Colder Months What To Do?

Hi All,
 
I am in the process of getting my hot dog cart business up and running. I am in the Nashville, TN area. Seeing that it starts to get cold in early December here, I was wondering what do you do for the colder months when it is to cold to work outdoors.

Layers.

kar1234


Hi All,
 
I am in the process of getting my hot dog cart business up and running. I am in the Nashville, TN area. Seeing that it starts to get cold in early December here, I was wondering what do you do for the colder months when it is to cold to work outdoors.

Long underware, etc. Also many units kick out a good amount of heat from the work area (where the vent holes are cut out) so it may not be as bad as you think. Just think what construction people do in winter....

Lay on the beach in Mexico. Squeeze of lime in my beer, remember the days you were sweating your butt off in the heat of summer selling dogs...Bill

Find you a small store front that is empty and setup an indoor cart.  I am doing that at my location and will also be selling chili and soup.  We don't have tons of cold weather in Texas, but December thru February are still pretty cold for the most part.

Well starts to get cold Dec-March in Nashville but what about the Rain. Was the rainest winter here south of Nashville. If I can stay open till thanksgiving happy. After that rain,rain,and more rain till about April something.

You guys are all wussies, I'm still out there tending the smoker and cooking pork shoulders, ribs and beef when it's 7 degrees in a 25 MPH wind in January.

LOL

Jack

PS Last year I had to redo my water in line when it was -9 with a 30 mph wind. I think the wind chill was like minus 30 or some goofy number. Of course I'd work 10 minutes outside and come back inside for 20 minutes to try and warm up, then back out for another 10 minutes. Boy it sucked.

Well I will  work in the cold but no rain or icy conditions. Most people stay home also. Schools  and businesses close also.

Do most people in colder climates just do something else during those cold months and then restart the business when the weather improves?

What?
we smoke year round
it's much easier stayin' warm in the cold than stayin' cool in the heat

   Nashville, COLD!?    

AHI MPLS


   Nashville, COLD!?    

Believe me we have our days, just sit them out. Not worth going out. You will learn what days work and which don't.
Misty, rainy days give up, I'm use to Canada in winter and people laugh when I have on shorts or a worse. Temps not bad here just people don't come out in rain, icy weather.

If your customers will continue to come out when it's cold, dress warm and carry on.  If your traffic dries up, you'll stand outside and be cold and lonely.

Congratulations Kar!

All my guys agree - they'll take the cold over the August heat any ole day! 

We have hot dog carts, no building to enter during the day (except to potty).  "Layers" is the key but we also use little heater heads that fit on the top of propane tanks.  With the layers, the steam from the cart and the heat from the heater (about 3 feet behind you) you'll be just fine. 

A few of my guys have like having the 'hot hands' packet that you can find in the Walmart check out line in the winter but most don't bother.  They don't have time to put their hands in their pockets often enough for them to help.  And heated socks don't seem to do much for you. 

We stay open all year round closing only when the roads are too icy or snowy for anyone to come to us.  We shovel our spots out to park, work in cold as low as just below 30 and work in non-blowing rain as long as temp is above freezing. 

Hope this helps.  Good Luck With Your Dogs!!!

For the record, I think Dr. Of BBQ is plain crazy. I mean man, there's dedication and then there's something else. Why not some kind of tent enclosure to capture the heat and make things at least bearable? Or maybe just sit there wrapped in an enourmous down comforter and not move, make customers get out of their trucks, serve themselves, make proper change for themselves and toodle on?

Heck man, if it every gets that cold in Arizona I'm pulling the kids out of school and putting them to work. I'll tell them it'll be great experience for them.

In PA it gets pretty cold starting in Nov.   Many of my vendors get kiosks and sell our prepackaged gift boxes of fudge during the Hollidays (Nov-Dec).  You can always do something like that at malls and plazas.   Also, going to local businesses and asking the HR dept. to purchase Xmas gifts for the employees of the boxes of  fudge works for a few guys.  One in particular goes to gift shops in Hospitals and Hotels and sells.  Its not like being out there on the cart but it is definitely going to keep you busy and profitable while the weather is not fun to be out in.  Especially around the Hollidays in Malls.

PopsDogHouse


If your customers will continue to come out when it's cold, dress warm and carry on.  If your traffic dries up, you'll stand outside and be cold and lonely.

That pretty much says it all. If the business is there, freeze your buns off and make some cash!

MikeinRI

Swamp


In PA it gets pretty cold starting in Nov.   Many of my vendors get kiosks and sell our prepackaged gift boxes of fudge during the Hollidays (Nov-Dec).  You can always do something like that at malls and plazas.   Also, going to local businesses and asking the HR dept. to purchase Xmas gifts for the employees of the boxes of  fudge works for a few guys.  One in particular goes to gift shops in Hospitals and Hotels and sells.  Its not like being out there on the cart but it is definitely going to keep you busy and profitable while the weather is not fun to be out in.  Especially around the Hollidays in Malls.

mmmmmmmmmmm fudge. Who doesn't like fudge. Rocky Road. yum.
Do you make the fudge at home? Have it made for you?
Curious.
Thanks

 
We make it in our shop!  AND we do make an awesome Rocky Road fudge.  If you would like, you can PM me or email me your physical address and I will send you a rocky road one pound box along with a half pound box of whatever else your favorite flavor is just for being a fellow fudge lover!  I am a fudge lover too - Chocolate Raspberry and peanutbutter are tied for my favorite.  Our fudge is actually sold under different names at different venues.  Its at many campgrounds and stores.  The most high profile is the brand that we sell at Hallmark stores.     The reason that it does so well in kiosks and gift shops is because we pack it so that it stays fresh for at least 9 months and you don't have to cut it and handle it since it is already in a gift box.... Anyways, if you want some good fudge shoot me a message and I'll send it out quickly.  :)

Just close up and head to FL for 3 months or so, then start up again when the weather gets back to normal.

OzDogs


For the record, I think Dr. Of BBQ is plain crazy. I mean man, there's dedication and then there's something else. Why not some kind of tent enclosure to capture the heat and make things at least bearable? Or maybe just sit there wrapped in an enourmous down comforter and not move, make customers get out of their trucks, serve themselves, make proper change for themselves and toodle on?

That's funny. In fact I think as someone posted the cold is easier to take than the very high 90 plus degree temperatures. And I hate cold weather but this week it’s been 88 plus every day and in the trailer it’s running around 100 degrees with all the appliances putting off so much heat. So I can wear extra clothes during the winter months for the time I have to be outdoors but I can’t compensate for the extreme heat  during the mid summer months,…. short of drinking plenty of fluids.
Crazy…..maybe just a touch. LOL
Jack

Port dover becomes a Ghost town through the winter months....By that i mean Dec Through March....& i mean a Ghost town u don't even see the locals.....every one hibernates,,,,& rightly so......We had alot of snow this past winter and alot of -36 to -42 weather temps....I'm dedicated allright but not enough to get frost bite....lol....;)

Sell baskets of Livermush,Scrapple, ,Chittlings
and Winter be over faster than you think.
Billions made
People love this, sell sell sell.

Curbside i remember going to a barby at some freinds back in Germany and they cooked up chittlings...They absolutley stank something awefull........It was the 1st time i had ever tryed them....They were ok but the smell.....Pheww!!...lol...