This spring I will quit my restaurant GM job of +10 years, take out an approximately $20,000 loan, and sell hot dogs...

There are plenty of people in my area making money selling street food. There is far less risk than opening a brick and mortar sandwich shop.

Selling hot dogs is like working at McDonald's in the world of food entrepreneurship.

I'm pretty sure I started reading that like 20 years ago before my room mate returned it to the library. Thanks for the suggestion.

Would you agree that McDonald's is hardly representative of every burger vendor?

If you've been working for 10 years, why don't you have $20k saved up?

Besides raising a family on a single income for a good amount of that time, raiding our IRA's at this point makes less sense.

You are risking your families income as well? This is a bad idea.

My kids a older now, and we're no longer have a single income. Plus, I could have the job that Im leaving back anytime I wanted.

As fun as it is to see people's reactions when I tell them I am quitting my job to sell hotdogs, my menu will definitely be more sophisticated than the first image that pops into their head. In fact, I have an incredibly strong network of close friends and family that are chefs, restaurant owners, and highly successful entrepreneurs.

Owning your own business is as uncucked as it gets.
I started up a pizza joint five years ago and just opened a second store. I'm not just my own boss, I'm other people boss too. Entrepreneurs are the real engine of the American dream. God speed you, hot dog emperor

I have no idea how "cuckoldry," a sexual fetish, has anything to do with it, but here's my opinion.

It will be a shitload of work, outside in all weather conditions. The key to success will be superior product (which it sounds like you'll have), price (if it's viewed as too expensive for a street vended "hotdog," no matter the quality, it will not sell), and location. Location is probably the trickiest. I don't know, of course, but I would assume good locations are already occupied. Is there some unwritten rule about how close you should set up operations near an established vendor? I could see physical fights breaking out if you violated that rule.

If you take care of those three basics I could see it being profitable, especially since it's mostly, if not all, cash. How rewarding mentally and emotionally will it be? I doubt very much at all.

you're literally my hero user, i would never have the balls to quit my steady job to chase the dream
20k isn't even that much when you think about it
godspeed

do you know what you're calling it?

I agree with a lot of these, but in reverse order of how you listed them.

Location matters the absolute most for something like this, unless you're willing to build a social media presence, which itself requires you have someone running the social media account AND are offering something both unique and appealing, which also runs the risk of veering into a straight up gimmick. So do everything in your power to get a good spot ready as soon as possible.

Your product has to be worth the price, but keep in mind people have a price cap and at that point people will just go get some other kind of food. Try as hard as you can not to be more expensive than other hotdog places while also offering the best you can reasonably afford to do.

Thanks user and I believe you are dead on about entrepreneurship.

My city has just recently relaxed its regulations regarding the locations food trucks and other vendors are permitted to do business. Our city leaders have gone out of their way to protect the brick-and-mortar establishments in the past, but that is changing quickly. For better or worse, the street food scene is going to explode this spring. My downtown has a very active lunch crowd and a VERY active bar scene. I have no dillusions about how much work and how much of a learning curve there will be. I definitely disagree with the work not be rewarding.

Thanks user. It probably took me too long to get to this point, but I could not be more excited about the challenges ahead. I still have not settled on a name yet. Honestly, that's the one thing that actually causes me to lose sleep over.

WHATS THE LOCATION OF YOUR FUTURE STAND OP?

I've always wanted to become a surly hotdog vendor. That's been my dream for like, about 10 years. Run a cart with quality franks, house baked buns, and serve only mustard. That's the important part. That's the part that really turns me on. I wanna tell people to fuck off when they ask for ketchup. I wanna tell people to suck my fucking dick when they ask for rellish. God, I want it so bad. I wanna be well known as "that terrible ass hole who loses his shit when you ask him for anything but mustard". Every time I tell people about this, they shit on me and tell me I'll lose all my business if I'm a belligerent, vulgar cunt to customers, but I think some people would find it refreshing. I think they're just fucking ketchup apologists who don't want a mustard man to succeed.

If nothing else, my current job has taught me that quality ingredients are worth every penny and genuine customer service is priceless.

Beer City, USA. (Grand Rapids MI)

The city now has 12 zones street vendors and food trucks can operate in. With a few days notice to the health department, vendors are free to change locations. My unit will be completely mobile allowing me to travel to various events taking place on the weekends around my state.

It's worth noting, that you can get in this business for much much less than $20k depending on the type of cart you purchase. More than half of my loan will be used to purchase a smaller SUV fuel efficient enough to Uber in as well.

I would not personally run my stand that way, but I would be your best customer.

Just call it Dogs

does it really cost 20 K to start a hotdog stand?

You have a business plan?
You much hot dogs you expect to sell?
How long the financing?

i think OP already said half of that is to buy himself a SUV

Definitely not. I could buy a high-quality brand new (although smaller) cart for under $4000. I believe the cart pictured is around $8000. I will be putting the remaining money towards a new vehicle.

oh ok, didn't bother reading just seemed really high

Are you going to get your car wrapped in an advertisement for your dogs?
got any catchy names, like Salty Dog, or Horn Dog, Yellow dog, etc?

I am currently working with someone to help me solidify the business plan. Although not necessary, it is important to me. Exact terms of the financing have not yet been determined. Despite being able to borrow more, I'm hoping to only have to borrow closer to $15k.

The non-food "creative" aspect of this venture actually causes me more stress then anything else. I'm sure that sounds absolutely ridiculous, but it's true. Although I have spent my adult life in the food industry, my school background is in graphic design. Everyone is expecting me to handle that aspect myself, but I'm honestly thinking about paying another artist that I trust completely to create the branding. There's something about being too close to be objective. I'm still kicking around names and have already enlisted the help of a few creatives.

IDK if it's been mentioned, but form an LLC and buy all the equipment and vehicles for the corporation. It is then an expense and can be counted against your profits for tax pourposes.

It hasn't been mentioned, but that is the plan. That's exactly why I'm considering the vehicle as startup cost. Thanks user.

Seems like you've done some research on this, but are you sure people are going to want the food you're selling ? I mean, is there a market for it ?

I didn't read everything here but are you planning on doing a food truck or somerthing else ?