Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

[mwanafalsafa]

Hey,

Are there many of these things around Honolulu, particularly near beaches and tourist destinations?

Off the top of my head I came up with the thought that running such a small business might be an amusing and lucrative pastime. What sort of licensing do you think one would need to start one of those things?

All of your comments on my random thoughts are welcome!

-scott

[tutusue]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

Lots of lunch wagons around...and they're lots of hard work.

From what I can tell there are fewer hot dog carts...one downtown on Mililani St., another one at Home Depot...altho' I wouldn't really call that one a cart. I'm sure there are others.

Amusing? Lucrative? Depends on your definitions, I guess!

[lavagal]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

I just noticed a hot dog cart behind the Keeaumoku Wal-Mart, don't remember the street, but it's the one parallel and one block mauka of Kapiolani, across the street from the Verizon store in the First Guardian Bldg. Haven't sampled its fare, but it's there sometimes at lunch.

[sophielynette]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

There's a hot dog truck/van/thing just opened up on Kapiolani behind the convention center. I see it every morning while I'm waiting for my bus and I keep meaning to head over to sample but I just haven't gotten around to it; not open in the mornings, and when I get off work I want nothing more than to go home. Wonder if it's open weekends.

[timkona]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

I got a friend over here in Kona who builds the most whiz-bang, inspector gadget, full service, hot dog carts you ever saw. Truly the Rube Goldberg of hot dog carts.

He gets all his parts from old restaurants, junk-yards, garage sales, etc.

Then he puts it all together on old boat trailers, or camper trailers.

He goes to Indy every year, and makes a killing selling brats, coffee, and bagged ice.

[cyleet99]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

There was a hot dog stand for sale at the Lowe's in the Waikele outlets; good hot dogs, and he was pretty busy. DH asked him how much for the stand, and I don't remember how much he wanted. But we sat there eating our dogs and figuring out how busy you would have to be to make a profit. I think we decided you would have to sell a LOT of dogs every day of the week.

He even took debit/credit cards!

[leashlaws]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

International Marketplace just got a new Hank's Haute Dog's. This is a smaller
version of the Coral St. location. I went to the blessing a couple weeks ago and it's in the back next to Surf City bar and an ABC store. They have a limited menu with good hours. While it's not a cart this is a hot dog stand to be sure.
I've always liked those Italian ice carts that some mainland cities have. With a little cart there is something great about the smell of the dogs when they open the lid!

[buzz1941]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

I miss the one in front of downtown CompUSA. Where'd he go?

[Random]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

Hey,

Are there many of these things around Honolulu, particularly near beaches and tourist destinations?

Off the top of my head I came up with the thought that running such a small business might be an amusing and lucrative pastime. What sort of licensing do you think one would need to start one of those things?

All of your comments on my random thoughts are welcome!

You should talk to one of them. Try the folks at Tani's Lunchwagon on Dillingham Boulevard (across Kalihi Kai Elementary and in front of the bicycle shop).

[turtlegirl]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

There was a hot dog cart near my Florida hometown. Super simple, at the side of the highway, just a tiny hot dog cart with a shady umbrella. Oh yeah, and the girl that ran it did so in a thong bikini! For at least a decade. Heck, she's probably still selling hot dogs. She had tons of customers!

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

Was it Nathan's Hot Dogs that was in front of the then named Daiei?

[Da Rolling Eye]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

Off the top of my head I came up with the thought that running such a small business might be an amusing and lucrative pastime. What sort of licensing do you think one would need to start one of those things?
-scott

1st the obvious is you'll need a business license, easy enough to get. Then you'll have to check with the state dept of health for regulations and guidelines. Once you have your cart ready to go, you'll have to pass a doh inspection. The easy thing about hotdogs is it doesn't need to be "cooked", which requires a legal, inspected and regulated kitchen much like restaurants. Hotdogs are precooked and only require heating, which is a must for any food vendor.

Prior to all this, you might want to secure a venue to conduct your business. As they say....."Location, location, location!" Expect high rents and deposits and fees to be prepaid. You might even try to get a "contract" with the military to conduct your business on base or even at base events.

My wife might come into a lunchwagon, but I told her I'm too damned old to be getting up at 3 in the morning to start making beef stew, roast pork and to cook rice. Way too much work and long hours. Luckily it's still on Guam and still belongs to my BIL. He was going to have a go at a shrimp kitchen, but found Guam's health dept regulations more restrictive than Hawai'i's. He gave it up and went back to being a tour guide.

[kani-lehua]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

Was it Nathan's Hot Dogs that was in front of the then named Daiei?

i believe you were referring to woody's hot dogs which is still at the lowe's in waikele (it is a franchise). they sell vienna beef hot dogs just like the vendor at home depot. as far as trying to get a contract with the military, i used to own the two carts that were at the navy commissary and exchange at pearl harbor. very stict with inspections. i always passed with no less than a 98 out of 100.

unless you are the owner/operator and willing to provide most of the labor, you would not make a serious amount of profit. also, if one was to buy into a franchise, you pay for advertising and royalty fees. you must also consider rent, employer/employee taxes and general excise tax. the amount of the rent was based on a percentage of gross sales. that applied to the franchisor's fees as well.

[kani-lehua]

Re: Hot dog stands and other mobile food vending carts?

My wife might come into a lunchwagon, but I told her I'm too damned old to be getting up at 3 in the morning to start making beef stew, roast pork and to cook rice. Way too much work and long hours. Luckily it's still on Guam and still belongs to my BIL. He was going to have a go at a shrimp kitchen, but found Guam's health dept regulations more restrictive than Hawai'i's. He gave it up and went back to being a tour guide.

that is exactly why i sold my okazuya. anyone out there who owns a restaurant--my hat's off to you.

we got inspected every month by the local health department. we never failed and only learned from the experience.