Dave Mast has had a career with some storied stops. He served as a police officer for Mansfield in 1976-1983. He also piloted planes for Shiloh Corporation and Gorman Rupp. Finally, he owned his own logistics company, MasTransportation. His story, however, began when he retired. His entrepreneurial spirit didn’t slow down so 3 years ago he did something he had never done: he started selling hot-dogs and polish sausages from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the side of the street on 1401 Lexington-Avenue in Mansfield, Ohio.
After retiring from MasTransportation, Mast was inspired while on vacation by a man selling hot-dogs on a street in Tuscon, Arizona. He thought it would be a great idea for Mansfield. “It’s a fun way to make money and be out with the people.” He soon found out that this line of work had high demands and high rewards. The stand keeps him busy, but he loves to meet new people and he knows many of them by name like, Kevin, Pat, Dan and John- some of his loyal customers. They share his happiness.
Dan, in particular, said that he likes it so much that he would likely choose the hot-dog stand over a sit down restaurant. “If he’s open, I’m stopping.”
In addition to his regulars, Mast serves a steady line of people eager for lunch and friendly conversation. When traffic does get slow, however, Mast has no qualms with waving a sign for the famous Nathan’s All-Beef Hot Dogs.
Mast can be found in a variety of locations in Richland County. He is found at Final Friday Concerts at the brickyard in downtown Mansfield, holiday parades and even catering graduation parties.
“You don’t get hot-dog carts in cities this small, I love being able to bring something fun like this to Mansfield,” said Mast.
And he takes great pride in his work. You’ll find his cart clean during downtime and that Mast wears a new pair of plastic gloves for every customer. By law, he is required to be licensed from the Health Department and his cart must have 4 sinks. He has both. “I like things clean,” Mast explains.
As long as the weather holds, Richland County residents can enjoy a hot-dog for $2.00. He also offers potato chips, trail mix, soda and water for $1.00 each. The polish-sausages are $3.50, which goes well with a spread of sauerkraut and stadium mustard. Customers can add onions, relish, jalapenos, hot sauce, ketchup, regular mustard and afternoon banter for free. Another popular choice is the coney sauce, a customer favorite.
The cart has an extended season, sometimes until November. He can be reached for catering at 419-566-3201.
