While operating a hot dog stand in downtown Hanover may not be as lucrative as being an investment banker on Wall Street, Dick Clapp does not seem to mind.
Clapp, in fact, is quite content in his occupation as Hanover's only sidewalk hot dog vendor, and he serves a hungry populace each day from his regular spot in front of Town Hall on Main Street.
Actually, working as a hot dog vendor is more profitable than one might think -- a hot dog here, a kielbasa there, and Clapp can take in $150 for just a few hours work on a summer day, he said.
Clapp even can enjoy an abbreviated work day, as he works from about 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, instead of the typical nine to five grind.
But this hot dog vendor, whose business is called "Sundogs," is hardly a slacker -- he works year round, even in pouring rain and heavy snow.
"People expect you to be out there," Clapp said, "so I try to be out there, even during the winter and the bad weather."
"I'm usually prepared for the cold," he said. "I'm not too bothered by it."
Business is best "from late spring through early winter," Clapp said.
Clapp said some of the busiest days at the hot dog stand are when there are big festivals and events in town -- such as the Saturday of the College's Homecoming football game and the day of a big high school parade in August.
"You get quite a cross-section of people, especially during the summer -- visitors to town, summer camp groups, Appalachian Trail hikers, and many others," Clapp said.
During the fall, Clapp said, a lot of business comes from people who are in Hanover on "leaf tours," and from College students and alumni on their way to football games.
Although plenty of "random" business comes to Clapp's hot dog stand, he said he also gets several regular customers that come by very often.
Among these regular customers are Dartmouth students and professionals that work in Hanover and come by during their lunch breaks.
Clapp has been vending on Main Street since 1984.
He began as an assistant for a friend who already had an established vending business.
After 10 years of working for his friend, Clapp decided in 1993 to try to make it on his own, and got his own cart.
Three-and-a-half years later, Clapp's business is still going strong.
To the casual observer, operating a hot dog stand may not look like it requires too much effort, but Clapp's business consists of more than simply showing up in front of Town Hall.
For starters, Clapp drives each morning from his home in Wilder, Vt. to the location in Lebanon where he stores his cart overnight.
Then he attaches the cart to the back of his car and tows it into town -- thus, he must get a permit just to get the cart into Hanover every day.
In addition, the space Clapp occupies on Main Street must be rented from the Town of Hanover, and the lease must be renewed every six months.
On the bright side, Clapp is fortunate to have procured one of the just three spaces on Main Street that the Town of Hanover rents out.
Clapp could not recall many national figures coming by his stand to pick up a bite to eat, but he mentioned that Jack Kemp, a contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 1988, was one of his more famous visitors.
Last spring, Clapp had the chance to add the president of the United States to his list of famous customers, when President Bill Clinton came to the College to be the Commencement speaker.
Unfortunately, the vendor was disappointed to learn that President Bill Clinton would not be stopping by his "Sundogs" cart.
"I wrote Clinton inviting him to come by for a hot dog," Clapp said, "but I got a letter from someone in the White House saying it was not on the president's schedule."
"It's a shame," Clapp said. "I hear [Clinton] is supposed to be a big hot dog fan."
The "Sundogs" stand offers hot dogs, chili dogs, salsa dogs, kielbasas, Italian sausages, bags of chips and snack foods, and a wide assortment of soft drinks and juices.
Clapp said he enjoys his work and plans on continuing operating his business for at least a few more years.
For aspiring vendors, Clapp offered the following advice: "Be consistent, and come to work every day, because people expect you to be out there."
