Q. Do I need a special license?
A. Yes, very likely. Check with your local City Hall in person or on your city’s web site for details, by-law requirements, license cost, etc.
Q: Do I need approval from the local Health Department authorities?
A: Yes, very likely. Check with your local Health Department. They may be listed on the city’s web site. Get the details on the local health code requirements. There may be an initial inspection fee on your cart.
Q. How much does a license cost?
A. Anything from free to about $300 a year.
Q. How do I find a good location for my hotdog cart?
A. We will help you. You are limited only by your imagination. A good location will have lots of pedestrian traffic and no competition.
Q. Will I have to pay rent?
A. If you locate on private property you will likely have to pay a bit of rent.
Q: Can I move the cart or must it stay in one spot?
A: You can move the cart all you want. We want you to make as much money as possible. The large carts are all equipped with a trailer hitch for highway towing behind a vehicle. However there are good reasons to find a regular, steady location. It is best to find a good location and stay there so that people will know where to find you. This way you can quickly build a good base of regular loyal customers. The cart can be moved during “Off” hours to special events for extra income such as in evenings or on weekends. However you should have a regular consistent schedule at a good location.
Q. How much can I expect to make?
A. Many locations earn $200,000 yearly. A fair average is about $50,000 yearly with your “take home pay” about $30,000 to $35,000 yearly.
Q. How much do I pay for …?
A. As a general rule your food costs would be less than 30% of your retail prices. If you sell a sausage for $3.00, it should cost less than $0.90.
Q: Can your hot dog carts serve pre-cooked chicken or ribs?
A: Yes. However, your local health department may not allow this. They may not allow vendor carts to serve what they classify as hazardous pre-cooked meats which often includes pre-cooked chicken or pre-cooked pork ribs. Check with your local health department first before planning to serve such items.
Q: Can your hot dog carts cook raw steak, chicken or pork?
A: Yes. However, your local health department may not allow this. They may not allow vendor carts to serve what they classify as hazardous uncooked meats. This definition often includes raw or frozen chicken, raw or frozen beef, raw or frozen pork, and ground meats. Check with your local health department first before planning to serve such items.
Q. Where do I get the products to sell from my cart?
A. We will help set you up with good, local wholesalers and we will wholesale our private label meat to you.
Q. Do you deliver?
A. Yes! We deliver anywhere in the world, right to your door.
Q: How much will it cost to ship a hot dog cart to me?
A: Our shipping costs are reasonably priced and designed to include freight, crating, and insurance. Contact us to receive a personalized shipping quote for your location.
Q: Can you attach a coffee pot to a WillyDogs cart?
A: Yes. Coffee pots are shown in our Cart Options page. It would require a 110 volt AC power supply outlet near the cart.
Q: Does the cart have hot and cold running water?
A: Yes. Most of the carts are completely self-contained with hot and cold running water. Check the specifications page for each individual cart.
Q: What is the BTU rating of your burners?
A: The BTU ratings vary according to the cart requirements. They start at 17,000 BTU and go up from there. Call us with your specific requirements and we’ll specify a burner to do the job.
Q: Do you sell used carts?
A: Not usually. Our customers are so happy with their WillyDog hotdog carts that we don’t have used ones on hand. We pride ourselves in helping our WillyDog customers be successful and often they call back wanting to order another cart to expand their business.
Q: Do you have financing available?
A: Yes. We have a financier that we refer customers to if they require financing when purchasing a hotdog cart.