HotDogs Get Yer HotDogs....

Joshua5

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah great point. 59th Street in NYC theres a couple of vendors outside a mall there that has a Wholefoods, and just outside a Metro station. The guy that does the best is the one selling gourmet hotdogs, with better sausage, nicer buns, fancier packaging, and he is more then double the price. He even takes much longer making the dog.
Also setting up outside night clubs might not be the most profitable idea, nor the best for a 10 year old to be experiencing.
Costco in America sell more hotdogs then some big hot dog fast food chains there, people shopping like their quick fix of fast food. Men dragged along to saturday afternoon shopping will have their eyes on a gourmet hot dog stand. It may even be the reason they agree to go shopping....

Hey, thanks for the feedback, I won't have my 10 year old out at the clubs... Thats just for me. But I was planning on giving him his pocket money for helping me prep the sides etc :-)

I thought it would be handy in the nights I'm not doing anything to go down the town with the stand. I've actually secured a spot so I'm starting in two weeks lol... Hot dogs, get yer Hot dogs....

Riesen_Meal

Where in Drogheda are you gonna park up that will get business?

Only place I can think of is Shop St or somewhere like that....

Surely all the chippers Chinese's etc will give out stink if a fella is selling hot dogs outside?

Especially Drogheda and it being a place where the local Republican lads like making themselves known for a few quid "insurance money" around there...

You better of renting out a shop, my friend has one and it's cheap enough rent in the town...

jimmii

Joshua5 wrote: »

Hey, thanks for the feedback, I won't have my 10 year old out at the clubs... Thats just for me. But I was planning on giving him his pocket money for helping me prep the sides etc :-)

I thought it would be handy in the nights I'm not doing anything to go down the town with the stand. I've actually secured a spot so I'm starting in two weeks lol... Hot dogs, get yer Hot dogs....

Good luck! There's no harm in taking a punt on it just make sure to be over prepared things never seem to go as expected you're bound to use way more of something than you think is possible!

screamer

Believe me with the head wreck that some brides are 350 before tax is a small profit. You'll be messed around with time as they flap around late to the church etc. They are some of the most demanding penny punching customers you could have the displeasure to serve. Don't start off too cheap you'll be in an impossible situation where you won't be able to raise your charges and brides think we can all work for nothing and will want your best cash price as if that's worth a toss to a legitimate business

Joshua5

screamer wrote: »

Believe me with the head wreck that some brides are 350 before tax is a small profit. You'll be messed around with time as they flap around late to the church etc. They are some of the most demanding penny punching customers you could have the displeasure to serve. Don't start off too cheap you'll be in an impossible situation where you won't be able to raise your charges and brides think we can all work for nothing and will want your best cash price as if that's worth a toss to a legitimate business

I wasn't really considering weddings tbh and I think you've hit the nail on the head. I'm only doing it as a hobby, make a couple of extra quid to pay for the money I put into the cart.

The only way I'd do Weddings is if it was easy to get the business and I'm gathering it's not thats why there is a higher cost involved to deal with being messed around.

pedroeibar1

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah great point. 59th Street in NYC theres a couple of vendors outside a mall there that has a Wholefoods, and just outside a Metro station. The guy that does the best is the one selling gourmet hotdogs, with better sausage, nicer buns, fancier packaging, and he is more then double the price. He even takes much longer making the dog.
Also setting up outside night clubs might not be the most profitable idea, nor the best for a 10 year old to be experiencing.
Costco in America sell more hotdogs then some big hot dog fast food chains there, people shopping like their quick fix of fast food. Men dragged along to saturday afternoon shopping will have their eyes on a gourmet hot dog stand. It may even be the reason they agree to go shopping....

Aaah the memories, watching the trickle of sour milk and 'stuff' going into the gutter. Batches of carts are unloaded from trucks in the early morning. Hired by the day for an up-front fee, the profit / loss at the end of the day is the vendor’s. It is the starting point for the newly arrived immigrant, legal or otherwise. The very bottom rung of the ladder; when they have built up a bit of cash/language skills/driving licence they graduate to driving a cab. In my time that was $200 a day. Although I lived/worked for years in NYC I rarely had a hotdog. However, roast corn on the street fairs was a regular.

@Joshua, I understand it is a hobby, a bit of ‘dad’ time with the kid while prepping, but there are some seriously nasty people out there who want a cut, so perhaps skydiving or liontaming might be a safer hobby if the location/venue is not properly thought out. If weddings are not a runner (I'd not rule them out, I’d cost each as a flat fee for X hours including X number of dogs) why not try the kids party circuit? That way your son could get involved with you. It will not make you rich, but it probably would not cost you th eprice of a golf/yacht club subscription.

Stheno

Joshua5 wrote: »

I thought it would be handy in the nights I'm not doing anything to go down the town with the stand. I've actually secured a spot so I'm starting in two weeks lol... Hot dogs, get yer Hot dogs....

Do you not have to get food safety clearance first?

Bandara

Stheno wrote: »

Do you not have to get food safety clearance first?

Right, I've had enough of this nonsense.

Yes Stheno your absolutely correct, of course he does, but he's not really too bothered about any of that it seems.

He is legally required to :

Undergo food hygiene training
Have sufficient detailed knowledge of food safety
To be registered with the HSE
Have full tracability records for everything incl establishment approval numbers for all suppliers. All records must be present for inspection at all times.
Offsite locations with prep or storage must be reported to HSE and must adher to EC Hygiene of Foodstuffs Regulations
He must have refridgeration of 5 deg of less at all times, in storage areas, while transporting (regardless of the distances travelled) and while selling.
Hot food must obviously be kept above the required temp while for sale and records of these temperatures as per HACCP is required.
If equipment is transported inside a vehicle, the vehicles must be adequately insulated with a lined interior that provides a smooth, continuous, easily cleanable waterproof surface. Ie. not the back of a crewcab.
Be able to wash his hands after handling waste or rubbish, raw food, using the toilet and also after every break regardless of duration or activity. I doubt his stall has running water, or the required sink to do so. And the water must be at a suitable temperature. Obviously smoking is completely out of the question.
He also must prodive waste collection facilities, a first aid kit, a water supply, food-grade detergents and disinfectants for cleaning stored completely seperately to foodstuffs

Thats about half of the requirements, I can't be arsed to list the rest.

Basically its couldn't care less and utterly clueless people like this who cause mass food poisoning and give the casual trading industry a bad name. You think you can buy a stall, paint it and start selling meat products to the public. And you making comments about the prices that the professional and compliant traders charge. Maybe the reason they charge them is that in order to not put people in danger that it actually isnt about buying a pack of hotdogs and a box of rolls from tesco and bringing along the ketchup from your fridge, they are professional small businesses that follow the required legislation to the letter.

I hope to God you don't ever get a wedding as your a timebomb of food poisoning and could ruin someone big day.

And before you reply with one of your smart answers and tell me to 'jog on', no I have no link to this kind of business. Oh, and maybe ask yourself if your aware of HAACP and its requirements? can you tell us without looking ti up what the core cooking temperature of your food should be and what the requirement for hot holding is ? No you cant, you haven't a notion, and furthermore you don't have the required temerature probe calibrated and certified to even take this temperatures.

Yet next week your going to throw the home renovated cart in the back of the crewcab, throw the food into a tupperware container and stand beside the road, guess at what your doing and poison people.

If I knew where you were trading I'd report you to the HSE without any hesitation. What your going to do is dangerous, extremely dangerous and not a bit responsible.

Your an absolute disgrace.

Stheno

Might explain why that extra charge the OP has discounted is relevant for people doing this right? You don't list insurance, surely public liability insurance needs to be considered?

Bandara

Bandara wrote: »

Right, I've had enough of this nonsense.

Yes Stheno your absolutely correct, of course he does, but he's not really too bothered about any of that it seems.

He is legally required to :

Undergo food hygiene training
Have sufficient detailed knowledge of food safety
To be registered with the HSE
Have full tracability records for everything incl establishment approval numbers for all suppliers. All records must be present for inspection at all times.
Offsite locations with prep or storage must be reported to HSE and must adher to EC Hygiene of Foodstuffs Regulations
He must have refridgeration of 5 deg of less at all times, in storage areas, while transporting (regardless of the distances travelled) and while selling.
Hot food must obviously be kept above the required temp while for sale and records of these temperatures as per HACCP is required.
If equipment is transported inside a vehicle, the vehicles must be adequately insulated with a lined interior that provides a smooth, continuous, easily cleanable waterproof surface. Ie. not the back of a crewcab.
Be able to wash his hands after handling waste or rubbish, raw food, using the toilet and also after every break regardless of duration or activity. I doubt his stall has running water, or the required sink to do so. And the water must be at a suitable temperature. Obviously smoking is completely out of the question.
He also must prodive waste collection facilities, a first aid kit, a water supply, food-grade detergents and disinfectants for cleaning stored completely seperately to foodstuffs

Thats about half of the requirements, I can't be arsed to list the rest.

Basically its couldn't care less and utterly clueless people like this who cause mass food poisoning and give the casual trading industry a bad name. You think you can buy a stall, paint it and start selling meat products to the public. And you making comments about the prices that the professional and compliant traders charge. Maybe the reason they charge them is that in order to not put people in danger that it actually isnt about buying a pack of hotdogs and a box of rolls from tesco and bringing along the ketchup from your fridge, they are professional small businesses that follow the required legislation to the letter.

I hope to God you don't ever get a wedding as your a timebomb of food poisoning and could ruin someone big day.

And before you reply with one of your smart answers and tell me to 'jog on', no I have no link to this kind of business. Oh, and maybe ask yourself if your aware of HAACP and its requirements? can you tell us without looking ti up what the core cooking temperature of your food should be and what the requirement for hot holding is ? No you cant, you haven't a notion, and furthermore you don't have the required temerature probe calibrated and certified to even take this temperatures.

Yet next week your going to throw the home renovated cart in the back of the crewcab, throw the food into a tupperware container and stand beside the road, guess at what your doing and poison people.

If I knew where you were trading I'd report you to the HSE without any hesitation. What your going to do is dangerous, extremely dangerous and not a bit responsible.

Your an absolute disgrace.

Scathing to say the least. Makes the Pedro's look like pussycats!

Surely the OP has investigated all the food safety regulations and is up to speed on that? , and hardly thought he can just randomly show up with his sausages and a few tubs of stuff!
Good to have an interesting thread in the B&E again! I look forward to the response!

duploelabs

Deleted User wrote: »

Scathing to say the least. Makes the Pedro's look like pussycats!

Surely the OP has investigated all the food safety regulations and is up to speed on that? , and hardly thought he can just randomly show up with his sausages and a few tubs of stuff!
Good to have an interesting thread in the B&E again! I look forward to the response!

Based on his posts, both on this thread and others, OP has done nothing but renovate a hot-dog stand and that's it. And as for his extent of knowledge for a food business on food safety, marketing, and PR is non-existent, let alone his pricing required to make a margin

pedronomix

Give it a lash, as said a ton of times, it is not rocket science. Might be a good idea to head to a couple of these ( http://irishvillagemarkets.ie/) and talk to the vendors (make sure you buy something from them first!). Most people are keen to help if you ask nicely and admit you are clueless but genuine. They will give you the reality, not the theory!

Joshua5

Guys,

Relax, I'm not going to poison anyone. I'm hear asking questions before I go out and start killing people with hotdogs lol..

Now I've all insurances, the cart is going to be reviewed by the EHO next week and as for HAACP I'm fully aware of it. My 9-5 job is facilities management, part of this is management of canteens etc and I'm no idiot.

Renovating the cart is nothing bad, it's good. The cart had already been approved by the health inspector. What we had been doing is shinning it up, rebranding it to show it's local produce. Not like Aldi stuff most of the vendors sell on these carts.

IOMST have been great supporting me with information etc needed and a good insurance package.

There is quite a few people here happy to knock you for trying something a little different. But I will reiterate this is a hotdog cart not a 5* operation which makes it easier to be a hobby food trader.

I'm certainly not planning on setting up on the side of the road, now that would be stupid to say the lease.
There is nothing in my messages that should give rise to concern, I'm based in Drogheda and for Bandara feel free to report me to HSE. A slight over reaction my friend.... I've been engaged with the council in terms of actually trading in their farmers market and they are happy with all proposed. So I think you should learn to relax a little before having a mad one, although it was very entertaining to read this morning.

makeandcreate

One thing regarding weddings - did this a few years ago and had loads of interest but few conversions as venues would not allow outside catering and churches aren't keen on fast food stands outside. Communion's, 21st, Christenings, school days etc did more business and I did candyfloss, face painting for the kids.

kilkea

Hi all,

As there seems to be a few experienced folks on this thread, I was hoping to gain some knowledge from you if possible!
I am working on a business plan to start a mobile pizza unit. The catering unit itself has a bit of a novelty factor attached to it and will be quite compact (so hoping to be able to target home based parties as well as other venues). I have a good handle on the figures for the unit itself, and also done a lot of homework on the health regs, licencing, compliance, PR, advertising etc. but was looking for a bit more of a feel for how profitable people have found similar mobile catering businesses in reality.
I am looking to mostly target small-medium size functions, but of course would not turn my nose up at larger events such as festivals etc.

Any insight you could share would be really appreciated.
Thanks