Set up suppliers.

You will need to find quality local suppliers for the consumable items you will be using to operate your hotdog cart and as well as the food items you are going to be selling. These things include the meat, condiments, drinks and side order foods you will sell as well as cleaning supplies, paper goods, propane, etc.

Check for a local bakery for your hot dog buns. You may want to have a couple of sizes i.e. standard and jumbo and maybe even a deluxe bun like a cheese bun or an onion bun.

Also check out a local meat supplier for the dogs. You may wish to offer standard size, jumbo, garlic, polish, spicy, bacon wrapped, or whatever is the local favorite.

You may need to get set up with a commissary. A commissary is a licensed food establishment such as a restaurant or deli that will prepare and store certain perishable food items for you. Having a commissary near your regular vending location will help you avoid dealing with many of the health department regulations for preparing and storing perishable foods. It will also provide a location for your food stuffs to be delivered. Basically, for a fee, the commissary provides the refrigeration equipment and storage area, prepares some of the perishable foods, and conforms to the health department regulations for these services. It simplifies your business. Here is where you would store your hotdog meat and have prepared your daily supply of chopped onions or grated cheese. Having a good rapport with a quality commissary is a real asset to your business.

You will need to comparison shop for suppliers of other items. These include condiments, potato chips, sodas, other beverages, plastic cutlery, napkins, hotdog bags, take-out bags, cleaning supplies, sanitizing solution, and propane gas. These items can be sourced from specialized restaurant supply companies, big box stores, discount supermarkets, commercial cleaning supply companies, and so on. Many of these can be stored in your home office but again take care that even non-perishable items will be stored in a manner that conforms to any local health code regulations.

See our separate section on “Hot Dog Cart Suppliers” for web links to some of the major national suppliers for hot dog meats, buns, and other specialized items used in the American hot dog cart industry.