Turns out it was very well used, and the likely reason it was still there is because somebody had stripped the threads on the security cable. Several people tried in vain to remove it with both metric and standard wrenches. My ride was waiting, so I had to make the buy decision. They gave me a lousy ten bucks off. Unless compelled, I doubt I will shop at Sam Ash ever again.So there I am, riding my bicycle southbound on Dixie. I pass a crowd of Latinos walking north, who call out if I’ll be singing tonight. That’s a treat, last November I wouldn’t or couldn’t sing a note. These folks must have heard me at Buddy’s. For those who don’t know, I got so fed up trying to find a singer, I went to 30 of the worst Karaoke shows in town until I convinced myself I could do better.
This was no mean feat. I am certain something scared me terribly about singing as a child. More than likely a component of such would be that attempting to sing would have invited ferocious criticism, since the practicing would have to have been done indoors with family within earshot. The prevailing attitude was that doing anything like learning to sing was proof things weren’t good enough for you, an issue to be avoided in that household, let me tell you.
Hot dogs. Show me the worker who hasn’t thought of opening a hot dog stand and making a killing. It has got to be the number one retirement concept for middle-management. So follow closely, this could be your salvation. Pete the Rock reports that Gulfstream has 80 hot dog carts they used once for a movie set. Now these brand new carts are sitting in storage. He says he can get one free; I said pick me up a couple.
That's a joke, Pete. You middle-class know-nothings have destroyed the very America you'll need to survive when you get older. Maybe you should learn what a healthy hot dog is yourself instead of relying on the government to do it for you. It ain't so much fun when the very "safety" rules you let slip into law come back to bit you in the ass, huh?
The wagons themselves vary hugely in quality and price. The New York model with casters sells for $1,900 all the way up to the two-person road-ready wagon coming in at $6,500. Local laws vary, sometimes requiring a sink with hot water, a waste water tank, condiment hoods and sometimes free cold water. See, I’ve written your business plan for you. Five hundred bucks, please.
There’s another catch. You must purchase all supplies from an approved vendor. The word is you buy the first batch, see what brand it is that week, and then head over to Wal*Mart. If you wish to sell bags of potato chips on the side, you’ll need yet another license and the approved vendor law also applies. Now we know almost 0% of the operators are in full compliance.
The good news is the state license is only $145. It is a 12-hour course you sit through to learn some basics about food handling. It is reputedly a test nobody has ever failed, so its true purpose is suspect. For variable costs, I figure a soda and a hot dog will total around 90 cents, plus condiments and napkins. Let’s estimate $1.10 until you find out how to, ahem, get efficient. The selling price at private events and fairs is $4.00 for the combo, realizing a gross profit of $2.90 per sale. The pessimistic projection is costs of $1.50, selling for $2.50.
Either way, don’t do it unless you get the cart for free. And that is precisely what I’ll be taking another look into. Poke back in and check, as I used to with the wife.
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