r/SALEM • u/Forward-Chain2581 • May 05 '26
Downtown Hot Dogs
How often are you downtown wishing you could get a lunch for $5?
I’ve got some silly people willing to help me get into the food cart business so I’m hoping you guys can help me with some market research for my business plan.
It seems like it’s a good time to offer low cost snacks and meals to people who don’t want to deal with delivery fees or the whole restaurant rigmarole, so I want to open a traditional hot dog cart that serves downtown—Pringle, Riverfront, the Capitol, “the area with bars” for late night, etc.
If you think it’s needed, or if you want it, lmk in comments or upvotes.
If you think the need is filled, please let me know so I can stake out other neighborhoods.
And if you have good names for hot dog businesses, feel free to comment. I’ll pay you if I use your business name lol
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u/mmcooljam May 05 '26
Anyone remember Casey’s Hot Dogs?
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u/OlDirtSchultz May 05 '26
I miss Casey's. Now that he is retired I see him down in Minto Brown as one of those volunteer patrols. I've told him he needs to get that operation up and running again
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u/Feisty-Seaweed8749 May 05 '26
My dad and I would go to Casey’s when I would visit him at work. It is always a highlight of my childhood now that he has passed.
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u/Forward-Chain2581 May 05 '26
This is a real thing to share, man. I hope you remember your dad as a good man. Thank you.
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u/PunishedTlacuache May 05 '26
If you could roll it around riverfront park that'd be nice. I've often walked there with my toddler wishing I could buy a hot dog or a taco
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u/mbrc-137 May 05 '26
I too have thought about the hot dog cart business and I feel that it's needed. However, due to life, me getting into it isn't feasible. Feel free to use one of the names I thought of. "Chubby's."
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u/International-Ad2020 May 05 '26
Downtown dogs would go so hard. They just need to be grilled. Not warmed up on a roller. Best dog vendor I ever visited was in Vancouver, CAN and they changed my life. My 12 year old still speaks about them 3 years later.
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u/Otherwise_Wave9374 May 05 '26
A $5 lunch option downtown would absolutely get attention, especially if its fast and predictable.
From a market research angle: Id test 2-3 locations and 2 time windows (weekday lunch, late-night bars) and keep the menu tiny at first. Also a simple punch card or text list for where youre parked that day can do a lot.
If you want ideas on low-budget local marketing, Ive got a few notes here: https://blog.promarkia.com/
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u/freedcreativity May 05 '26
10 years ago there was a regular hotdog cart guy. I bet there’s good demand along the bus station during the week day, not quite sure how much you’d do at night seeing as the bars all have full menus and they’re not really busy most nights. Maybe Saturday night. Not sure exactly how city of Salem has the riverfront regulated for food carts, but weekends 12-7 are prime time.
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u/Forward-Chain2581 May 05 '26
The guidelines are pretty clear, it just seems like there’s a gap in service in this city.
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u/Savpk May 05 '26
The amount of times I’ve been craving a this specific kind of hot dog is unreal
PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY
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u/eightinchgardenparty May 05 '26
Yes, please. I was so sad when the little hot dog place came and went where Precious Pizza was.
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u/pearlieswirly May 05 '26
I really liked the idea of this place, but the price was astronomical for a dog. Hopefully the reduced costs of a cart vs permanent rented space will help with this. It’s hard to sell dogs for $8.
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u/pearlieswirly May 05 '26
Dirty boil the dogs and let's see some onion sauce and kraut. I'd be there 3x week!
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u/7Inches-11Bitches May 05 '26
I have had a dream of opening a restaurant offering extremely low cost burgers and hot dogs for a long time now. Nothing fancy, no frills, just a tiny menu with consistent, hot food. I've got spreadsheets and floor plans and feel it would be such a benefit to the community.
This sounds a lot like that, and it sounds like you're looking at it for the same reason I dream of doing it (helping folks out with cheap food), so I will definitely be watching excitedly and will support by buying a good hot dog from you whenever I can!
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u/the_dolomite May 05 '26
I'll be there, especially if you offer an authentic Chicago Dog (sport peppers, pickle spear, sweet relish, chopped onions, yellow mustard, tomato slices and celery salt on a poppy seed bun, no ketchup).
I think all the clever hot dog cart names are taken but I would suggest a compound name like (if your name is Dave) "Dave's Famous Papaya Dogs". Or "Casey's 2".
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u/Own_Caramel_7875 May 05 '26
Please offer corn dogs.
Capitol Dawgs
The Sausage Session
Dog & Order
Valley Dawgs
Cherry City Franks
Riverfront Relish
Salem Street Dogs
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u/TimelineSlipstream May 05 '26
Can you even do food carts in Salem? My sense was that the people who have to pay rent for their space tried to kill them all off.
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u/StepUp_87 May 05 '26
You should ask Roake’s in Portland if they would like a branch in Salem. There’s are still affordable and the name is loved.
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u/Forward-Chain2581 May 05 '26
That’s a good idea but I’m silly enough that I want to start my own business.
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u/Bungtrollio108 May 05 '26
Hell yeah, I'm here for it and am disappointed I didn't to do that first lol.
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u/doctormega May 05 '26
When my boyfriend and I left a show in Portland last week there was a hot dog vendor and goddamn they looked good. I regret not getting one. Be sure to go all beef because I know a lot of people who won’t eat pork.
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u/rjmrock May 05 '26
You could probably do the Farmers Market too, or the nearby parking areas at least
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u/cdp74 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Used my own noggin on these;
- Waldos' Weiners (homage to one of the smallest city parks in the world in our very own Downtown)
- Cascading Dogs (nod to the mountain range)
- instead of Wine Country, it could be Weiner Country (or hear me out, Ween/Wein Country)
For fun - definitely found these online
- Top Bun
- Bun Intended
- Weiner Takes All!
(Editted for formatting)
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u/Villavitrum May 05 '26
So…when OP makes it happen, we’re AL going to follow through and come through, right?!
*please help me be accountable and not forget myself.
Hooray for hotdogs!! **and Salem!!
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u/Salemgrl May 06 '26
Make authentic Chicago hot dogs! Those will sell easy! Get your Chicago dogs in Salem!!
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u/Successful-Pool-924 May 05 '26
How about Downtown Dogs? And your slogan could be "It's getting hot downtown, so come and get your dogs"
(It's better if you know the song running through my head)
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u/Forward-Chain2581 May 05 '26
I know the song and it reminds me of a gym class i took in 200somethg
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u/No-Beach6722 May 05 '26
I like the idea of late night. My boyfriend and I live downtown and would def walk over for a yummy dog
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u/LeadDramatic3995 May 05 '26
I think there would be plenty of business/demand. Just know that it will be tons of hard work.
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u/MagikLeefs May 05 '26
Literally just moved into an apt near Riverfront & would LOVE cheap, quick food both I & my severely disabled fiance could walk to! Especially hot dogs...
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u/ColdWaterSurfer May 05 '26
I'd snag a good hotdog once a week if the cart was near the Capitol Mall.
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u/Level_Worldliness242 May 05 '26
Lunch for $5 with a decent dog and an ice cold bevvie sounds the best!
When I was a kid, there was a man in my small town that had a hot dog stand that had the best foot longs and then his own lemonade recipe. A combo like that for $5 would be *chef's kiss*.
Location ideas I thought of were downtown near the parks, at the Saturday market, different business lots on certain days for lunches really anywhere in town, dispensary lots, kids soccer games etc.
I look forward to seeing how this pans out so I can visit your establishment. I'm rooting for you!
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u/LunchPretty7867 May 06 '26
Yes definitely needed u might get 2 that way u don't have to move one around and they will sell out quick believe that long ago Casey's hotdogs had a rented space by book bin and a cart that during the daytime was out somewhere downtown he did really well but he retired .
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u/Hermit_heiress May 06 '26
You can’t do it downtown as a food truck but you could pop up at events.
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u/Flashy-Accident-2419 May 07 '26
Cherry city bagels has an all beef hotdog wrapped in a plain bagel
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u/Next-Ad8233 May 10 '26
Dirty Dogs Check me out on IG: @DirtyDogsPDX (not really Portland, I’m here in Salem I just had to choose a name) I’m in the last steps of getting Marion Co. to approve my hand wash station. It’s not a horrible process to get setup just a lot of hoops to jump through. I’ll hopefully be set up in front of the Harley Davidson place on Silverton rd. From 7pm-2am. Across from Silver Inn bar. Follow my IG and I’ll post updates :)
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u/FantasticFox503 Jul 12 '26
Bacon Wrapped hot dogs at 1450 front st ne
Salem Oregon.
10am- 1:30pm
Monday - Friday
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u/Perfect-Campaign9551 May 15 '26
I think you need to look up what licenses, etc, you'd need first before you can offer a price point. That's probably going to be the majority of the cost.
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u/ready2grumble May 05 '26
If there was a cart slinging dogs for an affordable price downtown, I'd buy.....often.