How To Make Your Own Hot Dog Cart

Jun. 30, 2020

One of the most profitable businesses to pursue is a hot dog cart business because it retails an important demand for humans: food. This style of the company also comes with the benefit of being agile and quick to start from the ground down, versatile, and not too costly so that you can switch between places to the best areas in terms of competitiveness and demand.

This article will serve as the best blueprint for the manufacture from scratch of your hot dog cart. It's true that if you're a person who has the expertise to do things yourself or simply wants to save a few dollars, you can create a custom hot dog cart. Making your hot dog cart can provide you with the chance to act as a contractor and to be a street food supplier. It's easy to start with once you have the requisite materials. 

The Design


Decide for your hot dog cart for what purposes. Would you like to serve hot dogs on outdoor parties and barbecues from a kitschy cart to your friends and family? Will you want to sell neighbors and shoppers at your yard sale easily without a huge profit? Or would you like to be a vendor on the streets of the city and at park festivals? You will need to buy products that follow the local authority licensing requirements to ensure that the cart is made of stainless steel for commercial purposes. Heating systems shall meet minimum temperature and additional health and sanitation inspections. Heating systems shall be mandatory. Choose and buy your type of wheel. You want heavy-duty rubber tires for day-to-day use on the lane. Thinner wooden or metal wheels are suitable for use in the backyard and party. You may want two or three wheels that are suitable for your city scrotum, depending on your use. The cart's central heating and design will also change the height, width, and number of wheels you use. Don't skimp on supporting your wheel.

The money and time you put in


The good news is this: without formal experience, you can build your hot dog cart. Yet you want to really? This problem will depend entirely on your expertise and preferences. Let's first cover the matter of time. It takes more time to build a cart than it takes to buy it pre-manufactured. It could probably take you 2–3 months to install when you buy your cart for the first time. You might also end up putting your 3-compartment sink in the wrong place when you order a package containing directions or your plumbing pipes may not be long enough. There is an infinite range of things that could go wrong if this is your first home.

The tools you’ll need


Here's where it is pricier to build a cart with your own. You will require simple welding, to cut wood for the frame using electric saw, and then of course you need a few screws and bolts to tie the thing together, depending on the complexity of the design. If you have these tools already, beautiful! You would then have to buy, lease, or rent them, if not.

The Situation


This is very important.  You need to know the local legislation and health provisions for the operation of a hot dog cart in your city or county before buying or operating a manufactured cart. For starters, most towns require a cart of hot and cold water to function legally or even a 3-department bath. You may finally build a cart that you can never legally operate for profit if you do not figure out these important details beforehand. You can contact your city hall for more details about the regulations in your area. The hot dog company has been running for over 100 years and simple operational laws are still in effect.

How do you make your cart?


Maybe in your city, you've always admired the street food vendors. Those who can spend the day alone, work for themselves, and chat with strangers, and you want to try this career. But on the other hand, you might want your food cart for a family reunion or picnic in the company. You've chosen to own a food cart either way. It can be relatively expensive if you buy one ready-made. Luckily, you can buy the parts separately for your cart and save time by combining them. 

1. Creating your frame


The first step in building a cart is to construct a frame for the cart, which is essentially an outline. This frame is made of steel or wood in DIY projects ideally. Usually, the frame is mapped on paper or CAD software before the start. It will act as the road map for where you can put the rest of the equipment housed.

2. Water Tanks


For most places, fresh and wastewater tanks are needed. You would need hot and cold, new, and wastewater on the cart for most aspiring hot dog vendors. You must also install simple plumbing, usually using plastic tubing, between tanks.

3. Doors and the Counter Tops


Even if you don't require much room to sling hot dogs and clean the table, you need some room for the preparation of food. You may, for example, need room to assemble the pickle, tomatoes, and celery salt if you plan to serve dogs like Chicago. The external doors are recommended to include a locking mechanism that avoids the doors that swing open when in transit.

4. Refrigerator 


You can keep condiments and vegetables cool by installing a refrigerator. It also allows you to increase your cart’s profits. Mini-refrigerator standard restaurants can be purchased at this time for under $500 and are completely worth the cost since cold drinks can be added to the mix. This is a small effort to boost customer value by between 1 and 3 dollars per person. The extra planning job is limited and you just have to do the hand can or bottle for your clients.

5. Steam Table


At least two steam tables will have to be installed in your cart, but more than that you probably won't. In addition to any additional items you must keep hot as chili or nacho cheese, steamers should be used to cook buns and sausage.

6. Lights


To make sure your vehicle is legal on the street if you want to pull around your trailer. This means that you're going to have to turn back brake lights in the transport. This is an important step in the process that is often ignored. You’re going to have to transport something legally from one place to another.