More than once I had stressed out friends say they wanted to quit their jobs and become hot dog vendors. The statistics don't make it look particularly good or bad. The guy that was interviewed in the current New York Magazine says he has been at it for 7 years. He scrapes by with a two bedroom apt in the Bronx for him, his wife, and four kids.
Here are the stats from "A Day in the Life of Hakim Elnagar, The Kebab Man of 42nd Street" by Michael Idov in New York Magazine (June 25, 2007)
Annual income: $35,0000 working 6 days a week
Per day:
Hot Dogs sold: 28
Kebabs: 12
Pretzels: 6
Sodas: 28
Water: 22
Total sales: $140
Profit for the day: $70
Hakim Elnagar
Overhead:
Parking at the Hot Dog Cart Garage on 39th Street: $2400/ year
City vendors license: $3000 / year.
Hey, that hot dog vendor makes $7000 more a year than I do.
Posted by: Denise | June 29, 2007 at 11:32 AM