13-Year-Old Aspiring Hot Dog Vendor Shut Down By City, Sells Cart At A Profit

A Michigan teen's hot dog cart is a more complex operation than your garden-variety lemonade stand. Wanting to earn some money to help out his disabled parents, the 13-year-old saved up to purchase a hot dog cart, then set up business in downtown Holland. The city promptly shut him down. Thanks to zoning laws designed to protect downtown eateries, food carts can't set up in the city unless they're part of an existing restaurant operation. The young entrepreneur is too young for a street vendor's license, which could have kept the business running. So what did he do next? After attracting national media attention, he sold the cart to a local business, but retains the right to borrow it back for special events that might require hot dogs.

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