Thanks for the wealth...

.....of information that I have had the pleasure of reading over the past couple of weeks.
Belonging to many different types of forums; I knew enough to search & read before posting questions.
 
I am located in upstate NY and only a few minutes from Lake Ontario. I guess it has been 15 or 20yrs. now that I have wanted to start this type of business on a pontoon boat. I have shared the idea with my wife and she is on board, if you will.
 
I tend to flip flop on the hot dog biz or ice cream. I would like to do both I think. However, ice cream would be easier to start up, less investment in equipment, fewer codes/licenses/inspection. Could get my feet wet and may make some profit to start the HD part of the biz. Just keep thinking that I could be more successful starting with both.
 
One of my next steps would be to contact the Health Dept. and find out if I would be considered a cart or a mobile vendor. It looks like carts need the commissary and mobile trucks do not. It would be great to be classified mobile and not need the commi. However, my bro-in-law is a chef and I could approach him about it if I needed one.
 
Some background on me; I have a job with a school dist. Been here 12yrs. now. I get summers off and for the 2 past summers have worked at a county run campground. Even with the campground summer job; I get Friday, Saturdays off and go back on Sundays at 3pm. It would allow me to be on the water on peak days. T, W, Th, I am out of work by 4 and could hit the water afterwards, too. Not to mention that the campground has a dump station I can use.
 
So, the beauty of this idea is that I am not desperate and job less. This would only be p/t seasonal for some extra money. I will not be struggling to take care of the wife, kids or bills. Start-up money IS an issue but doable. Like I said, I have a safety net having 2 jobs that support my family. I even fancy bringing the family out as help too.
 
I would not do a lot of motoring around the bay either. There is a channel coming off the lake to the bay. As soon as you enter the bay, there is a marina and boat ramp on the east side of the channel. The west side of the mouth of the channel is a larger 3 ramp launch the county runs. Everyone else on the bay must pass between these launches and motor through the channel to access the lake. I would try mooring as close as possible to this major thoroughfare as possible....it is a funnel between lake and bay.  So, this would allow me to launch...moor and save fuel.
 
Of course, when I run the idea by friends and co-workers; they all say it is a great idea. What do you think?
Good idea?
Start with just ice cream or include DOGS?
Think it would be classified mobile?
Run lp or generator if doing dogs?
 
I would appreciate any feed back from the forum.
 
 
Oh yeah, for the dog side; I would like to steam them. I was thinking that I do not really need the cart. Could I just buy a stainless steel prep table and mod a fire box into it? Would need to plumb it for 4 sinks and fresh/gray tanks too. But I think I could do it with just a regular modified table.
 
Using a gas grill sounds appealing for cost purposes but think steaming them would allow me to hold them longer. Place your order and wait if I go with the grill?
 
Thanks everyone for reading.
Chubbs.

Welcome Chubbs. I have seen successful waterborne operations for hot dogs and drinks, and I think the ones I've seen do ice cream, too. I personally can't help you with any good information, but I'm sure others here can and will. Good luck with your plans.

Thanks for the welcome. I have seen and read about other waterborne operations on the internet. Just wonder how well they have done. I may try to contact a few of them and ask some questions.
 
I scour google images looking at other pontoon boats that do this.

Chubbs, Welcome to Roadfood. How are the Hot dogs served in your area, your in New York state, they can be steamed, dirty water, flat grilled, flame broiled, deep fried. Personally, I wouldn't eat a steamed or boiled Dog. I understand the Hot Dog carts have no other choice, if I had a choice I would grill. I feel a Good dog or sausage tastes better cooked in dry heat, it gets the fats sizzling and the juices flowing............I would pick either ice cream or Dogs, but not both...................pnwc

PNMC
This is Zweigles country as far as name brands go. Not sure if it's what I would go with yet or not.
 
They are 6/1 dogs(red or white). The skin can be a bit tough for my liking.
 
I steamed some Zweigles last week at home. Tasted great compared to the Wegmans beef franks I steamed too.
 
I think grilling is pretty popular around hear. Gas grill would be simpler to do.

Hi Chubbs, How would Nathans Dogs work out ????? there are a few Doggers on here that have a good amount of success wth the Nathan dogs. They also as great brand recognition...................pnwc

I'd like to check out the Sam's Club dogs as well as Nathan's.

http://www.businessweek.c...8/sb2008019_705788.htm
Dan Council, one of my graduates opened his business in 2007. Still going strong and very successful. During the cold months, Dan rolls his cart into a trailer. Visit him on Facebook as Dan the Hot Dog Man.

chicagostyledog



Dan Council, one of my graduates opened his business in 2007. Still going strong and very successful. During the cold months, Dan rolls his cart into a trailer. Visit him on Facebook as Dan the Hot Dog Man.

 
Yes, that is one of the boats/stories that I have found on the web. Good t hear that it is a successful venture. Will have to get the wife to show me his facebook page. I have yet to join the book of faces.

What you want to do is exactly what we do.   I run a concession stand on our lake called Lake Dogs.   We sell Hot Dogs, Coney Dogs, Ice Cream and nacho's.  We are set up as a mobile unit through our health department.    We do run a generator for the freezer and boil the dogs.  Doing any type of cooking on water has challenges and boiling was the least dangerous.  The waves will thow things around.
 
YOu can check out our website for some photos.  Not sure if I am allowed to post the link as I am a new member.  .
 
Mike

Lake Dogs


What you want to do is exactly what we do.   I run a concession stand on our lake called Lake Dogs.   We sell Hot Dogs, Coney Dogs, Ice Cream and nacho's.  We are set up as a mobile unit through our health department.    We do run a generator for the freezer and boil the dogs.  Doing any type of cooking on water has challenges and boiling was the least dangerous.  The waves will thow things around.

YOu can check out our website for some photos.  Not sure if I am allowed to post the link as I am a new member.  .

Mike

 
Lake Dogs
Thanks so much for taking the time to register and reply to my thread; very appreciated. I have seen your boat on google images and read your story too. Glad to hear your still out there on the water each season since 2009(looking at the date from the story).
 
I did go and check your site and will check out your facebook page once I get home.
 
What do you think of ice cream only?
Do you cruise the lake or hit a sand bar where all the boats tie up?
Do you need any Coast Guard inspection?
Is insurance reasonable if you are only passing food over the rail? (No people boarding)
May I ask more questions in the future; I'm sure I have missed something?
 
Again, thank you so much for posting.
Chubbs

No Problem.  I am not the original owner.  The original owner had to move out of state and I bought it last year.  
 
As to your questions:
We sell lots of ice cream.  It would not be a bad way to start and fewer license issues.
 
We have two hot spots on our lake and we tend to float near those areas.   However we do cruise around sometimes.  I was surprised at how many people on the shore stopped us for food.
 
No coast Guard inspection was required.  Not sure if that would be different in another state.
 
We have Liability insurance.  It was hard to find an insurance company to insure us.  They did not know how to treat us.   The cost was reasonable for our state.
 
I would talk to your local health department to see what they require.  Our HD mobile license even had a watercraft checkmark that we checed when we applied so no surprises to them.
 
Feel free to ask any more questions.  I will try to answer them.   Good Luck.
 
Mike
 

ok...being a boater, i can tell you mooring very close the only channel in and out is going to have you rocking and rolling all day long..... not to mention what you being there is going to add to the bottleneck of traffic.....
 
if your saying close as possible means a couple of hundred yards then thats a different story.....
 
is the lake a state park ? or owned by the corp of engineers ??...... if so your going have additional red tape to weed through..... dont let the state police school you the hard way..
you do realize that on many inland bodies of water you are not allowed to have an "overboard" discharge of grey water, even if it is locked out during time on the water.... its a federal crime these days
you will probably have to have additional equipment for spill containment and redundant safety systems in place.......
not that its impossible to do just going to be tough ..... does the body of water cross any county lines ? state lines ? if they do, get ready to do every hoop twice, or three times....

but all that said, i love the concept and idea...i have wanted to open up a party barge here on the river for a long time...may still do it after i get the truck up and operational....

Let me try to answer your questions from above.

This is a bay off of lake Ontario. There are town lines but not county. Another border line with Canada if I dared to venture 40 miles out Hehe!

As for the channel, I would just be close enough to be visible to boaters passing in and out...and launching on each side of said channel. Few hundred yards probably.

I have a spot to dump my gray water. No need to use the bay and would not think of it.

We have a fully enclosed 4 compartment sink. The water is captured and disposed of properly.  I do not think the water issue is any different than a portable hot dog stand.  You can not dump the gray water on the ground either.   
 
The waves from passing boats can make it challenging however.
 
I do believe we have a more limited customer base however.  Your limited to the people on the lake and people on the shore.  eventually, they will all be repeat customers. Keep that in mind when planning.
 
Mike