Hot dog cart

I

Inviter

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Hi all.... I was thinking of starting up a hot dog cart... maybe selling wors rolls, hot dogs, burgers and ofcourse cans of coke. I was thinking of hiring someone and placing it in an area close to a taxi and bus rank where the is lots of people. Any idea if it's a profitable venture and if I am in the right market?

I had a look at some of the franchises and it's just crazy fees and start ups for the carts. I can't afford them and I can buy my own unbranded cart under quarter the price fitted with all the equipment.

Any experienced people in the industry who can lend some input?
Also is the returns good or will it turn into a white elephant?
 
My father has a food stall at a flee market every sunday. Fees are R50 for the day. I help out most sundays and from what i can see, he definitely makes good profits.

Last year we booked at a weekend event and scooped in more than R8000 profit for just one weekend, but those events are crazy busy.

There definitely is money to be made if you can find the right location
 
I'd be careful about a Boerie stand near a taxi rank, not the safety aspect but price point, a lot of the people using a mini-taxi are probably not in the highest income bracket.

Also at my last work, the guys would go around to the local lady's caravan and get a plate for R25 Bucks, big piece of meat, some greens, pap and sauce.
A big plate man! I'm a big guy and there's no way I could chow that much !!

So selling a single Boerie roll for R25 may prove difficult, you need a more Yuppie enviroment in my opinion.

But I don't see a reason for it not to work, it's a cash business, easy to see profit, quick to adjust required stock etc.
 
I would be worried about the safety of the employee and money tbh.

There used to be a lot of those Pete's Boerewors stands on the side of the road here in the Westrand and some stupid chop that used to go to primary school with me who thought he was some sort of white gangster, I learned, used to hold these people at gun point and steal the money.

However having a stall at flea markets and other safer environments I think could make a good profit if the price bracket is right.
 
Here in Bellville you will be chased away from a rank/terminus unless you rent a stall from the council. And...that...is...a...mission.

I enquired last year for someone who wanted to sell snoek and they told me the waiting list is going back to 2008
 
As an aside you need to target places where people need to queue for a service to be provided.

SARS, Home Affairs, the Courts.

The reason is psycological: I won't leave my place in the queue and go to a place around the corner to go grab a coke and sandwich. If people see me purchasing a sandwich/boerie two metres away from the queue, there'll be less risk of me losing my place in the queue.
 
YingYang said:
As an aside you need to target places where people need to queue for a service to be provided.

SARS, Home Affairs, the Courts.

The reason is psycological: I won't leave my place in the queue and go to a place around the corner to go grab a coke and sandwich. If people see me purchasing a sandwich/boerie two metres away from the queue, there'll be less risk of me losing my place in the queue.
Click to expand...

They have a cart at the traffic department and it does very well and also sells chips and Ice cream.
 
Inviter said:
Do they do it for the taxi market?
Click to expand...

If you want to cater for the "taxi" market which make up a large percentage of low income earners then selling burgers and hotdogs is not the way to go.

These people would rather spend extra cash on KFC and CL.

You need think along the lines of pap and other related combos.
 
Start a braai cart rather - people will queue for that if you nail your recipes and sauces.
 
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