| The food service business is always growing. People | | | | gladly have a quality provider of food close by, both to |
| will always need to eat food. The new generation | | | | feed their own employees and to potentially draw |
| buys more from vendors and does far less cooking at | | | | customers. Also check with the local municipality for |
| home, and buys more prepared food from vendors. | | | | by-laws dealing with setting up on public property. |
| The future trend is more take out and fast food. | | | | How do you start a new business? |
| You can catch this rising trend and ride it with a hot | | | | You have to register your business with the |
| dog cart business. | | | | appropriate parts of the government. They are most |
| So why doesn't everyone start a business with hot | | | | concerned with what sort of business you are going to |
| dog carts? | | | | be and, more importantly, how you will give them their |
| Here's a few reasons why: | | | | tax money. Also you will need to choose a business |
| 1. They don't know how to begin. | | | | name. After you have registered your business with |
| 2. They don't know how to start a commercial | | | | both federal and state governments then you can get |
| enterprise. | | | | a license from the city government. The local |
| 3. They get tangled in the health regulations an general | | | | authorities may require you to get a permit before |
| red tape. | | | | allowing you to set your cart up on public property |
| 4. They are fearful of doing something different and | | | | such as a park or a street. |
| unknown. | | | | You will also need to find out what the health |
| Where do you start? | | | | department in you r area requires of people working in |
| To begin you need to find a place where you can set | | | | food service. They will tell you what foods you can |
| up a hot dog cart. | | | | and cannot serve out of a mobile food facility like a |
| The perfect location has lots of foot traffic, should | | | | hot dog cart. They likely will tell you what equipment |
| cost next to nothing to rent, be very visible and have | | | | you need to have on your hot dog cart to make it |
| no other hot dog carts. | | | | legal as well. This important information helps with |
| That may seem impossible but take a look around, it | | | | selecting the right model of hot dog cart as you will |
| might be easier than you think. Common locations for a | | | | have a minimum set of features to work with. Your |
| hot dog cart are in or near: | | | | regional health department may also require that you |
| * busy parks, the zoo, a beach, or recreational areas. | | | | take training courses in safe food handling. Last, they |
| * industrial parks and factories. | | | | may need to physically inspect your hot dog cart to |
| * parking lots of large malls. | | | | see that it follows all regulations. |
| * bus, subway and train stations. | | | | What if you are too afraid to try something new? |
| * the local bar strip | | | | Everyone is afraid of the new and unknown. That is |
| * downtown parking lot or street. | | | | human nature. Do not let that fear decide for you and |
| * schools, colleges or universities. | | | | steer you away from a successful business. Every |
| * office buildings. | | | | business our there started because someone else got |
| Once you have found a few possible places, you | | | | over their fears and took the first step. You already |
| need find out if you can put your hot dog cart there. | | | | have done that by learning more about what it takes |
| Check with near by business owners ask them if you | | | | to get started. Don't stop now. |
| can put your hot dog cart on their property. Many will | | | | |