Help River Stein Launch Hellhound Hot Dogs

Hello Friends, Family, Community, and Strangers. I have a small request before my request: please read this entire thing before you click away. There are folks I'd like to thank.

2024 was a year of change for me, changes made possible for the space many of you reading gave for me to do so. In August I left my job for a litany of reasons: poor management, inability to express my creativity through food, and workplace abuse. The idea was to quit as I lined up a new job, go to Burning Man, and return to the new job. These steps all progressed as planned.

Unfortunately upon returning from "The Burn" I was informed my father (66) had received a diagnosis of "at least stage 2 esophageal cancer" (they didn't waste time finding out exactly what stage it had progressed to, they simply treated my father), which typically is not found until stage 4, where symptoms typically begin and it is too late. This came as a particularly difficult thing to cope with, as my father is someone who inspired me to pursue cooking as a career. He never pushed me, and in fact verbally objected to it. But he couldn't help what was a natural passion grown and nurtured by dinners with extended family, delicious dinners, and time spent around a table together. During the next 4 weeks at my new job i did my best to cope with the increasing anxieties and other emotions from the news as well as the cancer treatment process. Long story short, my employer let me go due to "staffing issues" which I assume was actually due to my inability to perform tasks consistently. I cannot help but think of my father as I cook. The lessons repeating in my head "kind, courteous, considerate, respectful" "Firm, Fair, Consistent" "say behind, be careful with your knife" "eat, eat, eat; taste your food." Echoes over my shoulder, often tears in my eyes.

Shortly after I accepted a job offer to work seasonally at a housewares department store. I really enjoyed working in sales over the holidays (words you probably never thought you'd hear). My bosses here are very supportive, and still actively boost my self esteem in the workplace, but are unfortunately unable to offer me more sustainable work.

I am excited to report as of 3/10/2025, my father is recovering from his surgeries, and is beginning to be able to eat more solid foods. Rebuilding his strength and on his way to a well deserved retirement after over 30 years in the service and hospitality industry.

But as circumstances remain, I need a more sustainable income. Which leads me here. I am humbly asking anyone to help me recover from the last 7 months of my life. To do so I will be starting my own business. I have joined the Washington State Food Truck Association, and with their support I am beginning the process of opening a tent and table hot dog stand, which i hope to build into a food cart. My imagination is running wild with ideas and fantasies about my business, but the plan simply put is as follows:

1. File all necessary paperwork with the state, and raise funds

2. Acquire tent, table, and other necessities

3. Serve low cost, high overhead hot dogs and home made ice cream in high foot traffic areas as well as farmers markets (Fremont, Woodinville, Issaquah, Bellevue)

4. Begin constructing Cart

5. Transfer from store bought and house made accoutrement to 100% from scratch cooking, including dogs/brats/sausages, buns, and accoutrement

6. Pay back debts accrued

I realize now that I don't want to work for anyone but myself. I want to create a place where I can cook, and inspire others to do the same, while treating any employees with the respect and ethical payment they deserve. My business mission statement is as follows:

ChileHat LLC and its subsidiaries now and will always seek to:

-Serve high quality food at reasonable pricing

-Create sustainable, moral, ethical, and livable jobs and careers

-Use generated profits to enrich local communities by giving directly back into them

-Inspire and enable others to do the same

-To make food that is practical, artistic, and above all; Delicious.

Upon open, Hellhound Hot Dogs (a subsidiary of ChileHat LLC) will offer customers a prepaid meal option, which will provide a meal to another community member. This will not be discriminated by statuses, anyone can ask and receive a prepaid dog. It is our hope that the unhoused, struggling or displaced queer folk, and any other community member will benefit from this service.

Day 1 Menu:

The Local: Seattle Dog with a twist, pickled jalapeno relish, caramelized onions, and scallion cream cheese

The K-Dog: Dog with Kimchi, Pickled Dikon, and Gochujang Mayo

The Liberal Agenda: Vegan Dog, Avacado, Picked Red Onion, KYSO Sauce, Everything Seasoning

House Made Root Beer

House Made Ice Cream of the Week: Week 1: Matcha

(KYSO= Knock Your Socks Off, a sauce made with roasted red pepper, pickles, sriracha, and other very secret ingredients, all vegan)

I am setting a $10,000 final goal to cover application fees, Day 1 Ingredients, a flat top, tables, tent, living costs while I start my business, purchase ingredients, etc.

What is your donation being used for?

Breakdown:

Goal 1: $7,200

Living Costs 2 Months: $5000

Application Fees, WSFTA Dues, Clerical Things: $600

First Aid Kit, Fire Extinguisher, Emergency Fund: $2000

Goal 2: $2,800

Commercial Kitchen Space Rental per Month: $600

Appliances, Propane, Tables, Tents: $1000

Day 1 Ingredients: $1000

I hope you are as excited as I am about this. If you are able; please make a donation to the cause, and once we are up and running come visit for a dog! Your support is appreciated, and whether you can or cannot donate, please share this link with anyone and everyone you know. If you got here, and read all of this, thank you. You are important and loved.

-River Stein

[email redacted]

A big thank you to:

Dad, for inspiring me

Mom, for caring about me

Harrison, for keeping me positive

The Medical Staff for acting swiftly and tenaciously to treat my father

Alex and Carlee for supporting me in so many ways, from the beginning

Andre, for teaching me to cook

Dana, Hannah, Cat, Moisi, Thomas, LVM, Delaney, Margot, Rico, Nazar, Coyote, Sunrise Diner, Brian, Maria, Poly Potluckers, and so others for being here for me during this long process. Encouraging me, buying ice cream, holding me, crying with me, and helping me feel human during a time. For the first time in my life I feel supported by community, many communities that have allowed me to grow as a human, even when I don't quite feel human. I am so blessed to have you all in my life and if I raise pennies I'm still surrounded by you all, and that will always be enough to keep me going. I love you all.