers. I had a landscape construction business with my college room mate during my years at UMASS. I owned a Duct Cleaning Company in the early 1990's, was a commissioned salesman for quite some time, and I owned The Hot Dog Truck. Maybe I was born this way, maybe not. The thing is, it has always seemed natural to me to start a business. One thing I always wanted to do, even back when I was delivering papers, was have my own hot dog truck.
Like most people, I had a romantic image of being a hot dog man. Selling hot dogs is only half the job though.
In any business, there are questions you need to consider before starting out. The first is an honest projection of how profitable the business can be. In the hot dog business, like most retail based businesses, the three most important things are location, Location, LOCATION. You need to spend some serious time sleuthing out the best location for your business. Without a good spot (or spots), you will fail miserably. Even once you have a location, if it isn't working out, you need the courage to pack up and find somewhere else to sell your wares. Can you find and secure a good spot? Can you honestly say you'd pack up your cart or truck and find a new spot if it didn't work out? You must be able to do this.
Do you like people? In this business, it's a requirement. You must be a people person. Nobody wants to buy anything from a grump with no personality.
Can you manage all the other things you need to do associated with running a business? You have to be able to be a bookkeeper, salesperson, marketer, manager (if you hire help), delivery driver, property manager, janitor, and cook. You need to make sure you take care of all the peripheral tasks associated with running a business. If you just want to cook hot dogs, go get a job at a Nathan's franchise.
Can you make your business a 24/7/365 priority? Your work doesn't start when you fire up the grill and end when you shut it off. You will spend a considerable amount of time cleaning, stocking, and maintaining your business. I spent many an early morning (almost daily) at my local Sam's Club getting chips, soda, buns, ice etc. I spent many a day scrubbing and cleaning my truck. I spent many a night doing the books, scouting events, making home made toppings and more. You'll have to work weekends (at least Saturdays) during the busy season too. If you aren't prepared to constantly work at your business, keep your day job.
Are you prepared for days of poor sales due to bad weather or taking winters off if you live in a northern climate? I once opened in a snowstorm and sold only six hot dogs all day-four to the guys plowing my lot and two to a kindly regular who stopped to see if I was OK. When I closed for the winter, I had to do other things for income. Not making any money sucks. Can you handle it mentally or, more importantly, financially?
Are you mechanically inclined or do you have a good friend or family member who is? Whatever you sell your hot dog from, a cart, trailer, truck or store, stuff will break. Whether you need to change a tire, fix a switch or install new lines for your propane tanks, somebody needs to fix what's broken. If you rely on a hot dog truck or other vehicle to transport your business, you will need engine repairs and maintenance too. When things break, they need to be fixed. Sometimes, fixing something quickly can be the difference between being open or closed for the day. If you can't fix things yourself, you need to have a person in place who can fix what breaks quickly and (hopefully) inexpensively.
Can you cook? I know, you're thinking "how hard is it to cook hot dogs?" Guess what, like anything else, it's a skill and an art. I am sure most of you have eaten a poorly prepared hot dog at one point or another in your life. You must have a consistent product. You must know how your brand of hot dog "behaves" under different cooking techniques. One dog may be better suited to boiling, another to steaming, another to grilling. Pick the best hot dog for the technique you plan to use. If you are offering other items, make sure you can cook them efficiently and safely. If you are grilling buns, make sure you don't burn the bread. If you are making home made toppings or chili, make sure you prepare them in a consistent, "always tastes the same" manner. You'll be cooking for 3-10 hours a day in your hot dog business, make sure you enjoy it and do it well.
Is your family on board? You need the support and encouragement of your family, particularly if you are married. My spouse wholeheartedly supported my venture into the hot dog business. If she hadn't, I would have thought long and hard about making the leap. Since your business is a 24/7 concern, it will affect your family life. If your business choice is going to create a gap in your familial harmony, reconsider what is important to you. I talk to a lot of hot dog vendors. Many are husband and wife teams, many are not. Those that are not generally have the support of their family. If they don't, divorce won't be far behind- I know, I've seen it happen.
I am not trying to be a downer here. I owned a hot dog truck for six years and it was the best "job" I ever had. I made good money, made friends, and just had a great time running my business. Sure I had tough times and setbacks-everyone does- but it was worth it. I was committed to my business and I built a loyal following. But the hot dog business is NOT for everyone. Not everyone is cut out to be a doctor either. You have to have a passion that goes beyond the "wouldn't it be nice to have a hot dog stand" mentality.
So, honestly assess your desire for getting into the hot dog business. What strengths and weaknesses do you personally bring to the table? Be HONEST with yourself. Think about the questions I have asked here and invent your own. If you really think you have what it takes and you want forge ahead to be the "top dog" in your community. GO FOR IT!
Top Ten Reasons to Start a Hot Dog Business
The Rachael Ray Hot Dog Bracket: Our Search for the Best Hot Dog in the U.S.
Mark from A Connecticut Hot Dog Tour dropped me an email and alerted me to Serious Eats' Search for the Best Hot Dog in the US. It's a March Madness Bracket for Hot Dogs!
I will be following this "contest" as it plays out. It will give me some new destinations for Hot Dog Stories!
Getting In Shape
Hi gang. Regular readers will know of my past health issues. Long story short: while on crutches, I got FAT. Too many hot dogs, poor nutrition and no exercise made me gain nearly 40 pounds-that's like attaching my 6 year old to my frame!
Well, I have decided to do something about it (and still save room for hot dogs 2-3 times a week).
Watch this video and see. Then go check out My Six Pack Abs Journey.
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