1- Motivation
The hot dog business rewards those who hustle. Motivation is the most important ingredient to a successful business. This one might seem obvious but if you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning, you won’t get anywhere.
2- Location
You might think location would be number one on the list but it’s not. It is, however, very important. You want to find a location with as much foot traffic as possible. This takes some observations and a little bit of research.
3- Vehicle
If you don’t already have one, you’ll need a good vehicle capable of towing a hot dog cart.
4- Good Cart
You will need a cart that suits your specific needs, one that is efficient and agile and not just big. Think about what kind of menu you want to offer. The cooking power of carts vary depending on what type of equipment is included. When starting out, we recommend keeping it simple. Keep in mind, though, that grilling far outweighs steaming in terms of popularity.
5- Cleanliness
A clean, tidy operation is key to success in the hot dog business. In designing hot dog carts, we have made a concerted effort to provide sufficient interior storage areas so food items and dry goods can be stored inside the cart, keeping the area around your cart uncluttered and attractive to customers.
6- Speed
Simply being prepared will help you provide fast and speedy service. Simple things like having a napkin dispenser on the condiment shelf and including a small wastebasket will reduce interruptions in service. Make sure you have extra quantities of the most popular condiment so you don’t run out. Also, let customers dress their own dogs. Most hot dog carts we offer include a condiment extension located in a position opposite the vendor, conducive to efficient customer flow.
7- Consistency
With a little bit of planning and thinking ahead, consistency is easy to achieve. Don’t constantly change your menu. Make sure you don’t run out of things in the middle of the day.
8-Friendliness
A sourpuss isn’t going to sell any hot dogs. Greet customers with a smile. A good attitude and a little enthusiasm goes a long way in establishing a customer base or snagging that impulsive buyer who didn’t know they wanted a hot dog. Besides, if you have all the traits listed above, you are now running a successful hot dog business and you have a reason to be happy!