Hot Dog Cart business. Business Overview The biggest challenge to overcome in terms of starting a hot dog vending business is to secure a vendor's permit in your local community. However, even if a vendor's permit cannot be obtained, you can still operate a hot dog cart on privately-owned property and cater to functions such as flea markets, auction sales, sporting events, and fairs. Currently new hot dog vending carts are retailing in the range of $4,000 to $8,000 each,...