Dollar Dogs

Hey everyone. It's been a few, but I've had a pretty busy schedule the last few weeks. I'd like to tell you it was for the dog cart, but my day-job got bumped up to 35 hours AND THEN I go to the ball field with the cart.... so I've had some LONG days.

Anyway, my buck-fifty dogs weren't going over well for several weeks, and I had heard some passing comments from potential customers about the price. So, this week, we had tournaments just before the holiday weekend. I decided to do a "special" for "Dollar-Dogs" and the dogs flew off the cart faster than I could keep up with it!

Now, I know some of you will say "stick to your price" and all that. But I was only selling MAYBE 10 dogs a night at $1.50. For three days in a row, I consistently sold at least 2 dozen dogs. According to my calculator, this is to my advantage. My mark-up on the dogs are still about 3 times, so I still have a good profit on them. And it was REALLY good to have a LINE at my cart for a change!!!

I got a break for a few days with the holiday weekend, but it all starts again next week. Thinking I'll keep the "dollar-dog-days"!!

10 Dogs @ $1.50 = $15
24 Dogs @ $1.00 = $24

Maybe try and sell @ $.75? You mitght be able to sell 4 dozen which = $36 a lot higher gross?

Well your finding out what the market will bare. Since you have these on a special, you might price them at $1.25/ea or 2 dogs for $2. Just a suggestion. Maybe your sell volume will stay up and the 2 for 2 will influence more to buy 2 dogs rather than one.

How does this sound. When break is over have some flyers printed and hand them out that day. The coupon entitles 1 bearer to 2 dogs for a dollar each. If I know people that might work. I know we scramble to use up whats on the coupon Insted of 1 they buys 2 cause thats all he can get for that day at the dollar rate.
Also after refusing a few people to use them that day, "give up!" and let them use them same day.
britt

Britt now you are on to something...When break is over some flyers printed and hand out with them that day and that day only with coupon attached. The coupon one bearer to too dogs for a $1 a piece or five for too $ a piece but IMPORTANT schedule the coupon to expire yesterday. If I know people they do not look at fine print. When they try and buy with it, simply say sorry but it expired yesterday, but if you promise to be a good future customer, I will give you the benefit of the doubt this time only today and off the 2 for one deal only. This assures repeat customer. that might workwell. I know we and the children scramble to use up whats on the coupon

If its a ball game you might hear "Ive got 5 kids here can you help me out"(thats when you go, "geez sir! The boss will kill me and If I break the rules every one would want the same! Get em begging,and youll go nuts.
brittI messed up earlier. I meant a limit of 2 dogs at a buck each. Dont know where the too or 5 came up.
sorry bout that. My artritis is so bad typing is a real chore and I get lazy when I have a lot of errors.

Try it if you care and let us know how it went over

Hmmm... I'm thinking a dollar a dog is about as low as I care to go. If I go 2 dogs for a buck, I really don't make a profit (my dogs all together run about .34 a piece, so .50 isn't even double cost).

I had thought of coupons, but at this point they seem to be more of a bother than anything else. I am chronically at the same ball field seeing the same guys every week. I have found that they don't like to carry around change in their pockets... so the .75 dog doesn't work for them.

As to the guy who might bring his 5 kids to the ballfield to feed.... he can't feed them at McDonalds for what I charge!! If he had 5 kids, he knows that.... I'm not THAT easy :) I try to be reasonably priced so I don't have to cut anyone a break.

I'm finding that with the lure of the dollar-dogs that once they are at the cart and see "what else" if have, that's when I start getting more interest and more money. When they come asking for a "dog" I ask "is that a regular dog or a big dog?" and they say "WHAT's a big dog?".... ta-dah... we've just jumped from the bargain buck to $2.50.

I do offer some freebies for the kids/moms.... such as the individually wrapped handi-wipes for sticky messy hands (give them to the guys too when they order my chili cheese dogs), I have extra bottled water and paper towels for the occasional knee scrapes, and I have OFF towelettes for mosquito control. Some folks have come by to buy something (same day or even days after) just because they thought it was nice that I thought of having these things on hand.

It's all a work in progress... just sharing what seems to be working at the moment :)

Do you have "Add On" Items like Chips, Lolly Pops, Candy Bars, Chili, Pre-bagged Popcorn, Baseball Bubble Gum Cards, etc? That's how to get your average sale per Customer up to offset your Dog prices?

Yes, I have a variety of chips, sunflower seeds, smartfood popcorn, famous amos cookies, twizzlers, airheads, mentos, gum, sodas/water/gatorade, as well as juice boxes and yoo-hoo boxes for the little kids. The chili I have is solely for use on my dogs (chili cheese dogs... lg and small).

On Sundays, when it is an all-day event, I tend to make "specials" such as sausage and peppers subs, meatball sandwiches, and bratworst with saurkraut (though the brats have become a regular item on the cart now). Keeping it interesting...

quote:

Originally posted by Janski

Hey everyone. It's been a few, but I've had a pretty busy schedule the last few weeks. I'd like to tell you it was for the dog cart, but my day-job got bumped up to 35 hours AND THEN I go to the ball field with the cart.... so I've had some LONG days.

Anyway, my buck-fifty dogs weren't going over well for several weeks, and I had heard some passing comments from potential customers about the price. So, this week, we had tournaments just before the holiday weekend. I decided to do a "special" for "Dollar-Dogs" and the dogs flew off the cart faster than I could keep up with it!

Now, I know some of you will say "stick to your price" and all that. But I was only selling MAYBE 10 dogs a night at $1.50. For three days in a row, I consistently sold at least 2 dozen dogs. According to my calculator, this is to my advantage. My mark-up on the dogs are still about 3 times, so I still have a good profit on them. And it was REALLY good to have a LINE at my cart for a change!!!

I got a break for a few days with the holiday weekend, but it all starts again next week. Thinking I'll keep the "dollar-dog-days"!!

I could not imagine only charging $1 or even $1.50 for a dog. I sold my hot dogs for $2.50 and I'm almost sure they would pay $3.00. The only way I see charging $1.50 is if your unloading them by the hundreds.

Even if you unloaded 50 dogs per day your going to come out with less then fifty bucks profit? this included all your propane, condiments,buns, cart clean up, set up and break down. Maybe a new location is the way to go if this doesn't pick up after a few months. If you don't see 100+ dogs selling in the future then I would get out of there.

If this is more of something you enjoy and it's not your main source of income that's another story.

Good Luck

Hey QuickDog... I guess you can get more for a dog in CA than you can in a small town in MA, which is really GOOD for you!!! If I ever tried to charge $2 for a regular 8/1 hot dog, no one would buy... it's just not that kind of market here.

This is not my main source of income at this time... it's actually my very first year out and I'm still learning how to manage everything at once, so the slower pace right now for me might not be a bad thing.

I mentioned on another post that I may at sometime make this a full-time job and things, of course, would have to be different. Fortunately, I'm not solely dependent on the sales of my 8/1 hot dogs, I have big Pearl hot dogs (5/1s) and brats on a regular basis too along with the chips and drinks and candies.

I'll see how it goes this year and will re-evaluate everything before I start again next year. Thanks for the encouragement and advice :)

quote:

Originally posted by Janski

Hey QuickDog... I guess you can get more for a dog in CA than you can in a small town in MA, which is really GOOD for you!!! If I ever tried to charge $2 for a regular 8/1 hot dog, no one would buy... it's just not that kind of market here.

This is not my main source of income at this time... it's actually my very first year out and I'm still learning how to manage everything at once, so the slower pace right now for me might not be a bad thing.

I mentioned on another post that I may at sometime make this a full-time job and things, of course, would have to be different. Fortunately, I'm not solely dependent on the sales of my 8/1 hot dogs, I have big Pearl hot dogs (5/1s) and brats on a regular basis too along with the chips and drinks and candies.

I'll see how it goes this year and will re-evaluate everything before I start again next year. Thanks for the encouragement and advice :)

Oh I didn't realize they were 8/1's. I sell a 5/1 all beef natural casing that runs me 45-50 cents each. Yeah it is amazing how much people will pay here in CA I guess. The hot dog cart across the street from me sells a 6/1 pork/beef combo dog for $4.00! Everytime I pass the cart he has a person buying one and I even go there a couple times a month as well. lol

My Pearl "big dogs" are 5/1s (all beef with n/c steamed and then grilled to order) with the usual condiments they go for $2.50 (though I don't sell many). With chili and cheese on them (my "big chili dogs"), I get $3.00. My little chili cheese dogs do better at $2.00 apiece... a regular 8/1 dog with chili and cheese (raw onions per request). I personally like the little ones better too... just easier to eat

Good thread.

I serve "dollar dogs" at special events ONLY. Fairs, Festivals and Fireworks.

I circulate coupons that advertise FREE HOT DOG. Buy a regular dog, get a dollar dog free. The coupon is a huge hit and always keeps me with a line at any event.

I used to serve the all beef Sams club dog as my dollar dog, but I got lots of complaints from little kids that they didn't like it, so I downgraded to the Kroger brand 73/10 pack dogs and the kids love 'em,so those are my "dollar dogs"

Why not run a special that reads "buy 1 hot dog, get the second one at full price, hurry, limited time offer"

Bring them in with the dollar dogs and upsell them to your better (more expensive dogs). Most of food selling is psycological and if people see a line at your place they will be more inclined to check you out. If your still making any profit with the cheap dogs then nothing is really lost.

quote:

Originally posted by Janski

my buck-fifty dogs weren't going over well for several weeks, and I had heard some passing comments from potential customers about the price. So, I decided to do a "special" for "Dollar-Dogs" and the dogs flew off the cart faster than I could keep up with it!

. . . For three days in a row, I consistently sold at least 2 dozen dogs.

Man, don't you just HATE cheapskate customers?!!! Complaining that a buck fifty is too much for a hotdog!!? Jeez. The nerve of some people.

But poor you! You're only selling two dozen dogs a day and you think that's good? Even at 300% food markup you can't be clearing 10 bucks, factoring for overhead.

Personally I'd look for a location where $2.50 a dog is possible, or I wouldn't bother. I equate "dollar dogs" to those barely edible mystery franks you get off the roller grill at your local convenience store. I wouldn't even serve a dog I could sell for a buck. A really good frank will cost that wholesale.

But that's just me. I don't do ballparks.

"I may at sometime make this a full-time job and things, of course, would have to be different."

What will you do, double your price overnight? That's not going to fly with your customers. Anyone that will put a $1 hot dog into their body is nuts. Why do you want to sell junk? Better to find a spot away from the mooches that complain about a $1.50 dog. That's even a ridiculous price in this day and age for a dog.

Janski-I'm at $2.25 per dog at Rochester NH using an NC Maple Leaf 7/1. I get few complaints about price (1 in 14 months-that clown complained that at the "intown cart" a dog was "only" $2.00...Mine was with our 8% tax included whereas the other cart was plus tax....so the complaint was over nine cents and then the customer admitted they were at my place because the other guy was closed!) Anyhow-you'll never compete with 7-11 on price-you have to make your dog worth the difference. Just my two cents....

Oh my... where to begin: SimonD - I don't do Ballparks either. I researched my dogs (putting my family and friends through months of various hot dog textures, flavors, and colors) and found that this particular brand compares rather nicely to my favorite Boar's Head dogs. I get them at a GREAT price as I buy them by the case wholesale at Restaurant Depot. I only serve all beef dogs, not mystery dogs with God knows what inside, so I'm pretty confident that I have a good product. I did state that with my 8/1 dogs, the mark-up is nearly 300% (but not quite at $1.00)... including the bun. The Dollar Dogs are not the only item I'm serving up on the cart... they are a LURE for the big people as well as an affordable dog for my little people.

Kensandyeggo - See above about selling "junk." As to what I would do if I could do this full-time; I MAY mark-up my 8/1 dogs back to $1.50 where they started. In my locale, that's more than the local "weenie-joint" gets... and they sell Kayems (ewww). If I move over to my Boar's Heads, I may mark them up even more than $1.50 (but I really wouldn't need to as I found a REALLY good price on those too). What I'd REALLY do differently was not so much about price as much as LOCATION. The ball fields are fun and the guys are great (doing the little league field in 2 weeks upon request), but I'd really like to be across the street from my local city park/zoo or the train station or some other heavily frequented areas that I KNOW will give me more traffic. And I would be working lunch hours. Presently, I'm limited to dinner/evening hours, which is more difficult I think. But, for now, as I'm just starting out and getting my little business wheels spinning at a rate that is comfortable for me, this will have to do.

and Catnhatnh - I don't know about Rochester, NH, though I LOVE NH. I tend to visit more in the White Mountains areas. Anyway, where I am, in order for me to charge $2.25 for my little basic 8/1 all beef hot dogs, I'd have to travel north about an hour to Boston so that I wouldn't get laughed outta town... really. Now my big Pearl all beef 5/1 hot dogs, that's a whole nuther story... I do get $2.50 for those with nothing on them. Extra is charged for cheese, and Sabrett sauce, and chili, etc. My brats (which I get for a better price than the Pearls) also go for $2.50 (with saurkraut). These bigger items are marked up more than 300%. My sodas ("pop" in some parts of the country) are marked up nearly 400%. I can find a deal and I'm trying to work within my market limits.

I'm actually not trying to compete with 7/11 or any other cheesy convenience store that happens to have a dog roller (I don't have one of those either and wouldn't take it if you were giving it away )... I actually don't have to compete with anyone. I'm not even located anywhere near the one and only "weenie-joint" in the city, but if I were, I wouldn't be competing with them either. I'm offering what I have found to be a quality product for a reasonable price while I'm learning on my feet.

Enough for tonight. I'm tired and it's been a very long day. Hope you are all making billions off of your carts... I'll get there with a little more experience and some better locations... later on. I'm patient enough while I'm learning to make my mistakes with the cheapskates and the complainers

and they sell Kayems (ewww)

Oh, come on, you've got to be kiddin, right? I sell Kayem all day long, although I have yet to get an umbrella?

First there is no price you can put on experience. If you can work all the bugs out at the baseball park and break even during the learning curve you should do fine. Set yourself up with a seperate account and take no salary for two months. Add up your profits and divide by the number of hours you worked including shopping, gas, set up and drive time to and from and then make a decision on price, location, and products. Then if you still love it make small adjustments and keep going. I do know one thing about this site and it is that alot of Hot Dog vendors start here and those who listen seem to do fine. Trace back many of the posters to there first posts and you will find it amazing how this support group has helped them along the way. The advice they give is well thought and from the heart. If you cant see youself thru the eyes of others your road to success will most likely be long and hard...Russ

Bravo Russ. Very good advice.

quote:

Originally posted by ShellysDawgHouse

Bravo Russ. Very good advice.

Shelly I have enjoyed watching your trials and errors along the way and you are definately one of the ones who listened along the way. You also continue to learn along the way....Russ

I will always appreciate good advice from the pros. And i am ALWAYS willing to learn. Thanks to all of you who have certainly helped me.