I just want to sell hot dogs!

I have been to so many local business's and the local courthouse (Still waiting on application approval from courthouse) but most tell me to leave my info and never call back.  I just want to set up and sell somewhere.  Is there places that i can set up with just my hd, business, and hawkers/peddelers license?  I need a place to sell with no permission from the owner.  Is there places like this?  or do you always need permission from someone?  Could i sell in front of my townhome?  What are penalties for selling in parks that nobody ever sells anything at but local park and rec says the spots are not up for bid again for 2 years?

bump for answers

I'd also like to hear some recommendations for places to sell.

  

Try asking at a Trift store or Consignment shop. Most will welcome you with open arms because that will draw business in for them. And people who frequent these stores aren't health conscious and are more willing to purchase hot dogs.

My city will allow you to set up on a sidewalk (certain number of feet from any food establishments) with your peddler license.  Check into that.

You need to speak with the city about regulations not us. How are we supposed to answer questions about setting up in your local parks, and such. Do you need to "always need permission from someone?" That question is so silly I dont even know where to start. Of course you need permission.
 
Townhome? Again how are we supposed to know? Ask your HOA, city, etc.
What are "penalties"? Again, how the heck are we supposed to know. Are you serious? Are you willing to violate the law just and take the "penalties" (even if minor) just to sell hot dogs?
 
As far as in "general" about you not getting an answer back that is hard to say why. How is your pitch? Are you dressed the part? Are you neat in apperance? Do you have nice professional handout material? Are you making follow up calls or contact with the? (Sir, I stopped by last week with some information about our on site hot dog cart service and was wantimng to know if you have had time to review over the material yet?, etc, etc)
 
The list goes on and on about your post and possible issues you are having. Have you been on Youtube and looked at the videos about the hot dog cart business? Have you bought a "how to book" about the hot dog cart business? How much research have you actually done about the business?
 
Their is a huge amount of info out there including about locations.......

Tell us more about your business. Are you totally licensed?
Try  www.eventful.com  to find events in your area. Will get your foot in the door.
If you just try and set up anywhere, the penalties will out weigh the profits.

Well RJT, the guy above you said his city allows people to set up on certain sidewalks without permission so guess the question wasn't so silly.  In fact why did you bother answering if you didn't know?  I didn't want to read past your first 2 paragraphs cause you made me feel like a jacka$$ for even asking.  Thanks..
 
Thanks to everyone else for the info i'll try my local thrift shop but there not too busy there.  And i do have all my licenses and health inspected.  Just dont have a place to set up yet. 

koolaid,
 
That wasn't cool! RJT is a wealth of information and he was correct in his questioning. He was only trying to help. Get a clue! We do that here! If you want help we will help. If you wear your heart on your sleeve then go elsewhere.

@Buddy's Coney Island, thanks...
 
@ koolaid677
Maybe I came off a little strong but hey its part of my personality when I see people ask silly questions. You asked some pretty silly questions and were to vague about things. We need more information than what you put and again how can we answer what your city would allow. Even if my city allowed me to put a hot dog cart on every corner, wth no questions asked what would good would that do you in a different city and state. In NYC you can set up on the streets but it is by permit and fee. Ashville NC also sells yearly spots on the streets. However other cities may allow first come first serve. Chapel Hill NC doesnt not allow carts in the city limits at all. See my point?
 
If you would have said "hey I live in BF Egypt and was wanting to know if someone can give me some answeres about setting up HD carts" Or, "has anyone from BF Egypt ever setup a cart on the streets?"" If so how did you go about it?"
 
 Then fine that makes for a resonable question.
 
Why would you want to check with your local thrift store if you already know that they are "not to busy".
 
I am just wondering have you given much thought to this business. I am not trying to be rude or mean but why in the world would you go through all the money and trouble to buy and permit a cart and not have a clue to where you could set it up?
 
Again, have you looked at the Youtube videos? Bought a how to book? A good one is Hot Dogs Saved My Life.
 
Again, what is your pitch? Are you dressed decent? What exactly are you doing in the entire process of trying to get a location? I could tell you some of the best spots know to man for selling hot dogs but if you are dirty, filthy talking (cussing) in the pitch, smell, non professional etc it would do you know good because you would not get the location.
 
Go lookn at the Youtube videos, and let us know more.....

Buddy's Coney Island


koolaid,

That wasn't cool! RJT is a wealth of information and he was correct in his questioning. He was only trying to help. Get a clue! We do that here! If you want help we will help. If you wear your heart on your sleeve then go elsewhere.

What wasn't cool?  He made me feel like an a$$ for asking a question.  Im not gonna let people talk to me like im some child and not let them know what i think about it.
 
RJT i can see you where just being you but I really was just asking if anyone knew of places to put a cart with just the basic licenses and not on private property where i would need an owners permission.  I was given the ok to put my cart at our local circuit court but I had to first go to the commissioners office to fill out the application.  Once that is approved I will need to get insurance and a town license. (which could take weeks)  But for now I will do anything I dont care if I only sell 10 dogs, its better than sitting at home and making nothing.  And yes I have given this business a lot of thought and have the black book of hotdog stands, got my big dog cart from benscarts so i text him with cart questions that i have, think i have watched every vendor video on youtube.  Only thing was I didn't want to ask people if i could set up a cart if i didn't own one first.  Maybe in a few days when my tshirts and business cards get here I might look more like a hot dog vendor but for now I have been wearing shorts/tshirts, yeah i know im not really dressing to impress and i should but I thought people would be more into having a cart outside there business.

Here is some information about vending in parks...in your area..

http://www.cecilcounty.us...and%20Vendor%20RFQ.doc

It is dated 2011.....just a snapshot of how it did work fairly recently. Going back to 2009 it does not look like anything changed between those years. You can follow-up to see if anything has changed and where you might stand...with a peddlers license.

A peddlers license often allows one to sell in certain places that would not be allowed by others who do not qualify for that license. That may or may not apply to general wares and food sales may be more involved depending on your area.

If you qualify for the license by veteran status...check with the local VA as far as what you would have to do specifically related to the sale of food with a peddlers license. I know that with a peddlers license in NYC the rules differ a great deal and is an advatage as far as location and waiting lists for permits.

Good luck!

Ask at bail bonds, pay day cash, pawn shops. you are looking for big enough parking lots that will allow for their customers and allow you to set up with your customers.
 
In Socorro (NM), we could only sell on public property. We were told that we could only sell at the city park and no place else unless zoned "for restaurants" (??? all the restaurants were zoned commercial as was ALL of California St yet we could not set up anywhere else). The taco trucks are apparently exempt from that. Helps to be related.
 
In Roswell (NM), we CANNOT sell on the actual street. We MUST be on private property. We are still looking for a good location.
 
In Corpus Christi (TX), we could NOT set up on public property and had to be on private property. Setting up on the beaches involved an expensive permit in order to set up on the public beach access parking lots for 3 days (weekend) per week.
 
In Franklin (NC) we could NOT set up on public property but had to be in a private parking lot.

How exactly will my cart draw in business in for them? I'm about to ask my local thrift store to set up there and was just curious. Thanks

mmgolebi

How exactly will my cart draw in business in for them? I'm about to ask my local thrift store to set up there and was just curious. Thanks

We don't look at it from that angle. We just ask if we can set up. We feel that we could be a benefit to their customers and we may pull in a few to them from off the street. But we don't feel it's enough to be a deciding factor. David just changed locations (again) to a slower moving street (Main Street is very fast paced and nothing but near misses all day long). He is setting up in the parking lot of a water & ice store. He has use of the bathroom and they will let him plug the extension cord for the AC unit into their business for $25 per month. Far cheaper than fuel for a generator. First day (today) he did  as good as his best day anyplace else.  There really are not specific types of businesses that are best. You are looking for the street traffic (not too fast, not too heavy) and enough space for your customers to pull into you without taking up all the available parking for the other businesses on the lot.

Alright I'm still confused about the whole thrift store concept

Why do you guys reckon this is a good location, aren't most of the shoppers there not so well off? Why would they spend $3 on a hot dog? 

People also drop off donations...and pick up tax slips.

Here you see most of the antique store owners looking for great old furniture to put in the window of their Hoboken stores. They drive a few blocks to Jersey City Salvation Army and a $25 table easily becomes a $300 table...just by taking it from there to there.

A big percentage of the items sold on eBay do not come out of the sellers closet. Much of it is found along the way.

Good old cookbooks that are hard to find...are like under a dollar.

So I am REALLY a newbie! Still working on getting a cart but I have done extensive research AND I already have a four day route when all is together. I thought it might help to share my experience thus far.
 
I contacted about 10 manufacturing plants in the Houston TX area. Gave them the spill of supporting my family with the hot dog cart and told them I would not charge them one red cent if they wanted me to come set up during lunch (and dinner for places that do 3 shifts). I made sure they had 300 plus employees and no onsite cafeteria etc. My buddy is working the first site until I get up and running and he is doing about 200 dogs at lunch time and about 125 or so at dinner (second shift). I have only had two companies tell me no and it was for insurance reasons. One company wanted me to start immediately (the one my buddy is working) and the other 8 said they look forward to me stopping by once or twice a week to help them out. I will try to hit each business once a week until I find the more profitable 4 and stick with them. The others will go to one of a couple of other vendors I know in the area.
 
If your locale allows this kind of vending it is the way to go! So far I need two carts and three people working from the get go! Looking forward to it!! Thanks for reading!

"and told them I would not charge them one red cent if they wanted me to come set up during lunch................."
 
UH???????????

I love it DDog. Not one red cent. your a sales guru 101 .

Hot dogs & Chutzpah!

That would be a good name for a book.

I would not charge the company at all, ever. Just sell my dogs to their employees.

Thanks for the info I'll look into some of our local factories :) 

You might look into seeing if your city has a food truck pod or coop of sorts.  I know here they have such a thing with about 4-6 locations where 2-3 food trucks will gather daily (different types of course, hot dog, taco, etc) and the pay to be at those locations is very reasonable.  The locations are already agreed upon so you don't have to do that leg work...although you're competing with other trucks at your location but I think the variety just might bring more people.   

Nice job Daveydog!  Can I ask...how did you find out about the 300+ employees and no cafeteria?  Just call them up?  Ask them when you walked into the door?  ???

I finally found a spot at my local home interior store.  Owner gave me permission to be there anytime i want even if there closed, with no rent!!  I was getting so discouraged but i am glad i stuck it out.

Cool!! Be sure to report to us after your first day.

I Started friday and cleared an even $100.  I also went on saturday from 10-2 and it was slower than friday with $75.  Hopefully things get better once everyone knows im there.