The Campus Voice

Issue date: 2/24/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Raul David Chavez Owner of Wally Dogz, Troy Stanley, invested his entire savings in hopes to profit against all odds.

According to the American Meat Institute, in 2007, consumers spent more than $4.1 billion on hot dogs and sausages in U.S. supermarkets. That equals more than 1.5 billion pounds of hot dogs and sausages bought at retail stores alone. These statistics alone prove that the hot dog vendor business can be lucrative and worth investing in.

With the economy in such bad shape, one could wonder if a hot dog stand could survive the crisis as well. For Troy Stanley, owner of Wally Dogz, primarily located at the Jacksonville Landing, "hot dog stands are a crisis proof business," he said. The area where Stanley parks his vendor cart daily is surrounded by some of the largest corporations that are facing many of these challenging issues.

The employees from these established companies regularly visit the area hot dog stands because of the cheap prices. The average hot dog is only $1.75 and a sausage dog around $2. The vendors even offer a combo, which includes a bag of chips and a soda for around $3.

For Jack Port, owner of Monster Dog, located only two blocks away from Wally Dogz, "new businesses are opening daily around here, as well as new jobs are being created because of the construction taking place at the port."

On a good day both Stanley and Port will sell an average of 30 to 40 orders. They both agree that the best time for business is around the lunch break time because some of the customers are busy and on the run. The hot dog business easily meets their need of having fast service.

"Most of my customers come to buy hot dogs at least two or three times per week," said Stanley.

Sales haven't jump significantly during the crisis time, but sales have remained steady.

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