As a child growing up in Ohio, Jim Vanek loved going to baseball games with his dad. And one of the best parts of that experience was the taste and smell of the stadium hot dogs.

“My dad and mom used to take us down to the Cleveland Indians baseball games at Cleveland Stadium, and they had the guys out there that were walking up and down the aisles and slinging hot dogs out,” said Vanek. “And they just were the best hot dogs in the world — they were steamed, and they had a special mustard that they used. And I pined for that again.”

So Vanek is reviving that childhood delight to share with his friends and neighbors in Powell. This past year, he purchased an old-fashioned hot dog cart, and is preparing to create those simple pleasures for foodies here.

“There’s so many food vendors now, which is wonderful. I love seeing them, but there’s not a regular, good, old-fashioned hot dog cart,” Vanek said. “And I just felt that there’s a need for that.”

Vanek and his wife moved to Powell in 2008, and he has been the arborist for the City of Powell since 2017. He told the Tribune that he never wanted to own a restaurant or operate any kind of large-scale food business, but he said the simplicity of a hot dog stand was appealing.

“I’m not a cook, and I didn’t want the overhead and the employees,” said Vanek. “I just wanted to do something more that was people friendly, because I like dealing with the public.”

Vanek said he never would have pursued a side gig as a hot dog entrepreneur had it not been for a friend, who himself is in the food business, who saw a hot dog cart online.

“A crazy friend of mine, he calls me one day and he says, ‘Hey, there’s a hot dog cart for sale online,’” said Vanek. “If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have ever thought about it. He’s like, ‘Dude, this would be a great opportunity for you.’ So I said, ‘OK, I’ll give it a shot.’” 

Vanek pointed out that hot dogs are not very expensive, so people who want a simple snack will get “a good bang for their buck.” 

“People who don’t want a full pulled pork platter or something like that, and say, ‘Hey, I’m in the mood for a hot dog,’” Vanek said, “that’s where I figure my niche will be.”

Vanek said he’s excited to bring the old-fashioned flavor of the ballpark to Park County.

“At least one particular hot dog will be like the Cleveland Stadium dog, and then I’ll just offer different varieties, different condiments and things like that,” said Vanek. “But just something a little more personal, something a little more old fashioned.”

Vanek hesitated to share what brand of hot dogs he’d be serving, although he said he — and his neighbors — have been doing extensive research.

“I’ve eaten more hot dogs in the past six months than I have in my entire life,” said Vanek. “I’ll have my neighbors over and do taste testings, and we rate them and all that. So that’s how we ended up with the brand I’m going to use.”

He did say, though, that the real key to recreate the ballpark hot dog experience is in the way they are cooked.

“I think the best way to do them is to steam them, and the buns get steamed as well,” said Vanek. “It adds something to the flavor of the hot dog. It adds something to the texture of the hot dog.”

Vanek said he hasn’t determined where he’ll set up his “Jimmy Dogs” hot dog stand yet, and he said his availability will be limited, especially to begin with.

“It probably won’t be an everyday thing, but maybe, like a Friday and Saturday, Sunday afternoons, lunchtime deal,” he said. “The location is to be determined yet, and I’d like to do events as well. And, you know, get into catering and private parties and things like that, too.”

Vanek said he has all of his licensing and other details lined up — all that’s left are a few details before he’s ready to share his “Jimmy Dogs” with customers. That, and finding time to fit another business into his already-full schedule.

“The cart is pretty much ready to go,” he said. “I have a few bugs to work out, but I also have a lawn business on the side, and I work for the city full time, so as I get older, it’s harder to kind of squeeze another business in.”

The small cart is very portable and simple to set up, and Vanek said that once he’s ready, his plan is to bring it out on weekends here in the Powell area.

“I just pull it behind, and it has an umbrella, and so it really does look nostalgic in that it would be something you see on the streets of New York,” he said, “like these guys that push these carts around and set up on the street corner and start selling hot dogs.”

However, even though the weather is starting to turn away from prime outdoor eating season, Vanek said he may debut his “Jimmy Dogs” cart before the snow flies. 

“I’m hoping to maybe get at it this fall, maybe sneak in a couple now that the lawn business has slowed down,” he said. “ 

One of the great things about a small hot dog cart, according to Vanek, is how personal the experience is.

“People can actually be right next to you and talk to you, and just converse with the public,” he said. “And what better way to do that, than over a hot dog?”