Here’s a peak at what it looks like on another website that I manage for a customer.  Chipaxe Forum  I just installed it there a little while ago so there are no posting yet except the Forum Rules.  The beauty of this forum is that it’s integral to WordPress in that you only need to register for the blog and you can post both on the blog and on the forum.

Interesting article about how a hotdog vendor (Caleb Zigas) saw declining sales when forced to use an enclosed van to cook her bacon wrapped dogs.  When she placed a hot dog cart in front of the van, sales more than tripled!  

The fancy trailer became mostly a backdrop. It was the best of both worlds — the permit from the truck, but the visible grill (and the smells) people expect. Her business shot up to $150 on a good day.

She goes on to explain that vans just aren’t “gritty” enough…

“The reason you buy a bacon-wrapped hot dog off the street is they’re gritty, and there’s nothing gritty about pretty machines”

This sort of A-B testing is what makes the difference between a vendor just getting by and truly being successful.  You need to adapt to your surroundings and your customers.  If they like the smell of hot dogs cooking, give it to them!  Caleb also runs an incubator kitchen to help food vendors get started.  I wish there were something like that in my area.  Hey!  Maybe I should start one myself! 

Source article HERE

It’s actually a hot dog cart, purchased for $4,500, deployed across greater Tucson to create work experiences and self-esteem for young people who have been dealt a hard hand.

Gene was able to find a way to start his business and help kids at the same time.  Absolutely brilliant!  Do you see how this could work in your area?  If you don’t, look again.

He has a day job, working as a business broker with Rincon Ventures. Hildreth knew he didn’t want to run the cart himself. So he called Youth On Their Own, and asked – “do you have kids who would want to learn how to run a hot dog stand?”

Where I’m excited is that the old excuse of “I don’t have enough time to run a hotdog businss with my current job” is now broken.  Sure, you’ll have to spend some time but with this method you don’t have t man your cart yourself.  You can offer to help kids get a start and sell your dogs at the same time.  Sure, you’re not going to make as much money but the ability to leverage yourself is huge.  How many carts could you run if you had someone else taking care of the day to day on each one? 

The article goes on to explain that the agencies that were contacted “thought it was like a blessing”.  I see something huge in this model and plan on doing a little more investigating and you should too.

Here’s the link to the SOURCE article and a link to Hot Dogs with Heart

As you can see, its pretty long.  It has to be if you want the ability to store your wood on board.  I can see something like this being very popular at curbside.  Give the Abstract a read…

The present invention relates to a transportable wood-fired oven trailer which is mountable to a towing vehicle, and can be modified in certain aspects between “transport” and “operational” modes. The trailer has increased manoeuvrability in particular when reversing and also increased…

I did a little searching around and I couldn’t find a real picture of this thing.  I was hoping that it was in production somewhere but not quite yet it seems.  I did find a picture of a portable pizza oven but that’s not my thing.

Dreammaker Hot Dog Cart

When starting a hot dog business there are cost that you will endure just as you would with any business. These are the four main cost associated with the legals aspect of the business.

The first thing you should take care of is getting your food handlers permit. You will need this before you will be issued a state license or city permit. The food handlers permit is the same one you would be required to obtain if you were going to work in any food establishment. It is usually issued by the health department after you complete the necessary class. The classes are given at various times through out the month are available at different health departments. Check for the time and date that is best for you. The class last for about four hours. After the class there is a test to make sure you understood the material covered. In the state of Oklahoma the permit is good for three years.

After you have your permit and have purchased your hot dog cart, you are ready to make an appointment with the state health inspector. The inspector will make sure your cart is up to code (NSF standard), you have your food handlers permit and make sure you understand the rules of the state. After paying the licensing fee you are issued your permit. The license in Oklahoma is $450 and last one year.

City permit may be required, depending on the city you will operate. The state license covers any city but they may have additional regulations and fees. The city where I sell hot dogs requires a $55 permit that last for 5 months and also written permission from any property owner that I may be vending from.

Another cost that you may want to check into is insurance. Although this may not be required by your city or state, the property owner where you operate may want you to obtain insurance. This will protect you if a customer were to get food poisoning, burned on your cart or any other liability issues. Our cost for a $500,000 policy is $450 per year.

The next fee is a State Sales Tax permit. This permit does two things. It gives you the number in which you will be paying your sales tax on. Each month you will be required to report how much you have sold and then pay the taxes on that amount. Also the tax permit will let you purchase business related items without paying sales tax.

Be sure to take care of all your licenses and fees before operating so that you don’t encounter additional cost with penalties.

About the Author

More Hot Dog Business Information

I don’t know that the hot dog business people had undo pressure on them not to show up but it makes sense. The brick and mortor restaurants don’t want to compete with the dude selling hot dogs right in front of their place. I can see them working against any hot dog people that would like to set up for the event. I actually saw more vendors outside the defined area of the fair than I did inside the event.

Now, on a positive note, the artists were absolutely incredible. When you see so many talented people in one place, it’s truly an inspiration. I can’t even imagine doing some of these things that these folks do. Everyone should make the time to swing through the event even though it appears that the hot dog business is not invited.

This is a great opportunity, not only for artists, but for hot dog vendors.  Imagine having literally thousands of hungry people passing by your cart.  Granted, if you have a tiny weenie cart, you might feel a little bit overwhelmed when surrounded but the big rigs but don’t despair.   Just keep making those hot dogs and collecting your cash!

Here are some photos of the fair…notice the people (aka hot dog consumers)

I haven’t approached them about making me a batch to sell on my cart because my local vending regulations prevent me from cooking anything that isn’t precooked.  I’d have to take their fresh brats and boil them ahead of time.  That’s right, you need to boil brats so that their actually cooked before you take them out onto the cart.  That would be an incredibly difficult task to get enough broiled brats done in order to have enough to last the day.  It’s just too much of a hassle.  I need brats that are precooked so I don’t have to do it.

So tell me,  where do you get the best bratwurst that are precooked?

If the folks that are looking for a hotdog cart either lose their interest in the hot dog vending business or have found another cart, I’d be glad to host your classified ad for your cart at no charge.

How many sales will you lose while you figure out…

• The best place to put your cart
• How to find a commissary
• Where to buy your supplies
• What are the best hot dogs to sell

I could go on and on but you get the idea.  For less than $100 you can get yourself one of the packages our sponsors offer and know more about the business than you ever thought was possible.

If you’re like me, you buy BOTH of them because the knowledge gained is so much more valuable than the small investment.  Where else can you benefit from the knowledge of twos successful business owners working in the very business that you want to be a part of – the hotdog business.

Do yourself a huge favor and at least check out what both of these guys have to offer.  You won’t regret it.

Just click on the image links below

• Large Lumber / Hardware / Home Renovation Stores (Home Depot, Home Hardware)
• Large Automotive Chain Stores
• Large Grocery Stores
• Big Box Stores (Costco)
• Large Grocery Stores
• Strip Malls / Plazas / Shopping Centers
• Industrial Parks
• Business Parks
• Large Factories
• Office Complexes
• Large Office Buildings
• Government Complexes
• Court Houses
• Hospitals
• Call Centers
• Colleges, Universities, High Schools
• Military Bases
• Golf Courses
• Busy Downtown Streets
• Parks
• Beaches
• Parking Lots
• Transportation Hubs – Airports, Train and Bus Stations, Marinas, Freeway Off Ramps, Service Stations, Truck Stops, Car Washes
• Amusement Parks, Zoos
• Waste Disposal Sites

Special Events and Temporary Locations:

• Sporting Events – baseball, soccer, hockey, football, bmx races, little league, big league
• Sales Events / Grand Openings (especially large car lots, furniture and electronics outlets)
• Large Construction Sites
• Charity Events
• School / Church / Club functions
• Business anniversaries, open houses, golf tournaments, company picnics
• Boat shows
• Air Shows and Fly Ins
• Car Shows
• Car Rallies
• Conventions
• Music Festivals
• Carnivals
• County Fairs
• Antique Shows
• Farm Shows
• Craft Shows
• Cultural Events
• Theatres
• Flea Markets, Swap Meets
• Home Shows
• Industrial Shows
• Parades
• Auctions
• Estate Sales
• Fishing Derbies
• Tourist Attractions
• Seasonal Areas:
• Beaches / Piers
• Marinas
• Zoos
• Parks

Catering:

• Birthday Parties.
• Anniversaries.
• Company banquets, tournaments.

Worlds fastest hot dog cart built by Jesse James in monster garage episode 20.

Considering a career in hot dog vending? Here’s how to become a hot dog vendor in 4 painless steps.

Step 1: Street Licence

 You will have to check if a licence is required within your area in order to become a street seller. In order to do this, the easiest way is to contact your local government office, or city civic center, and they should be able to explain to you the their requirements for street merchants.

Step 2: Health Licence  In order to sell any products or food, you will need a qualified health licence in order to legally conduct business. You can receive a health license from the department of health within your local area. The only necessary procedures to attain this health licence is that you will be subjected to routine health department inspections, and follow all current requirements, which vary by city and state, to keep your food cart up to code.

Step 3: Hot Dog Cart You will require a cart in order to become a hot dog vendor. (Obviously!). However it is important that you check that the cart you are about to purchase has enough space to store all the supplies needed in making the hot dog (buns, wieners, mustard and ketchup). You will have to therefore estimate how many you will be selling a day. You will also want a refrigerated section to store cold drinks or frozen wieners and maybe a bun warmer to keep your food hot and appealing to customers.

Step 4: Buy in Bulk Now it’s time for shopping. The best way to save money is to buy in the bulk from discount wholesalers, which will help you save a lot of money. However, be careful not to buy too much as this may lead to waste in food products, either from over-purchasing or some food options being unpopular with customers. Plan and forecast before you make any big purchases – this is a business as much as any multi-million dollar corporation!

Now that you have an overall plan of what you need to know, get down to business and fill in the holes in your knowledge to get your business up and running as fast as possible. There’s no time like the present.

1. The Polish Sausage is made entirely of pork . There are sausages like “Mysliwska” (Hunter’s sausage) that are made with pork and beef, nevertheless the traditional Polish Smoked Sausage is made of pork and the following : salt, pepper, sugar, garlic and majoram. Majoram could be eliminated but garlic has to stay.   This is how this sausage was supposed to be made as recommended by the Polish Government in 1958. Yes, the way meat products were made (especially ones for export) was regulated by the Government, down to the last technical detail.
2. It comes in two versions :
a. Fresh sausage
b. Smoked sausage – this is the Polish Smoked Sausage (Polska Kielbasa Wedzona) that everybody eats in Poland.
To buy real stuff you have to live in New York or Chicago where it can be obtained in meat stores located in Polish neighborhoods. It becomes harder to buy it even in Poland as the present meat industry in order to stay competetive is following american production standards (lower costs and lower quality) and includes the never ending list of chemicals. The final effect is product that resembles the original sausage in name only and not in quality.   Polish Smoked Sausage is made from ingredients mentioned above plus sodium nitrite (you don’t smoke anything without sodium nitrite). Frankly speaking I don’t understand why our FDA hates so much use of potassium nitrate – in Poland they have used it for ages and it is still in use today. And nobody dies. After all, both of them are very powerful poisons 
3. It is stuffed into large casing : about 38 mmm.
4. It has to be smoked (hot smoke) for 2 – 3 hours, this is the only way to get the proper flavor and color and believe me : liquid smoke does not do the trick.   Recommended way is to cold smoke it for 1 to 1.5 days but that will be done probably only by the most demanding purists. Besides, unless you live up North, it is not easy to generate cold smoke.

Rytek Kutas in his book “Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing” got it almost right, except for “soy protein concentrate” (it has no room in a decent sausage – if you want the highest quality).   We are not talking profits here – we are talking the best quality one can get.   Anything besides pork, salt, pepper, sugar, garlic and majoram has no right to be there.   Though of Polish parents, I don’t believe he was ever in Poland himself as he misspells almost every Polish sausage name he writes about.   Otherwise it is the best english book to learn the art of sausage making.

You can of course add anything you like to your sausage but it will not be Polish Smoked Sausage (Polska Kielbasa Wedzona) anymore. Come up with your own name.

A little curiosity : In Poland to obtain the highest quality possible, the meat to be used for sausages is first cut into about 2 inches pieces and then pickled in brine solution (salt plus some sodium nitrite) for about 48 – 72 hours. After that : Grinding, mixing, stuffing, smoking according to established rules. A commercial sausage factory can not find room, time or money to pickle meat for 48 hours
before it goes into the grinder.   All these little details, call them tricks of trade if you will, separate super quality product from its commercial version. That is why a home based sausage maker, having necessary technical knowledge will always make a better sausage than his commercial counterpart as he has all time in the world to do it well

How can you help protect yourself and others from getting a foodborne illness? 
 
Get Yourself a Thermometer
These days, food thermometers aren’t just for your holiday roasts—they’re for all cuts and sizes of meat and poultry, including hamburgers, chicken breasts, and pork chops. Using a food thermometer when cooking meat, poultry, and even egg dishes is the only reliable way to make sure you are preparing a safe and delicious meal for your family.

Why Use a Food Thermometer?
Everyone is at risk for foodborne illness. One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. Using a food thermometer not only keeps your family and customers safe from harmful food bacteria, but it also helps you to avoid overcooking, giving you a safe and flavorful meal.

Some people may be at a higher risk for developing foodborne illnesses. These include pregnant women and their unborn babies and newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and individuals with certain chronic illnesses. These people should pay extra attention to handle food safely.

What Are the Signs of Foodborne Illness?
The signs and symptoms of foodborne illness range from upset stomach, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and dehydration, to more severe illness—even death. Consumers can take simple measures to reduce their risk of foodborne illness, especially in the home.

Using a Food Thermometer
Use an instant-read food thermometer to check the internal temperature toward the end of the cooking time, but before the food is expected to be “done.”   The food thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the food and should not be touching bone, fat, or gristle.   Compare your thermometer reading to the USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures to determine if your food has reached a safe temperature.   Make sure to clean your food thermometer with hot, soapy water before and after each use!

Large-dial oven-safe or oven-probe thermometers may be used for the duration of cooking.

Because there are so many types of food thermometers, it is important to follow the instructions for your food thermometer.

USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures

Steaks & Roasts – 145 °F
Fish – 145 °F
Pork – 160 °F
Ground Beef – 160 °F
Egg Dishes – 160 °F
Chicken Breasts – 165 °F
Whole Poultry – 165 °F

Seeing Isn’t Believing
Many people assume that if a hamburger is brown in the middle, it is done. However, looking at the color and texture of food is not enough—you have to use a food thermometer to be sure! According to USDA research, 1 out of every 4 hamburgers turns brown before it reaches a safe internal temperature. The only safe way to know if meat, poultry, and egg dishes are “done” is to use a food thermometer. When a hamburger is cooked to 160 °F, it is both safe and delicious!

Be Food Safe! Prepare With Care
Know how to prepare, handle, and store food safely to keep you and your family safe. Bacteria can grow on meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products, as well as cut-up or cooked vegetables and fruits.

CLEAN: Wash hands and surfaces often
Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food. Wash your cutting boards, dishes, etc., with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item. Wash fruits and vegetables with cold water before using. There is no need to wash or rinse meat or poultry.

SEPARATE: Don’t cross-contaminate make sure you separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, preparing, or storing. Never place cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

COOK: Cook food to proper temperatures
Use a food thermometer to be sure!

CHILL: Refrigerate Promptly
Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours or sooner.

Sausage is a staple of Polish cuisine and comes in dozens of varieties, smoked or fresh, but almost always based on pork (although in many areas, it is available in beef, and sometimes in turkey, horse, lamb, veal, or bison), every region having its own speciality. Popular varieties include:

kabanosy, a thin, air-dried sausage flavoured with caraway seed, originally made of horsemeat (but today usually pork or turkey)
krakowska, a thick, straight sausage hot-smoked with pepper and garlic; its name comes from Kraków
wiejska, a large U-shaped pork and veal sausage with marjoram and garlic; its name means “rural” or (an adjectival use of) “country”, or (adjectival use of) “village”.
weselna, “wedding” saussage, medium thick, u-shaped smoked saussage; often eaten during parties, but not exclusively
In the U.S., “kielbasa” almost always means some form of wiejska (although often not U-shaped and seldom containing veal), which may be unsmoked (“fresh”) or fully or partly smoked. Similar sausages are found in other Slavic nations as well, notably Russia (spelled “колбаса”, i.e. “kolbasa”), the Czech Republic (spelled “klobása”) and Slovakia (spelled “klobása”).

Original kielbasa is also called “Polska kiełbasa” for “Polish Sausage” or “Kielbasa Starowiejska” known as “Old Country Style Sausage”. This one comes closest to what is generally known in America as “kielbasa” (Polish sausage, Polska Kiełbasa). Nowadays, many major meat packers across America offer a product called “kielbasa,” but it is usually quite different from the original.

In Poland, kielbasa is traditionally served with fried onions, red horseradish (which is blended with beets), and – in form of small pieces, fried together with onions – as an addition to pierogi, which are crescent-shaped dumplings filled with potato, cheese or mushrooms. Kielbasa can be served hot — boiled, baked or grilled. It can be cooked in soups (such as biały barszcz, kapuśniak, or grochówka), baked with sauerkraut, or added to bean dishes, stews (notably bigos, the Polish national dish), and casseroles.

A less widely available variety of kielbasa is the White Fresh (biała), which is sold uncooked and unsmoked, then usually boiled or cooked in a soup in place of a typical meat. This variety of kielbasa taste similar to mild Italian Sausage.

Couresty of Wikipedia

Brown bratwurst over medium heat in a little oil. Add onion and beer. Simmer uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir together butter and onion salt; spread on buns. Make a lengthwise cut in each bratwurst to within 1/2-inch from end. Spoon on drained onion; sprinkle with cheese. Place on foil “boat”, leaving sides open. Broil 4-inches from heat for 2 minutes. Top with crumbled bacon. (Can be done ahead except for final heating, which can be done on outside grill; put bratwurst on a baking sheet and cover grill a few minutes. Watch so they do not burn on the bottom).
Makes 4 servings.

Vegetarian hot dogs are sometimes eaten by non-vegetarians because they are lower in fat, calories, and contain no cholesterol compared to hot dogs from animal meats. Unlike traditional home-made meat sausages, the casing is not made of intestine but of synthetic ingredients. Vegetarian hot dogs are usually based on some sort of soy protein. [1] Some contain egg whites, which would make them unacceptable to vegans. There are also vegetarian hot dogs made from tofu. Like ordinary dogs, vegetarian hot dogs contain little fiber.

The history of the vegetarian hot dog is not clear, but Worthington Foods’ Veja-Link meatless wieners claim to have been the world’s first vegetarian hot dogs in 1949. On June 19, 2000, the Chicago White Sox made baseball history when they began selling vegetarian hot dogs during games at Comiskey Park. The vegetarian sausage without a bun is much more common from the early 20th century, for example the 1913 Indianapolis (Indiana) Star 15 June 8/1 mentions someone who “says he has lived on his vegetarian sausage almost exclusively”. This is cited in the Oxford English Dictionary December 2007 draft additions entry for the adjective vegetarian, but no vegetarian hot dog, wiener or frankfurter is noted.

Courtesty of Wikepedia

I Googled Frances Coffey to see if he invented any other neat hot dog vending gizmos but apparently this was the only thing he patented.  Other than a few things, this invention is abazingly similar to carts in use today.  I don’t see an umberella in any of the photos though but then again a patent wouldn’t necessarily show one since it’s not part of the patent itself.

 The top view here shows the layout of the cart burners and hot plate. 

A little more searching and I was able to find something else this is called  Peddlers Stand but quite honestly, I can’t for the life of me figure out how this things is suppose to work.  It’s sort of like a bicycle with now pedals.  I guess the vender is suppose to push himself around with his feet or something.  This device was invented before the Vending Cart from above.  It was patented in 1924.  While it’s older than the first one, I’m not sure that you can say this is a hot dog vending cart.  I would love to see a photo of one of these in action because I just don’t know how a person could stand in this thing and balance all the food while trying to cook!

Germany
How the sausage is served varies by region. In Thuringia, it is often eaten with hot German mustard in a bread roll or Brötchen. There and further south, the bratwurst is often served “pinched” in a bread roll, much like a forerunner of the American hot dog in a bun. It is a very popular form of “fast food” in German-speaking countries, often cooked and sold from small stands and street vendors. Recipes for the sausage can also vary; some sources list over forty different varieties of German bratwurst.

A giant wurst-and-bun statue can be found at the main intersection of Holzhausen, the location of the German Bratwurst Museum (Deutsches Bratwurstmuseum). The museum, run by the Friends of Thuringian Bratwurst, opened in 2006 and is devoted only to the Thuringian sausage.

The oldest document in the museum mentions bratwurst for the first time in 1404 in Thuringia. In 1410 followed the County of Katzenelnbogen.

In the United States
The Bratwurst was popularized in Sheboygan county, Wisconsin in the 1920′s. In general, each local butcher shop would take orders and hand make bratwurst fresh to be picked up on a particular day. The fat content of the sausages was substantial, making it necessary to avoid spoilage. Much of the fat was removed during the cooking over charcoal. Usually one kept a pan of cold water handy to the grill, so it was easy to dip one’s fingers in and fling the water onto the flames caused by the burning of the excess fat.

The bratwurst (or “brat”) also became popular as a mainstay of sports stadiums after Bill Sperling introduced brats to major league baseball in Milwaukee County Stadium in 1953. The brats were such a hit, Sperling said, that Duke Snider of the Brooklyn Dodgers took a case back to New York, and the rest is history.

The type of bratwurst most commonly found in the United States is the larger variety (not the smaller “Nuremberg-style” bratwurst), approximately one inch in diameter, reddish-brown in color, and made of a combination of beef and pork, and sometimes smoked. Bratwurst made with chicken or turkey, and even vegetarian versions, are increasingly found in American grocery stores.

In the U.S., fresh brats are typically grilled, then sometimes placed in simmering beer or water, often with onions or peppers, and allowed to simmer until are well cooked. Brats are occasionally boiled, especially during the winter in areas where frankfurters are prepared with this method. Smoked brats, which are pre-cooked, need only be heated through. Smoked bratwurst may be sliced crosswise and cooked on a griddle. Either type may be cooked on a griddle whole, but care must be taken to fully cook fresh bratwurst. Another method of cooking involves parboiling the sausage in a mixture of beer, onions, and butter before grilling and serving it. Brats may be eaten with or without a bun with mustard and sauerkraut. Bratwursts, unlike hot dogs, are seldom eaten with ketchup.

The world’s largest brat fest takes place every year in Madison, Wisconsin during the Memorial Day weekend. America’s largest supplier of “brats” is the Johnsonville Foods company of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.

Courtesty of Wikipedia

Americans will eat enough hot dogs at major league ballparks this year to stretch to and from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., the two sites of the 2008 World Series.

New Yorkers consume more hot dogs than any other city, beating out Chicago and Los Angeles.

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport consumes SIX times more hot dogs, 725,000 more than Los Angeles International Airport and LaGuardia Airport combined.

On Independence Day, Americans will enjoy 150 million hot dogs, enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. over five times.

During Hot Dog Season, Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans typically consume 7 billion hot dogs or 818 hot dogs consumed every second during that period.

U.S. soldiers in military posts around the world from Fort Meyers in Arlington, Va. to Okinawa, Japan to Aqaba, Jordon consumed 2.4 million hot dogs last year.

Top Hot Dog Consuming Cities – 2008

1. New York – $107,275,300

2. Los Angeles – $91,364,830

3. Baltimore/Washington – $51,557,600

4. Philadelphia – $46,307,640

5. Chicago – $43,220,760

6.  Boston – $35,554,450

7. San Antonio/Corpus Christi, Texas – $32,994,490

8. Atlanta – $29,192,270

9. South Carolina – $28,656,350

10. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale – $28,345,080

Kosher natural casings are difficult to obtain in commercial quantities in the US, and therefore kosher hot dogs are usually either skinless or made with reconstituted collagen casings.

Popular brands that have natural casings are Sabrett, Smith, Jordan, and Vienna.

This information made possible by the contributions to WikiPedia

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onions and cook them until soft. Stir in the cinnamon and chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook mixture for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature before serving. You can refrigerat the sauce for up to 2 days, but bring to room temperature before serving.

The Inventor

Alan S. Geisler (c. 1931 – January 6, 2009) was an American food chemist best known for creating a red onion sauce most often used as a condiment topping on hot dogs in New York City. Specifically, the sauce, which is marketed as Sabrett’s Prepared Onions, is usually served on Sabrett brand hot dogs sold by New York’s many pushcart hot dog vendors.

Sabrett brand hot dogs and the red onion sauce which Geisler created are the flagship products of Marathon Enterprises, Inc. The company is headquartered in Englewood, New Jersey.

Geisler founded a company that manufactured shortenings, emulsifiers and other ingredients for the baking and baked goods industry in 1960.

One of his customers was Gregory Papalexis, who manufactured both hot dogs and hot dog buns. Papalexis’s customers included hot dog street vendors, who often made a popular homemade, but time laborious, onion sauce as a topping. Papalexis asked Geisler to come up with a factory-made onion sauce for the hot dog vendors to sell at their carts in New York City.

Geisler, with input from Papalexis, created a new, mass-produced onion sauce for hot dogs. The main formula and spice blends of the sauce consisted predominantly of onions, olive oil and tomato paste, which gives the sauce its distinctive red coloring. The sauce proved to be a hit with both the street vendors, who no longer had to make their own time consuming sauces, and hot dog consumers.

Geisler and Papalexis partnered to form their own company, called Tremont Foods, to market and make the new red onion sauce. The sauce was initially sold to New York City hot dogs vendors under the brand names Tremont Foods or House of Weenies.

Papalexis acquired Sabrett Food Products in 1989. As a result of the acquisition, Geisler’s onion sauce became the only onion sauce served on Sabrett hot dogs by vendors in New York City. The cred onion condiment also became available for purchase in supermarkets under the Sabrett’s brand. It is marketed nationwide as under the label name “Sabrett’s Prepared Onions.”

As of 2009, Geisler’s red onion sauce now makes “a couple of million dollars a year in sales” according to Papalexis. Geisler’s and Papalexis’s original company, Tremont Foods, is currently a division of Marathon Enterprises, Inc., which owns the Sabrett trademark. (Marathon Enterprises is owned by Papalexis.) The only product made by Tremont Foods is the popular red onion sauce. The sauce is manufactured in the Bronx, but production is scheduled to shift to a new facility, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, in 2009.

Geisler remained active with the company until his death in 2009.

Courtesty of Wikipedia

The word frankfurter comes from Frankfurt, Germany, where sausages in a bun originated, similar to hot dogs, but made of pork. Wieners, refers to Vienna, Austria, whose German name is “Wien”, home to a sausage made of a mixture of pork and beef. In German speaking countries, except Austria, hot dog sausages are called Wiener or Wiener Würstchen (Würstchen means “little sausage”). In Swiss German, it is called Wienerli, while in Austria the terms Frankfurter or Frankfurter Würstel are used.

The city of Vienna traces the lineage of the hot dog to the Wienerwurst or Viennese sausage, the city of Frankfurt to the Frankfurter Wurst, which it claims was invented in the 1480s and given to the people on the event of imperial coronations, starting with the coronation of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor as King; the hot dog has also been attributed to Johann Georg Lahner, a 18th/19th century butcher from the Bavarian city of Coburg who is said to have invented the “dachshund” or “little-dog” sausage and brought it from Frankfurt to Vienna.

Around 1870, on Coney Island, German immigrant Charles Feltman began selling sausages in rolls.

Others have supposedly invented the hot dog. The idea of a hot dog on a bun is ascribed to the wife of a German named Antonoine Feuchtwanger, who sold hot dogs on the streets of St. Louis, Missouri, in 1880, because his customers kept taking the white gloves handed to them for eating without burning their hands.[5] Anton Ludwig Feuchtwanger, a Bavarian sausage seller, is said to have served sausages in rolls at the World’s Fair – either the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago or the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St Louis[6] – again allegedly because the white gloves he gave to customers so that they could eat his hot sausages in comfort began to disappear as souvenirs.

The association between hot dogs and baseball began as early as 1893 with Chris von der Ahe, a German immigrant who owned not only the St. Louis Browns, but also an amusement park.

Harry M Stevens Inc., founded in 1889, serviced major sports venues with hot dogs and other refreshments, making Stevens known as the “King of Sports Concessions” in the US.

In 1916, an employee of Feltman’s named Nathan Handwerker was encouraged by celebrity clients Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Durante to go into business in competition with his former employer.[10] Handwerker undercut Feltman’s by charging five cents for a hot dog when his former employer was charging ten.[10] At an earlier time in food regulation the hot dog suspect, Handwerker made sure that men wearing surgeon’s smocks were seen eating at Nathan’s Famous to reassure potential customers.

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1 Sabrett brand beef frankfurter – 7.5 inches long
Hot dog bun – 1
White onions – 1 tablespoon (chopped)
Mild Kraft cheddar cheese – 1/2 tablespoon (shredded)
A&W Coney Island Sauce – 3 tablespoons

Ingredients:
Ground chuck – 1lb
Tomato paste – 1 can (6oz)
Sugar – 1 tbsp
Yellow mustard – 1 tbsp
Dried, minced onion – 1 tbsp
Chili powder – 2 tsp
Worcestershire sauce – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Celery seed – 1/2 tsp
Ground cumin – 1/2 tsp
Black pepper – 1/4 tsp
Water – 1 cup

Process:
Cook the ground chuck in a pan and break into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the remaining ingredients.
Simmer for about 30 minutes until it thickens.
Grab some dogs and buns and genrously apply the sauce.

For best results add some chopped onions on top and a line or two of mustard.

Have your butcher grind kidney and heart.
Start by mixing all ingredients except oil in an adequately sized sauce pan. Since meat is very dry, slowly add oil before turning on heat.

Mix well over medium heat, and allow to simmer on low heat for about 45 min. May need to add more oil, since you do not want mixture to “fry dry”.

Here’s an image that shows the menu that is different than I remember.  If you look closely at the Coney, you can even see that the sauce doesn’t have the consistancey that I remember.  In the picture, the sauce appears much more clumpy and that’s what I found when I ate it.  Not good!

A&W Menu

For now, try this tasty recipe for coney sauce.  It’l surely make you a Detroit coney sauce fan.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
2 8oz cans tomato paste
2 cups water
1 tsp ginger
1 tbsp cumin
1 ½ tbsp chili powder
¾ tbsp paprika
¾ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic salt
½ tsp celery seed
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
6 oz Heinz ketchup
2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup finely chopped onion and another 2 cups that do not go into the recipe.
 
The Process
1) Put all measured dry ingredients above into a small bowl and mix well, set aside.
2) Brown the ground beef while breaking it into the smallest pieces possible, drain most of the grease, leave a little.
3) Add tomato paste and water directly to the pan with the beef, medium heat, combine well.
4) Sprinkle all dry ingredients evenly into beef/tomato paste mixture while keeping a medium to low heat.
5) Add all other remaining ingredients to pan and stir/mix well. Remember, only 1 cup onion goes in.
6) Slow simmer for at least 1 hour, adding water as necessary so as not to dry out or burn.
 
Your final sauce should have enough consistency so it does not drip or get too runny, yet thin enough not to clump into a ball. 

Place your dog on the bun and top with the sauce.  Sprinkle onions on top and then add a line or two of mustard.  Enjoy!

Hot Dogs and Food Safety
 Whether you call it a frankfurter, hot dog, wiener, or bologna, it’s a cooked sausage and a year-round favorite. They can be made from beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or a combination — the label must state which. And there are Federal standards of identity for their content.

Definitions
Frankfurters (a.k.a., hot dogs, wieners, or bologna) are cooked and/or smoked sausages according to the Federal standards of identity. Federal standards of identity describe the requirements for processors to follow in formulating and marketing meat, poultry, and egg products produced in the United States for sale in this country and in foreign commerce. The standard also requires that they be comminuted (reduced to minute particles), semisolid products made from one or more kinds of raw skeletal muscle from livestock (like beef or pork), and may contain poultry meat. Smoking and curing ingredients contribute to flavor, color, and preservation of the product. They are link-shaped and come in all sizes — short, long, thin, and chubby.

The most popular of all categories, the skinless varieties, have been stripped of their casings after cooking. Water or ice, or both, may be used to facilitate chopping or mixing or to dissolve curing ingredients. The finished products may not contain more than 30% fat or no more than 10% water, or a combination of 40% fat and added water. Up to 3.5% non-meat binders and extenders (such as nonfat dry milk, cereal, or dried whole milk) or 2% isolated soy protein may be used, but must be shown in the ingredients statement on the product’s label by its common name.

Casings
Some hot dogs have a casing, or a thin skin. If the species of the casing is different than that of the hot dog, the label must say so. For example, if a turkey hot dog has a pork casing, the label must list the pork casing on the ingredients list. If the casing is artificially colored, the label must indicate this
as well.

Byproducts, Variety Meats
“Frankfurter, Hot Dog, Wiener, or Bologna With Byproducts” or “With Variety Meats” are made according to the specifications for cooked and/or smoked sausages (see above), except they consist of not less than 15% of one or more kinds of raw skeletal muscle meat with raw meat byproducts. The byproducts (heart, kidney, or liver, for example) must be named with the derived species and be individually named in the ingredients statement.

Species
Beef Franks or Pork Franks are cooked and/or smoked sausage products made according to the specifications above, but with meat from a single species and do not include byproducts.

Turkey Franks or Chicken Franks can contain turkey or chicken and turkey or chicken skin and fat in proportion to a turkey or chicken carcass.

Ingredients Statement
All ingredients in the product must be listed in the ingredients statement in order of predominance, from highest to lowest amounts.

“Meat” Derived By Advanced Meat Bone Separation and Meat Recovery Systems
The definition of “meat” was amended in December 1994 to include any “meat” product that is produced by advanced meat/bone separation machinery. This meat is comparable in appearance, texture, and composition to meat trimmings and similar meat products derived by hand. This machinery separates meat from bone by scraping, shaving, or pressing the meat from the bone without breaking or grinding the bone. Product produced by advanced meat recovery (AMR) machinery can be labeled using terms associated with hand-deboned product (e.g., “pork trimmings” and “ground pork”).

The AMR machinery cannot grind, crush, or pulverize bones to remove edible meat tissue, and bones must emerge essentially intact. The meat produced in this manner can contain no more than 150 milligrams (mg) of calcium per 100 grams product (within a tolerance of 30 mg. of calcium). Products that exceed the calcium content limit must be labeled “mechanically separated pork” in the ingredients statement.

Mechanically Separated Meat (MSM)
Mechanically separated meat is a paste-like and batter-like meat product produced by forcing bones, with attached edible meat, under high pressure through a sieve or similar device to separate the bone from the edible meat tissue.

In 1982, a final rule published by FSIS on mechanically separated meat said it was safe and established a standard of identity for the food product. Some restrictions were made on how much can be used and the type of products in which it can be used. These restrictions were based on concerns for limited intake of certain components in MSM, like calcium. Due to FSIS regulations enacted in 2004 to protect consumers against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, mechanically separated beef is considered inedible and is prohibited for use as human food. It is not permitted in hot dogs or any other processed product. Mechanically separated pork is permitted and must be labeled as “mechanically separated pork” in the ingredients statement. Hot dogs can contain no more than 20% mechanically separated pork.

Mechanically Separated Poultry (MSP)
Mechanically separated poultry is a paste-like and batter-like poultry product produced by forcing bones, with attached edible tissue, through a sieve or similar device under high pressure to separate bone from the edible tissue. Mechanically separated poultry has been used in poultry products since the late 1960′s. In 1995, a final rule on mechanically separated poultry said it was safe and could be used without restrictions. However, it must be labeled as “mechanically separated chicken or turkey” in the product’s ingredients statement. The final rule became effective November 4, 1996. Hot dogs can contain any amount of mechanically separated chicken or turkey.

Food Product Dating Terms
The labeling on a package of hot dogs may contain one of several different types of dates. Product dating is voluntary and not required by Federal regulations. If a date is used, it must also state what the date means.
“Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
“Use-By” date is the last date recommended for use of the product while at peak quality. This date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
“Best if Used By (or Before)” date helps consumers by stating a precise date for best flavor or quality.
“Expiration Date” helps stores and consumers by stating the shelf-life or the last day product should be used while it is wholesome.

Safety After Date Expires
Except for “Use-By” dates, product dates don’t refer to home storage and use after purchase. If a “Sell-By,” “Best if Used By (or Before),” or “Expiration Date” date expires during home storage, a product should be safe and wholesome if handled safely and kept at 40 °F or below.

Food Safety Guidelines
The same general food safety guidelines apply to hot dogs as to all perishable products — “Keep hot food hot and cold food cold.”

Although hot dogs are fully cooked, those at increased risk of foodborne illness should reheat hot dogs and luncheon meat until steaming hot before eating, due to the threat of listeriosis.

When you leave the grocery store with hot dogs, head straight home and refrigerate or freeze them immediately. If there is no product date, hot dogs can be safely stored in the unopened package for 2 weeks in the refrigerator; once opened, only 1 week. For maximum quality, freeze hot dogs no longer than 1 or 2 months. And, of course, never leave hot dogs at room temperature for more than 2 hours and no more than 1 hour when the temperature goes above 90 °F.

For the visual learners out there…

This is what it looks like in a Production environment…

Even so, he has still found a way to use death to make his living. Several days a week, Belcher sets up his Hellacious Hot Dog stand near the corner of Kathleen and Spivey roads in north Lakeland.

“I get some strange looks,” he said. “Some people laugh. Some people can’t believe what they see.”

Before he started his business, Belcher worked for 25 years as an engineer. A few years back, though, he decided to do something different, which was when he came up with his new business plan.

Part of his plan entailed buying a black Cadillac hearse from his brother. The hearse has plenty of room in the back, which is where Belcher stores his cooler and his equipment.

Customers at his stand can choose from “body bags of chips,” “cold soda in the morgue” and “stiffs.”

Belcher’s stand isn’t all about the gimmick. He’s got a steady customer base made up of people like Doc Stepul.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” he said. “You know, the hearse, naturally and then you have the hot dog, and, well, I’m a repeat customer.”

Here’s an interesting video that’ll show you everything you need to know.

If for any reason you are out of work, tired of your job, or looking to start a business but don’t have a lot of money, then you should really think about Hot Dog Vending.

It’s so easy to start and buying a cart is no problem as they come in a wide range of prices, even used carts are fantastic money makers, My cart is used ( a Hummer that I paid $900.00 for and it’s 2 years old ) and my take home after expenses averages $400.00 per day.

I would advice you to get a hold of Perry’s Hot Dog Profits before you buy your cart because it lists many mistakes rookies can make if they don’t do their homework first.

Things to know before you start

# 1 – What cart to buy to fill my specific needs and price

# 2 – How to fill in a permit

# 3 – How to find the best locations in any weather

# 4 – Where to buy your supply’s

# 5 – Who to hire if you need time off or want to expand

# 6 – The best way to prepare the food and present it

# 7 – How to Barter for free services

# 8 – How to negotiate for big venue events

I highly recommend getting a hold of Perry’s ebook that will make your start in this new venture very easily and avoid costly mistakes,after I read his tips and bought my cart I was up and running in a week and made good money my first day and I’ve never looked back.

It’s nice owning my own business being the boss of me, starting when I want and finishing when I want, getting a lot of fresh air, meeting nice people, and making a lot of money which constantly puts a big smile on my face.

Watch this video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HDg6q65AoU

Or check out my Web site – http://www.squidoo.com/starting-hot-dog-carts-business

About the Author

Since I bought my hot dog cart (used) I’m am having a great time in this new venture, the work is easy, the profits are fantastic, and I only work 6 hours or less a day.

Check out my web site – http://www.squidoo.com/starting-hot-dog-carts-business

You don’t need special training to run a hotdog cart business. What you do need is an outgoing personality, stamina and creative business sense. The business is stressful as most malls are open from 10 or 11 a.m. until 10 or 11 p.m. daily, and you’re expected to be present there. Even if you open a small shop on the street or in a park, to build a customer base, you have to show up regularity at your cart. Lot of entrepreneurs has made their dreams of retailing a reality by opening cart businesses.

Before purchasing a used hot dog cart check with your city to see if hot dog stands are permitted. Some communities have health laws that put the kibosh on them. Build an economical model for your hot dog stand in your mind. See towards other vendors to discover how many hot dogs they sell, and see how much food they throw out at the end of each day. Distinguish your variable costs, which increase with each sale and your fixed costs like equipment, permits, electricity and gas, which you have to pay even if you sell nothing. From this compute the number of sales you have to make to break even. Can you do it?

Sign up for a course on food caring, which you’re county likely hosts once a month. You may be expected to show attendance before the health department will green-light your plans. Find a location for installation. Some communities want that you operate in a private location, such as on the premises of a business that allows you to be there. Distinguish a busy street with less food choices or a large business with hungry employees.

Look into the health code requirements. Your used hotdog cart may be needed to have hot and cold water and some number of wash sinks. Submit pictures of your used hotdog stand to health department of your area for approval. Purchase the equipment you need, including the cart, coolers, food handling gear, cooking equipment and other essentials, from a restaurant supply store.

Purchase your supplies. Shop around for the best prices and yummiest product. Check out restaurant supply stores and bulk warehouses. Explore inventory and stock level necessities. Food businesses lose huge amounts of money due to bad arranging and spoilage. Plan your inventory to have a minimal amount available at any time.

The biggest challenge to get over in terms of beginning a hot dog vending business is to secure a vendor’s permit in your local community. If you can’t get one, you can still run a hot dog cart on privately owned property and provide functions such as flea markets, auctions, sporting events and fairs. As a method to bring down startup costs, consider purchasing a used hotdog cart they’re typically half the cost of a new one. Currently, used hot dog vending carts are selling in the range of $2,000 to $4,000 each, depending upon the features.

This is a wonderful business to operate on a full or part time basis, and allowing you can secure a good location or local events to cater to, hot dog vendors can regularly earn $4,000 per month and more.

They stamped it on rinds of bacon slabs, and printed it on boxes of pork sausage and on lard pails. Over time, they used other brand names like “Moose” (for baker’s lard and heavier bacon), “Approved Brand,” and “Meats of Good Taste.” Finally, in 1929, the brand name of Oscar Mayer was first printed on Oscar Mayer Weiner packages and has been used ever since.

Besides having one of the first recognized meat brands, the Mayers were also among the first to have their products federally approved. In 1906, the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) was created to ensure the purity of food products, and the Mayers were among the first to volunteer for inspection.

• Franks
• Salami
• Bologna
• Knockwurst
• Polish sausage
• Deli meats
• Sauerkraut
• Mustard

Hebrew National produces both bulk and consumer packaged products and of course all of them are Kosher.

When you visit New York, this is the hot dog you’re mostly likely going to get.  New Yorkers love these and so will you!

Rich

Today Koegel produces about thirty-five different products. They are sold almost exclusively in Michigan with a small percentage going to Toledo, Ohio. The business continues to grow as new stores and territories are added. Additionally, Koegel products have a taste and texture that usually keeps customers buying once they try the product. They’re slogan…”Made Up To a Quality…Not Down to a Price” says it all. Today the products are still made using the same recipes and processes that Albert Koegel learned and developed.

Another unique aspect of Koegel Meats business is that they deliver to each individual store. Delivering to each store allows Koegel to place a shelf life on its products which is approximately half of its competitors. This helps to ensure that the end customer is eating a fresh product.

For the hot dog vendor, it would be helpful to be affilated with a butcher as a commisary so that they could order the meat for you. 

Thier website is at http://www.koegelmeats.com.

Their Products Include