Between friendlier customers and less competition, Clifford Roy said moving his hot dog stand from Monument Square in Portland to Westbrook’s Riverbank Park was the best decision he ever made.
During the past three years, he’s watched other vendors come and go from the park. Now, as the only game in town, he’s earned the prime spot near the entrance and the pocket change of all the kids on the playground.
However, Roy might be getting more competition soon, as the City Council reduced the cost of a pushcart vendor’s license Monday to $125 from $250 – a price that, according to City Clerk Lynda Adams, had turned some people away in the past.
“It’s a lot for them just to sell hot dogs,” said Adams, who said there have been three people who have come into her office for the license and turned around after seeing the cost of it.
The ordinance regulating a pushcart vendor’s license came up at a City Council meeting last month after Adams discovered that the council had given it preliminary approval four years ago, but it had never been finally passed. The glitch led to a discussion about whether the cost of the license – which was twice as much as a victualer’s license for a restaurant – was appropriate.
Adams compiled a list comparing the cost of licenses in Westbrook to neighboring towns. The $250 price tag was only $35 less than Portland’s, and some $100 more than those in South Portland, Falmouth and Windham.
Roy said he agreed that the price was a bit high, but, he said, the atmosphere in Riverbank Park made it worth it for him. Plus, he said, being retired and on Social Security, he’s not trying to make a living from his hot dog stand.
“It’s just chump change,” he said. “If they think I’m making money hand over fist, forget it.”
And, according to Roy, he does it right. Condiments for his $1.75 hot dogs are simple – mustard, ketchup, onions and relish – and he always puts them on the bun first.
“Otherwise, it gets messy,” he said.
Roy admits to making mistakes in the past. He tried selling breakfast sandwiches, coffee and doughnuts.
“I’d try to do anything to make a buck,” he said, but it didn’t work, so he went back to the basics. “I said, wait a minute, this is a hot dog stand.”
Now that Roy has his ordering, assembling and pricing down pat, he’s not worried about competitors taking away from his business.
“I’ve been doing this for too long,” he said. “I know the secret.”
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