Ward Danielson, known to many as the barber in Silver Bay, recently fulfilled an over 30 year dream of owning his own hotdog cart. Back in the late 1980s, Danielson read a “very intriguing” Reader’s Digest article about a man in New York City who had a hotdog cart and was very successful financially just working the lunch rush. At the time, Danielson worked for Bruce Reed, the barber in Coon Rapids, and he recalls that he and Reed regularly talked about starting a hotdog cart.
In the summer of 2022, Danielson began working on the hotdog cart. He made it with the help of Eric Schultz from Electroforge Custom Welding, crafting a memorable homemade cart, painted bright red. Danielson finished the cart in time for the Bay Days Parade, and obtained a grant from Lovin’ Lake County, allowing him to purchase and give away 400 hotdogs from Zups.
When asked what the biggest challenge was with building a hotdog cart, Danielson replied that it was the certification process. The cart was the first homemade item to pass inspection, and it passed “with flying colors.”
An avid boater, Danielson spends much of his summer on Lake Vermillion. This summer, he plans to take the hotdog cart – dubbed the North Shore Hotdog Cart – with him. In the fall, he’ll return to the North Shore to do some fall and winter events.
Danielson offers advice to anyone looking to start up a small business like he did: talk to someone in that business. “They’re going to be the encouraging ones,” he says, adding that they also are “the ones who know the direction you need to go.”
Keep a look out for the bright red North Shore Hotdog Cart – whether you’re up on Lake Vermillion this summer, or here on the Shore this fall. Best wishes to Ward Danielson with this new venture!
