“All he wanted to do was sell hot dogs”

That was, until the city of Holland shut down his hot dog cart 10 minutes after he opened for business. The cart was on the edge of the city’s C-3 Commercial District, where food carts not connected to brick-and-mortar restaurants are prohibited. Nathan had a deal to operate the cart in the private parking lot of a downtown sporting goods retailer. It was a perfect deal for both: The retailer thought the hot dogs could bring in more customer traffic, and he agreed to give Nathan a commission on bikes that he rented due to the draw of the hot dog cart. Nathan and his parents also had a permanent place to store and set up his cart, no small matter given that it weighs 800 pounds.

Nathan and his family reached deep into their pockets to make the initial investment. The cart, the food and the permits topped $3,000. When the city told Nathan he could not operate his cart, he had no choice but to sell it. The sale became the first of several breaks Nathan would get from a sympathetic public. A local company, Shoreline Container, purchased the cart and said he could use it for future catering jobs. Nathan has had two jobs since then, but he barely broke even because the events require a $200 permit from the county health department, which is only good for 14 days.