Ben interviews a hot dog vending legend

[@frankpappalardo630]

I love your story. My father was a concrete finisher, I’m a son of a concrete finisher and I bought my first hotdog cart and I was on the southside of Chicago

[@stevealaska73]

I appreciate the wisdom shared here by this Hot Dog legend. Thank you also Ben for making it happen. What an ocean of information and experience this man is. I can only imagine the other stories he could share.

[@BensCarts]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@BensCarts]

We have several doggers that are trained chefs. Some create some amazing meals from their carts. Some stories at the blog.

[@Wacokid48]

I remember the best Chicago hot dog ever. It was1959. There was a cart with an Italian guy on Clark and Deming. We were coming back from playing baseball at Lincoln Park and could smell his dogs from a block away. Just heaven. A true Chicago dog for 25 cents. Nothing will ever come close for me...the BEST !!

[@ericvondumb2838]

87th and Halstead brother, then Johnnies on 79th western!!!

[@jimmarchman]

I've watched this at least four times. I catch something new each time.

[@Chardavelli]

Another fab video Ben, Thanks for all you do for the Hot Dog Cart Cart People.

[@N44433]

Hey at least he's making money. Nice to see the entrepreneurial spirit is still alive even in small business.

[@BensCarts]

Check out the commissary video, it explains how we do that.

[@omv777]

Great info, you should do these vids more often

[@nicolecaruso6713]

This was awesome. Ty Ben!

[@ezmoneytheory3562]

I love this interview...pure gold. $$$ :)

[@adonisrottweiler]

i wish i could do that we dont have hotdogs in my country.. imma research this !!! awesome video, priceless advise thank you

[@ericvondumb2838]

Where do you live? Have cart, will travel.

[@jeffreyg5718]

Perfect!

[@TheMinder74]

thankyou very much ben this was very very interesting i live the uk and we have no real real dogs to buy ,,this guy really inspires me !

[@Thechill12]

Man!! i loved this interview

[@bugsmoran21]

Great interview!!

[@BensCarts]

Thank you.

[@kadebrown6903]

as a fine dining chef of multiple stars I am breaking off and trying to go 'street style'. can you help me out? willing and ready, all these videos sound real and sincere.

[@BensCarts]

Are you talking your COGS or all your supplies, inventory, goods sold, propane, napkins and all? Either way, I have a couple videos on that here as well. In short, vendors average about 32% cost/operational expense.

[@joshuaespinoza2567]

Lol, greaat interview. Alot of fun.

[@BensCarts]

Thank you!

[@The66Channel]

This guy knows his business.

[@OliviaGTovar]

GREAT INTERVIEW AND VERY INSPIRING.

[@BensCarts]

Thank you.

[@djsoduhis2realrelatablesou162]

Love your videos Ben. I'm hoping to get into the business myself once I get the money for a cart. Do you sell your carts in Canada?

[@BensCarts]

+Russell Manyfingers Howdy. Yes, we sell worldwide.

[@djsoduhis2realrelatablesou162]

Awesome! I'll keep in touch dude..

[@BensCarts]

Yes it does.

[@slobomotion]

I've had several cooking and food service jobs, in France and the USA, and it's long hours, you need to be patient and polite and have a strong back and solid feet. I am from Ohio. He says "pop," which we called "snap" in NYC. We had a Breton street vendor in Saint-Denis outside Paris who sold loose country sausage on buckwheat rolls. They cleaned up. They wore traditional costumes. The Arabs looked at me like I was gross for eating pork but the joke was on them.

[@ericvondumb2838]

How was the joke on them? Feed the fuckers chicken or lamb! You screwed up! Oh, your from Ohio? Nevermind. lol

[@UWCcyberwolf]

I meant for example my food costs 1$ for me to get. What percentage should I sell it at to make profit? 300%?

[@davidatovar]

Who knew cucumbers are hard to get in Chicago during the winter ?

[@im1greatman]

Can you talk about storing your food overnight? I heard that many city's want you to rent a freezer at a business because you can't have your food at your residence.

[@Scorch1028]

I want a hot dog cart with a power outlet so I can charge my tablets and phones.

[@Gelengider27]

are u the fishing men?

[@UWCcyberwolf]

What percentage of profit should I make off of my supplies?

[@ericvondumb2838]

x 3

[@BensCarts]

Are you basing that 20-30 off of any real data? If so please email me as I would love to see it. I have data on thousands of vendors who work full time.

[@VicodinKing91]

Kogel's is the best Vienna Hot dogs u can buy Straight from FLINT MICHIGAN

[@ericvondumb2838]

Vienna comes out of Chicago! Is this a cheaper Vienna knock off?

[@tinapeittway892]

the music in the background is a distraction

[@BensCarts]

Sorry.

[@BrianDoolittleAustin]

Gangsta!

[@omv777]

He's an expert on TUBE STEAK wow !! lol

[@BensCarts]

Yup, in the South most people want ketchup.

[@truckersforumowneroperator6729]

Hot Dog Cart Store. you can always put mustard in a ketchup bottle ☺

[@papascateringstreetfood2173]

Ben, on Big Dick's death was his widow able to keep the business going?

[@kobefn]

Oh Damm he passed wow sad thanks for the update

[@michaelfradono4066]

Because Vienna Hot dog's are the best in the world!

[@kodaice5526]

notes 23

[@BensCarts]

@hobo59 To find out, you should become a distributor with them and have a relationship with them for over 35 years as he has.

[@TheSoloAsylum]

I cant get a cart inside my laundromat.

[@BensCarts]

Why would you want to?

[@TheSoloAsylum]

@@BensCarts It's a joke man, come on you know the thing

[@stndrds79]

i dont ike how his condiments are all out on the table as the people talk and scream on top of the condiments. i hate that

[@ericvondumb2838]

sucks to be you! lol

[@stndrds79]

tube steak/?? LOL wtf i nevcer heard tthat

[@CyberDivan]

100K per year???. It is a business that is 20-30K.per year for most, unless you are in super high foot traffic areas like New York City. I have had several competitors believe they could make big money, until they had to make a truck payment. I am debt free so I can afford to make a living selling hot dogs.

[@ericvondumb2838]

And you make how much?

[@isaacb7050]

With inflation, a $3 dollar hotdog would be how much today?

[@jeffreyg5718]

5.50

[@RobertRenk-hb3fd]

Zero% Merchant Processing Fees for life. Keep more money in your pocket. bizpaypro/2142

[@shawdawg89]

bear shit in da woods? hahhaha

[@SharkMinnow]

why do you need relish AND a pickle? they're the same thing....duh.

[@BensCarts]

Dill pickles and sweet relish aren't the same.

[@DROY2004]

Lose the scratchy background music!

[@ClassicJukeboxBand]

So we should take Mr. Hot Dog legend's advice and not sell hot dogs with ketchup? How many customers would that cost us in the long run?

[@facezxa]

[@whipchops]

He probably does not have any real data. But just basing it off his own personal experience. Sounds like the poor guy has limited himself and is now generalizing the entire business according to his own limiting expectations of what HE should earn vending dogs

[@sic-n-tiredtired4273]

Great info and Yes definitely CELERY salt please. so, for the rest out there that dont y'all NEED to start having it.

[@tinapeittway892]

so you were serving hotdogs without food service gloves🤔😳👎🏽

[@BensCarts]

He did. He's dead now.