Help George Bring the Hot Dogs Back to Vermont ❤️

Hi friends,

My name is George B. Laramore Jr., and if you live in Barre, Berlin, or South Barre, Vermont, there’s a good chance we’ve met over the years.

For more than 20 years, I’ve had the joy of serving food in this amazing community. What started as a simple hot dog cart in 2003 turned into 17 years of late nights, laughter, friendships, and unforgettable memories.

I still remember the moment the idea first hit me. I was home watching the Food Network when they aired a documentary about the history of hot dog carts. Something about it spoke to me immediately. The very next day I began learning how to get my vending license and searching for the perfect cart.

A few months later my hot dog cart arrived from Miami, Florida. It truly felt like Christmas morning.

For years I served the Barre and Berlin community, including more than 14 years selling late-night food outside Gusto’s bar. I averaged about $700 per week for many years, but more importantly I built relationships with people in our town.

If someone was hungry and didn’t have money, I fed them anyway.

Food has always been about more than making money for me. It’s about serving people, bringing a smile to someone’s face, and building community.

In 2018, after years of saving, I opened our own restaurant inside the Berlin Mall. Without any advertising, we did over $125,000 in our first year. The community showed incredible support.

Then March of 2020 arrived.

COVID itself didn’t stop us. We were still doing about $600 per day through takeout orders. But when the mall decided to close the indoor businesses, we were forced to shut down completely while larger stores remained open. Overnight our revenue went from steady to zero, and I had no choice but to close the restaurant.

That season of life was difficult, especially after my father passed away in 2021. But through faith, family, and time, healing came.

Now it’s 2026, and everywhere I go people still ask me the same question:

“George, when are you bringing the hot dogs back?”

So I decided it’s time.

Instead of opening another fixed restaurant, I’m launching a mobile food trailer so I can serve Barre, Berlin, South Barre, local events, construction sites, churches, and community gatherings all over Central Vermont.

The trailer itself costs $26,000, and it is currently being built for me by a company in Georgia.

To fully launch the business, I am seeking $46,000 total.

This will allow me to:

• Pay off the $26,000 trailer loan

• Purchase cooking equipment and supplies

• Buy initial food inventory

• Cover licenses, permits, and insurance

• Provide operating capital for the first several months

By raising the full $46,000, the trailer will be completely paid off and the business can start without heavy monthly debt payments, allowing me to focus on serving the community again.

My goal isn’t just to sell hot dogs.

My goal is to:

Feed families

Serve people who are struggling

Bring back a local food tradition

And continue doing what I’ve loved for more than 20 years.

If you’ve ever eaten at my cart, shared a late-night sausage outside the bar, or simply remember the food and the conversations we had, I would be incredibly grateful for your support.

Every contribution helps.

Even sharing this campaign makes a difference.

Thank you for believing in me and supporting a small local dream.

Let’s bring the hot dogs back to Vermont.

With gratitude,

George B. Laramore Jr.