Wednesday, July 25, 2012

October 1!

Now that the contracts are signed and the check is delivered, we have an estimated date for the completion of the truck.

We are scheduled for an October 1st completion date on the truck, so mark your calenders!

Until then, come say "Hi," and check out the Gastro Dog Cart.

I am planning on having the cart out on the road by August 1st, barring any more bumps in the road.

I am working on locations for lunch stops and late-night stops for the cart. I have a good amount of feedback and suggestions on prospective locations, but I am always open to more suggestions!

I will continue to keep you updated on all the progress on the locations of the cart and truck construction through this blog.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The Check is in the Mail!

It is a big day for us!

The sneeze guards are completed, shipped and the tracking number said they should be here by Wednesday. Once I have them in my hand, I will schedule my cart inspection with Wake County. Hopefully, they can schedule me for later this week, so that I can have my permit in my hand by the weekend. I just wanted to thank all the people at Top Dog Carts, who worked with me and the health department to design and manufacture the sneeze guards for the cart so they meet the new standards for the state.

The ink is dry on the contracts for the financing and construction of  the truck! As ole' Jack Burton would say, " The check is in the mail!" (Sorry for the bad "Big Trouble in Little China" reference!) We signed the contracts, and we are on the board at the manufacturer to have our truck built.  We started designing the truck, and looking at financing options over a year ago so it has been a long process to get to this day.

If all goes as planned, I will get the Gastro Dog cart out on my day off as early as next week!

Before we know it the truck will be on the road, and we will be doing our best to bring a great experience to you!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Works like a charm!

Yesterday, I gave the Gastro Dog cart some lovin!

I tested the gas system, and everything works great. The steam tabels and the grill got hot quickly.

The electrical system needed to be adjusted slighlty so that the the battery would hold a charge better, and the water pump could operate more efficiently. So I cleaned up the elctrical system and the battery and the pump check out great!

I gave the cart a good clean with soap, water, a metal scrubby, and stainless steel polish.

I replaced a blown fuse on the truck that will be towing the cart, so that the flashers and brake lights work.

I am just waiting on the custom sneeze guards which I am expecting to ship early next week. Once I receive them, I can set up my inspection with the health department.



Here is a picture of the front of the Gastro Dog cart with the new sign on it!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Status Update

We just wanted to drop everyone a status update.

The closing date for the truck financing is set for early next week. The truck is being built by a manufacturer in Texas. They are customizing a 2006 Chevy Step Van, and turning it into the CJ's Street Food Truck. We are expecting the truck to be ready to go by Late September. We will post pictures of the construction on the blog and our Facebook page.

The Gastro Dog Cart is hung up in the inspections process with Wake County. We are hung up on sneeze guards. The Gastro Dog Cart is not the typical hot dog cart design, so there isn't a typical design yet for a sneeze guard. We have been going back and forth for the past few weeks on a design for a cover for the flat top grill. We are almost there, and we have two stainless steel fabricators lined up to do the work once the design is approved. To add to the excitement, the shipping company misplaced our custom graphic sign, so we have been trying to track it down and/or file a loss claim for the past three weeks. The replacement sign was shipped yesterday. We expect the Gastro Dog Cart to be on the road by the end of July or the first week in August.

We are excited to say that we have located two potential commercial kitchens in which to make the Gastro Dog sausages. We are still trying to locate a commercial space approved for food trucks. The first one we looked at in Durham, currently has no openings for another food truck.

Slowly, but surely our dream of the CJ's Street Food concept is coming together, and we are so excited to get out on the road, and make people happy doing what we love to do!

Stay tuned!