You are not alone in this kind of business. You need business partners that can provide you with able assistance as you pursue this line of business. 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. These are essential items to you business operations and thus needs to be either readily available or in your supply room handy at all times. Here are the recommended steps to take when arranging for suppliers for your hot dog stand:

1. It is best to have your bread supplied by a baker that is easily accessible. 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. Having the baker close by ensures your bread are fresh and have a longer expiry date while in your storage. Also, you can have your own kind of bread specially made to your size, taste and specifications. This will not only give you that edge over other hot dog stands in your area. It will also cost you less as you go direct to the baker and you do away with the middleman’s costs.
2. You also need to survey nearby meat shops for your hot dog needs. Having the supplier nearby helps in making them easily available for your supply needs. With this partnership, you can explore possibilities rather than just your run of the mill hot dog. You may wish to offer standard size, jumbo, garlic, polish, spicy, bacon wrapped, or whatever is the local favorite. This expands your menu to capture a wider market for your customer’s discerning tastes.
3. Since you have perishable foods for your food concession stand, 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. This is very important as perishable foods need special storage facilities to remain fresh and edible for human consumption. 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. It is better to engage the services of a commissary as this will give you savings in the long run. The savings is for the food that is saved from spoilage and the penalties you would need to pay if health authorities discover your violations.
4. One of the basics of an astute businessperson is research. You need to research on the differing prices suppliers provide you. 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.

You also need to maintain quality items for your food concession store. The price should not be the only governing value for your purchasing decisions. Having the best kind of food implements for your good concession business will surely help you in the long run.

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.

Suppliers List

In order to help you in your decision making process, we have devised a system that will ensure your success. The worksheet below will help to make sure you have a supplier for everything you might need. You will need to find reliable quality suppliers nearby for a variety of items that you will both sell and use in your business. Do remember that these companies are your business partners and working with them will only ensure the success of your business venture. Here is a list of many of the items you will likely need and some types of suppliers who provide these items:

Condiments:

Relish:

Ketchup:

Chopped Onions:

Red Onion Sauce:

Mayonnaise:

Hot Peppers:

Mustard:

Hot Mustard:

Sauer Kraut:

Chili:

Grated Cheese:

Any other locally popular condiment:

Side Order Items

Cole Slaw:

Pickles:

Bags of Chips:

Bags of Nachos:

Bags of Pretzels:

Soft Drinks

Soda:

Bottled Water:

Juice:

Other Supplies:

Take Out Bags:

Napkins:

Plastic Cutlery:

Cleaning Supplies:

Propane:

Possible Sources of Supply:

Big Box Store:

Wholesale Food Supplier:

Commissary:

Restaurant Supply Company:

Industrial Cleaning Company:

Auto Service Station:

Suggested Specialty Suppliers List

Hot Dog Cart Product Suppliers

It is sometimes a real challenge to find good suppliers or well-priced suppliers for specialized items. In order that you save on time in sourcing out suppliers and thus lose your precious income, we did some research. We do not endorse any particular brand or supplier nor can we guarantee their quality of supply. This has been compiled for the sole purpose of saving you time and energy. With that in mind, here is a list of potential suppliers that you can try.

Buns:

Often the best idea is to source these from a local bakery or discount grocery chain. Otherwise you can order your buns from a national wholesale supplier. Here’s a list:

Rosen’s Buns – www.alphabaking.com

Stroehmann Weston Bakeries – www.gwbakeries.com

Wonder Bread – www.wonderbread.com

Weiners:

The following list is a selection in alphabetical order of various American Hot Dog Cart meat suppliers in the U.S. Just click on the links provided and find a distributor or warehouse nearest you.

Bar-S – www.bar-s.com

Cloverdale – www.cloverdalefoods.com

Dietz & Watson – www.dietzandwatson.com

Farmland Foods – www.farmlandfoods.com

Hebrew National – www.hebrewnational.com

Hormel Foods – www.hormel.com/brands

Oscar Mayer – www.kraftfoods.com

Sabrett – www.sabrett.com

Usinger’s – www.usinger.com

Vienna beef – www.viennabeef.com

Wimmer’s – www.wimmersmeats.com

CANADIAN SUPPLIERS:

Kretschmar – www.kretschmar.com

Maple Lodge Farms – www.maplelodgefarms.com

Schneider Foods – www.schneiders.ca

Shopsy’s – www.mapleleaf.ca

Foil Hot Dog Bags:

These are a specialty item that can be sourced through a restaurant supply company or from a specialty paper manufacturer. Here is a list of potential suppliers.

Ace Mart Restaurant Supply – www.acemart.com

Atlanta Concession Supply – www.sakida.com

Food Service Direct – www.foodservicedirect.com

International Products – www.ipcsupplies.com

Instawares Restaurant Supply – www.instawares.com

Snappy Brand – www.popthis.com