FWD: Veggie Hot Dog Vendor Update

[Guest guest]

>

>An update on the hot dog vendor in San Francisco who started carrying

>veggie dogs a few weeks ago:

>

>So, there's good news and possible bad news. The good news

>first. Because of the early-on success of this single cart in selling

>veggie dogs, the 2 major owners of hot dog carts in San Francisco are

>interested in carrying veggie dogs now too. They each have about 10 carts

>placed in locations such as Union Square and at the Civic Center, etc. So

>that's an additional 20 or so carts that will have veggie dogs in

>SF!!! They have received sample dogs and are currently in the process of

>deciding which brand they want to go with. I expect them to start

>carrying them in the next week or two. This is great timing because of

>the Christmas shopping season about to start. This could save a lot of

>animals since shoppers will now have a veggie alternative when grabbing

>some junk food while they shop. We will advertise them as 100%

>cholesterol free to try to get health conscious non-vegetarians to try

>one. This strategy has worked in the financial district (location of the

>first vendor offering veggie hot dogs, at Market and Montgomery). I

>personally witnessed men who eat hot dogs every day for lunch choose a

>veggie dog instead because of the cholesterol-free aspect.

>

>Now the bad news. Our original veggie hot dog location, mentioned above,

>isn't selling many veggie dogs lately. The proprietor is considering

>phazing them out. Yesterday, for instance, he only sold 4! This is down

>from the 15 a day he was selling the first week he had them! If this gets

>out the other hot dog vendors who have many carts all over the city may

>decide not to carry them after all. Additionally, it is not an easy task

>to get and carry veggie dogs. The companies who make them charge a very

>high price for them and they are smaller than meat hot dogs. Also, the

>distributorships carry so few of them that they jack up the price again

>and then place all kinds of restrictions on orders. It is a big,

>difficult thing we ask of these vendors when we ask them to carry the

>veggie dogs. I am doing everything I can in negotiations with the

>manufacturers and distributors to lesson the burden on the vendors, but it

>is difficult for all of us involved. So, I am asking again that the

>vegetarian community make a special effort to support the veggie dog

>vendor on Market and Montgomery--especially for the next 2 weeks or so

>while I am trying to get the veggie dogs into the other carts.

>

>Also, FYI, THE VENDOR COOKS EVERY VEGGIE DOG IN A SEPARATE PLASTIC BAGGIE

>SO SEPARATISTS NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT THE COMINGLING OF THE VEGAN DOGS WITH

>THE MEAT DOGS--AND THE BUNS ARE VEGAN TOO. SO PLEASE SUPPORT THIS EFFORT!!!

>

>THE WAY I SEE IT WE ARE CHANGING THE WORLD ONE CART AT A TIME (IT STARTS

>WITH OFFERING VEGGIE DOGS AS AN ALTERNATIVE--OF COURSE THE LONG-TERM GOAL

>IS TO REPLACE THE MEAT COMPLETELY)

>

>-Thanks, Brenda Carey