Minnesota city officials helped a young entrepreneur obtain his permit after an individual reported his hot dog stand.
13-year-old Jaequan Faulkner’s food stand in Minneapolis is up and running for business in his neighborhood. The teen first began his venture with the help of his uncle in 2016. He decided to reopen his hot dog stand in 2018 to earn enough money for new school clothes.
“It puts pride in me to see that I’m doing something good for the community,” Faulkner told KARE 11.
The young man’s “Old Fashioned Hot Dogs” has been a hit with locals and he’s received a gang of traffic from “Bike Cops for Kids” supporters. Officers encouraged the town to stop by Faulkner’s stand.
However, before the teen’s business was permitted by the city, an unidentified person called the Minneapolis Health Department and reported the 13-year-old boy. Instead of shutting the stand down, health inspectors and other organizations came together to help Faulkner legalize his hot dog stand. They also helped purchase his $87 permit.
“We’ve been working with Jaequan on the business side of things, like basic business, finance, marketing, pricing… he’s really been excited about all of it,” said Program Manager Ann Fix of the Northside Food Business Incubator.
Minneapolis law states that all food business must past health inspections and obtain a permit while serving to the public.
“I pay me and my uncle and my cousin… but before I do any of that I pay tax,” the young man stated.
He continued, “The city’s not the bad guys in this situation. They’re actually the ones who are helping me… It makes me feel kind of—not kind of—really proud that people know what I’m doing.”
City officials said they plan on helping the teen get his food cart going during the fall and winter months. Faulkner’s permit is short-term for the summer and he’ll be heading back to school in a few weeks.
The 13-year-old said, “It’s not about the money. It’s just something I enjoy doing.”
Readers can follow his success through his Facebook Account. His hot dog stand will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. around the following areas: 510 Penn Avenue North, the 4th Precinct
