Finally a good ending to one of these stories! Common sense prevails for a change.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/0...etting-reported.html

A Minnesota teen’s hot dog venture got reported to authorities. Then it just ‘took off’

This summer, 13-year-old Jaequan Faulkner started a little business selling $2 hot dogs with $1 sodas and chips from a stand in front of his house in Minnesota.

But his self-made job was in jeopardy after someone sent an e-mail complaint to the Minneapolis Health Department. As it turned out, Faulkner was in fact operating as an unlicensed vendor with his lunchtime endeavor.

“They had told me somebody had complained,” the young entrepreneur explained to CNBC’s “On The Money ” in an interview.

Faulkner unwittingly became the latest case in a stream of young kids trying to make money on the side — but running afoul of suspicious or angry adults. In an incident that went viral, one woman who became infamous as “Permit Patty” called authorities on a young girl selling water.

Dan Huff, environmental health director of the Minneapolis Health Department, told CNBC that “Before responding to the complaint, what we did was put on hold our response until we could figure out how to help him.”

Faulkner said that “instead of shutting me down, city members got together to talk and said, ‘OK, how can we help this kid, to get him situated?’”

Impressed by the young man’s drive, health inspectors had decided to teach the young entrepreneur about proper food handling to assist him in getting his hot dog stand up to code.

The teen’s stand passed inspection, and it was the inspectors themselves who paid the $87 fee for his “short term food permit,” which he was granted on July 16.

“It just took off. He never gave up and he kept pushing forward. And pushing me along, pulling me along with him, ” said Jaequan’s uncle, Jerome Faulkner.

The hot dog stand serves a lunch crowd weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Jerome is hands-on too. “It’s not easy working for a 13-year-old,” his uncle joked to CNBC. He just says ”‘I need this, I need that,’ and I just get it for him while he controls the cash register. He knows the cash register pretty well.”

Jerome estimated that together, they’ve been selling “between 100, 150 hot dogs a day.” His nephew plans to use his money for school clothes, but in the fall, he’s hoping to remain in the food business — just after class.

“What’s next for me is, I’m trying to get a little spot, a restaurant or something,” Faulkner told CNBC. “Right when I get out of school I can go there and start working. Somewhere permanent, but it’s just small and not big.”

When asked what lessons he’ll take away from his success this summer, he mentioned a piece of family wisdom.

“My auntie always told me, ‘Can’t nobody stop you but you.’ If you say ‘I can’t do that,’ well, then you just set yourself up for failure.”

Now yuh see??? THIS is the kind of stuff from which America Dreams are made!!!! Damn...I'd almost be willing to hop a non-rev to MSP, Uber to wherever they are, and just buy a few dogs from the kid and shake his hand. Words of wisdom spring forth from my mom when reading this..."the easiest thing in the world to be is a BUM!!"

On a similar note, on September 1st a new Texas law kicks in preventing cities from enacting permit requirements for children's lemonade stands (actually it was broader and legalized the occasional sale of lemonade and other nonalcoholic drink stands run by minors on private property). A lot of political heavyweights got behind it (e.g. Governor of Texas) and shamed the hell out of the d-bag bureaucrats that went after children's lemonade stands.

Awesome story t read right before work! Thanks!

quote:

“My auntie always told me, ‘Can’t nobody stop you but you.’ If you say ‘I can’t do that,’ well, then you just set yourself up for failure.”

Sums it up.

Great to see a kid with drive and ambition but I'm not sure I'd want 100 extra cars in my neighborhood every day at lunch. I also wonder how they are able to control temps to keep food safe, keep their hands clean after handling cash, etc.

I see this as much different than kids periodically setting up a lemonade stand.

I grew up in Colorado and at that time, could work at 13. I got a job at a fast food joint near the house (which interestingly was a franchise place that sold hot dogs).

My brother, who was not old enough for a 'real job' purchased a (basic low cost) mower and knocked on peoples door. Soon he had a number of weekly customers. He worked the hours he wanted, worked fewer hours than I worked, and made more money that summer. He did a good job and got all the work that he wanted.

quote:

Originally posted by SR:
I also wonder how they are able to control temps to keep food safe, keep their hands clean after handling cash, etc.

Just spiff-balling off the top of my head...I would have to bet they've run an extension cord to warmers and such for food safety or they're using those trays with the little burner underneath, as the city officials taught him. Might have a generator? For hand washing, there are all kinds of liquid anti-bacterial soaps they could be using.

From the article...

quote:

...health inspectors had decided to teach the young entrepreneur about proper food handling to assist him in getting his hot dog stand up to code.

A Pessimist Sees the Difficulty in Every Opportunity;
an Optimist Sees the Opportunity in Every Difficulty
-W. Churchill

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
On a similar note, on September 1st a new Texas law kicks in preventing cities from enacting permit requirements for children's lemonade stands (actually it was broader and legalized the occasional sale of lemonade and other nonalcoholic drink stands run by minors on private property). A lot of political heavyweights got behind it (e.g. Governor of Texas) and shamed the hell out of the d-bag bureaucrats that went after children's lemonade stands.

We do do a few things right here in Texas. And congratulations to the young man and his hot dog stand. (And to the inspectors who assisted him!)

flashguy

Probably cleaner than most of the dirty water dog carts on the streets of NYC.

Good story. The funny part in these types of stories - kids lemonade stand for example - is that the cost of the ingredients is usually not borne by the kid. The parents usually buy the stuff, so the cost of goods is zero for the kid. Nice business model, right?

Good for the kid. Work is always a great option compared to what kids can get involved in. But lets not gloss over the most important part of the article. Who the hell called this kid in, and why has that person not had their ass handed to them? In Florida, if you report someone for a violation like this, your name is available as part of the public complaint record. Someone needs to find that info and make this person's life absolutely miserable.

I'm still trying to figure out how you pronounce the young entrepreneur's name.

quote:

I'm still trying to figure out how you pronounce the young entrepreneur's name.

Jay-Kwan


Good for this young man, and good for his community. I wouldn't be where I'm at today if I wasn't supported as a kid with these types of ambitions by those around me.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
Good for the kid. Work is always a great option compared to what kids can get involved in. But lets not gloss over the most important part of the article. Who the hell called this kid in, and why has that person not had their ass handed to them? In Florida, if you report someone for a violation like this, your name is available as part of the public complaint record. Someone needs to find that info and make this person's life absolutely miserable.

I have zero problems with health code being followed. Someone called it in, officials helped the boy get in compliance (and paid his fines), now no one will get sick from unsafe food handling practices.

Awesome story!!!!

Thanks for this post. We need to see more of this from our Kid's and especially from the powers that be. Thanks inspectors you made more than this one kids day.

Good kid, and good for the people that helped him.

Now everyone is better off.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
Good for the kid. Work is always a great option compared to what kids can get involved in. But lets not gloss over the most important part of the article. Who the hell called this kid in, and why has that person not had their ass handed to them? In Florida, if you report someone for a violation like this, your name is available as part of the public complaint record. Someone needs to find that info and make this person's life absolutely miserable.

I have zero problems with health code being followed. Someone called it in, officials helped the boy get in compliance (and paid his fines), now no one will get sick from unsafe food handling practices.

Whatever. $100 says the POS who called this in didn't give two shits about health code or anything approaching a civic concern. Just another POS sticking their damn nose in where it doesn't belong and isn't wanted. Easy check...has anyone who actually was a customer complained of anything? Yeah, I think we all know the answer to that. I love the fact that local officials helped the kid get into compliance with code, but that doesn't necessarily mean he was posing any real risk to anyone. I'm about at the end of my tolerance with this sort of BS by people who simply want to try and make others lives as miserable as theirs.

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You said exactly what I was thinking, bigdeal. I don't believe for one second the person calling this in had any intent to be helpful. Just a miserable sunuvabitch wanting to shut a kid down...