It's Winter, But Their Dogs Are Hot

They are fixtures of Summit's downtown: three hot dog vendors, standing under blue and yellow umbrellas all year round, no matter the weather. This week, as temperatures dropped into the 20s, Patch interviewed vendor Chi Shan Yang, 47, at his post on Summit Avenue near Broad Street. As customers dropped by to order a special (two hot dogs, a drink and chips for $4.25), Yang chatted and joked. During lulls in the lunchtime traffic, Yang warmed his gloved hands on the metal cover of his hot dog cart and talked about himself and his job.  (First in a series.)

Where are you from?

I live in Summit. We've been here for eight years. Before that I was in Morristown. I'm originally from Taiwan. My father, he's the first one who arrived here. He came in 1970, and then my brother and I came here in 1988.

How did you start selling hot dogs in Summit?

It's always my father. He was the first hot dog vendor in Morristown. It's so funny, when my brother and I came, he applied for a license for us. He also sent us to Atlantic City to become card dealers. As soon as I got off the plane, he told me I'd go to school tomorrow. He didn't even ask me. But after I got a dealer's license, I decided to stay here. He liked to go to Atlantic City, not me. I know how to play cards, but I'm not a gambler.

At that time I was still delivering pizza. I would sell hot dogs in the daytime and deliver pizza at night. My father searched around this area and the only place he could get a license was in Summit. The first year was a very tough year for my brother. All the other merchants were trying to, you know, push him out. He was even on TV and in city court; everything.

I got a license but I didn't sell that year, because he had so many headaches. Then the second year, everything quieted down and I started to sell that year, in 1993. Then his wife and my wife, they started.  

Now my brother is in Madison, on Main Street. He's the only one in Madison. Here, we compete. My sister-in-law sells hot dogs by CVS in Summit. My wife works at the parking lot at the corner of DeForest Ave and Summit Ave.  

When we came the first year, the town charged $40 for a license. That's it. Now we pay $3,000, almost a hundred times the amount.

What's your schedule like?

We work 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., six days a week. I take Sunday off – sometimes. It depends on how I feel. But I don't have fixed hours. It depends on the weather, it depends on the season - if it's sports season or not sports season. In the winter it's cold and dark, and there's no late-day sports, so you go home. It's all up to God. Sometimes in heavy snow or rain, you can't even come out. And sometimes I come out to read my books, to get some peace and quiet. If I stay home, my wife asks me, "go do this and that!" I go and sell hot dogs.  

Do you work all year round?

I'm going to take three weeks' vacation soon. My wife left tonight for Taiwan and then she'll come back. We take turns. Somebody has to stay here with the kids.  We have three girls. The oldest is 17; she's a senior in the high school. The other two are in fifth grade and second grade at Brayton.

What's your favorite part of your job?

To take care of people. I take care of a lot of kids. I give a lot of free hot dogs or free chips to kids, or at a discount price, in case they don't have enough money. I also sponsor one of the baseball teams in Summit. Every year it's different, but it's always first graders. I've sponsored for three years, and I've sponsored two championships. They did great for me. Every game they win they get a free hot dog.  

What's the worst part of your job?

The weather. I like to talk with people. I feel good to help people and to talk to people. But the weather is the toughest part of the job. I love my job, but I don't love the weather.

Do you pay attention to the weather report?

Yes, because I work outside! We've got to know what to wear that day, to dress heavy, or dress light.

Could you describe what you're wearing now?

I'm wearing three layers of pants: khaki pants, jeans and long johns. This is to block the wind. Two pairs of socks and boots, too. I'm wearing a jacket and another jacket and a hoodie, and a shirt and a sweater – five layers.  I've got a hat, a Summit hat. This is from the football coach. I have a lot of these things from the kids – this is a Summit football shirt from the fifth graders. They bought me this shirt, and then I bought the whole team free hot dogs. Everybody's happy then.  

Which is harder, cold weather or hot?  

I was born on a tropical island. I'd never seen snow before I came over. But I think I have no problem in winter now. After 20 years I've gotten used to it.

Where do you get your supplies?

From Restaurant Depot in Kenilworth, and there's another store in Newark.

What's a typical order?

That guy just bought 10 hot dogs, but I haven't had an order that big for a long time. Usually it's one or two specials. Sometimes we do house parties, so then we do like two hundred hot dogs. The biggest order here would be like 40 hot dogs – 20 specials.

What do you do to keep busy while you're waiting for customers?

When I have free time, I'm reading books or the newspaper or jogging. Right now I'm reading a Chinese novel. 

Were you affected when the Summit Medical Group moved its offices from the DeForest/Summit Ave location?

That killed half of the business. After the move I got almost nothing at all. So for winter time, I shut it down. Only $20 of business for four hours, it's not worth it to stay.

What do you usually eat for lunch?

I usually eat hot dogs two days and the other days I eat more bread or rice. In the summer I can heat up the rice, but in winter I can't, so I mostly eat bread.  

What are you going to do in Taiwan?

I'm going to see a doctor. I have a balloon in my heart and they're going to put another one on the other side. They have medical insurance for all citizens, and I have my citizenship there, too. They have a very good health system over there, cheap and good. I pay $20 month.