For the first time in some 35 years, The Hot Dog Kart will take up its anchor position at the crossroads of the downtown St. Joseph central business district next week minus its founding father. As reported this past winter here on Moody on the Market, Hot Dog Kart Founder Ben Yacobozzi passed away in late January, however, having largely turned operations over to the younger set at an increasing pace in recent years, the popular vending cart will be managed by the young ladies who did the majority of the work last year, Christine, Mary Ellen, and Anne Marie Nuter.
The iconic rainbow colored umbrella at the corner of State and Broad Streets in downtown St. Joseph will return for the summer season beginning next Wednesday, May 1st just ahead of the lunch hour.
Some 35 years ago Ben Yacobozzi began the journey that would become legendary. In fact, the Hot Dog Kart is the only non-brick & mortar hot dog vendor in the nation to be ensconced in the Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame.
Ben was an amazing icon in the community, truly a remarkable business man who turned 34 years of simple Chicago style hot dog sales into college educations for multiple children and grand children over the three plus decades of banner sales on the same corner all summer long every summer.
He had a sterling career with St. Joseph Fire Department, where he retired with the rank of Lieutenant and took the reins full time at the Hot Dog Kart.
It all started when one of his daughters hit a rough spot when the place she was working for a summer job closed up shop, and she needed to continue to raise tuition money for her college career. Ben got to thinking about how he would often see hot dog vendors in his native Chicago while he was growing up and they ended up paying a visit to the Vienna Beef Hot Dog company in Chicago. Having launched as a bicycle driven cart, Ben once told me that the folks at the hot dog factory suggested the concept of anchoring in the same space so people would know where to find the cart on a regular basis, and State & Broad has never been the same since.
Long lines have not been at all uncommon as a wide array of people would wait patiently while Ben and his family members would quickly make to order any request. A regular mix of men in business suits intermingled with kids pulling a pet on a leash and families decked out in beach gear bound for Silver Beach would stand toe to heel in line waiting for the great taste of one of Ben’s delicious offerings.
In the beginning, Ben’s kids ran the Kart to earn their way through college, but when the last one finished school, he became the regular vendor. Eventually, his grand kids took up the reins as well, and he would have more time to simply supervise from a park bench a few yards away and jump in when needed.
Ben had the construction of the Chicago style dog very much down to a science and could serve a substantial clientele at a rapid pace, and was always proud of the fact that people from all over the world had the opportunity to enjoy his concoctions while strolling the streets, parked on a bench, or headed off to the beach or a concert in the park. He clearly taught his proteges well, as the girls handle the business at the same frenetic pace day after day from their chosen corner.
The Hot Dog Kart’s solid reputation stems not only from Ben’s (and his team’s) amazingly friendly demeanor, but also their insistence on using only the finest ingredients from premium produce selections to the legendary Vienna Beef hot dog.
