SCORE Guides Hot Dog Cart Entrepreneur in Securing Funding

Growing up, hot dogs were comfort food for Seth Callagy.

“I grew up very poor,” Callagy said, noting his family made ends meet with food stamps. “We were struggling really bad. We always had hot dogs.”

That familiar wiener is the main ingredient for the budding entrepreneur’s success as he readies the launch of On the Bun, his traveling hot dog cart, later this month. The class of 2020 Ben Davis High School graduate’s business is based in Marion County.

Once he receives the final OK from the health department On the Bun will be up and running at: CSL Plasma Wednesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Thursday nights at the Kitley Inn, located across from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I eventually want this to be where I’m living off my hot dog cart,” said Callagy, a former long-time quick service food employee who currently works as an Amazon delivery driver. “I would definitely be expanding my menu as I evolve.”

The way he sees it, the hot dog cart is the first step. Future growth would lead to an enclosed trailer, followed by a food truck and then a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

His SCORE Indianapolis mentor Jim Thompson sees the necessary drive and passion to help the business thrive. At their first meeting, Callagy presented a 75-page business plan, which incorporated all of his research and real-world foodservice knowledge.

“I even asked him, ‘could you scale back 30-35 pages so it’s more readable for me?’” Thompson recalled.

While not short on business ideas, Callagy had no capital, no collateral, no equity and was at a loss for how to obtain necessary funding.

“I’ve been living paycheck to paycheck,” he said. “Jim was very helpful. He set me in the right direction.”

Thompson connected him with Bankable, which provided Callagy with a $15,000 small business loan.

“That made me very happy,” Thompson said. “He’s a very humble, nice young man. He’s the kind of person you want to help.”

Since high school Callagy has dreamed of operating a food truck. Initially, he set his sights on a BBQ and mac and cheese venture. His research showed a 20 percent success rate for food trucks in Indianapolis – plus he would need $10,000 to $250,000 to get started. After seeing a YouTuber talk about his success morphing from running a hot dog cart to opening a restaurant, Callagy decided to give it a go.

His target audience is college students, concert goers, and “the nightlife people that don’t have many (food) options.” Since most restaurant kitchens close by 10 p.m., Callagy intends to capitalize on that by setting up his hot dog cart in highly trafficked areas from 10 p.m. to about 1 a.m.

“He convinced me it’s a good idea, for the commitment he’s going to be making,” Thompson said.

Similar to how his upbringing brought him full circle with hot dogs, his life experiences brought him one of his most promising lunchtime gigs.

“I pretty much donate plasma still,” he said of yet another side hustle. “The workers (at CSL Plasma) suggested talking to management and setting it up.”

Situated in Irvington, amid “a lot of people and a lot of foot traffic,” the three-days-a-week spot has the potential to sell him out of his 400 hot dog capacity. Beyond the two spots he’s solidified, On the Bun will set up primarily on the east side of downtown and is open to participating in festivals, as well as private and corporate events.

His menu features eight all-beef varieties and a host of toppings, including chili, bacon, cheese, jalapenos and more.

“I’ve always been fast-paced and worked better in those environments,” Callagy said of fast food, adding that providing top-notch customer service is integral. “I like people. I want to be personal. I want you to feel better than when you came in.”

About SCORE

Since 1964, SCORE has helped 11 million entrepreneurs start or grow a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free mentoring, workshops, and educational services to 1,500+ communities nationwide. With more than 70 members throughout the Indianapolis area, SCORE Indianapolis provides nearly 3,000 mentoring services annually to local small business owners through one-on-one counseling and small business workshops. For more information about starting or operating a small business, or finding a mentor, visit SCORE Indianapolis at www.score.org/indianapolis.