“Pop Pops! Pop Pops! Pop Pops!” Lake Creek High School’s entire student body is gathered in the gym for the pep rally and is chanting in unison, trying to get my attention as I launch t-shirts into the crowd. I hold the coveted position as our school’s pep rally emcee, but more importantly at this moment, I am also the owner of Pop Pop’s Dandy Dog, a mobile food trailer where I serve hot dogs, French fries and funnel cakes in my hometown of Montgomery, Texas.
My school loves to support me and I love to spoil them.
I am both an innovator and an entrepreneur. I have always had the spirit of entrepreneurship burning within me. One of my early business ventures involved building and selling gaming computers when I was thirteen. I remember begging my parents for rides to make it to sales I had arranged on Facebook Marketplace, paying them back for the gas to make the trip. I ended up building and selling enough computers to pay for my own car by the time I turned fourteen.
That was just the beginning of my journey as it helped stoke my entrepreneurial flame. I knew I was destined to start something bigger and better.
Pop Pop’s Dandy Dog
My latest venture was inspired by my maternal grandfather, “Pop Pop”, who owned a restaurant called Dandy Dog in Lewisville, Texas almost 40 years ago.
I began researching the cost and requirements for operating a mobile food trailer. I found some local mentors that were willing to speak with me, and I set a goal. I developed a business plan and got to work, literally. While maintaining my class rank in the top 6% of my class (my current GPA is 3.99) and my extracurricular activities, I worked part-time, saving every penny.
During my junior year of high school, I worked nearly full time (sometimes not getting home until the early hours of the morning) in order to achieve my goal of opening my business that summer. As I prepared to open, I started creating a local following.
My school district began promoting my participation in our culinary courses at school and how that tied into the opening of my business. I established social media pages and used my friend networks to begin establishing followers. I began marketing on local food and business pages and the word began getting out that a local teen was opening his own food truck. Our small town was buzzing with the news. The momentum was building!
After two years of working and planning, in June of 2022, at the age of 16, I opened Pop Pop’s Dandy Dog.
$1.50 Hot Dogs
On the day I opened, a local steakhouse tried to undercut my business. Located across the street from my location, the owner posted a sign on his porch advertising hot dogs for $1.50. The media caught wind of this local business trying to interfere with the success of a young teen, and it got a lot of attention. I took the high road and never disparaged the business or the individual responsible. That was the best decision I could have made, and my business exploded.
My customer base boomed with people responding positively to my character and the type of businessman I was proving to be. I created several marketing partnerships and hosted numerous events that brought business to my location and the entire downtown Montgomery area.
I was featured in newspapers, both local and national, on TV news stories across the country, and was picked up by podcasters, and bloggers. People were wearing my T-shirts and sharing my story from coast to coast. And, they were buying my hot dogs.
Re-investing is the Investment
Since my opening, I have learned how to focus my leadership skills and my ambition into one powerful force! I manage everything in my company completely on my own, including marketing, bookkeeping, inventory, employee management, and manning the grill.
From a young age, my parents instilled in me a spirit of service and volunteering. I have not forgotten to do that with my business. Keeping my business in this tight-knit community means I have a responsibility as a local business owner to reinvest the support I have been given into the institutions that keep our little town buzzing. I have held multiple days where first responders and veterans can eat for free. I have even traveled to my local high school and elementary schools to feed my teachers!
I have also spent time in my old junior high classrooms, speaking to my school district's business classes, inspiring other kids to pursue their passions and follow their dreams. My community recognizes this type of support and pays it back in dividends by buying and eating at the places that give back directly to the community.
More Than Big Dreams
Working over forty hours a week in addition to my hours at school, I am no stranger to working hard and working smart.
I plan to pursue a degree in business finance at Texas A&M University so that I can grow my knowledge of the business world and create new opportunities for my future. I’ve faced many challenges through my experience of business ownership, but I have found a passion for leadership and business operations.
As I look to the future, I plan to pursue a master’s in business administration focusing on the financial and operational aspects of business management. I will continue to operate Pop Pop’s Dandy Dog and am currently looking into expansion opportunities that include selling my custom sauces in local stores, partnering with campus events through Texas A&M University’s entrepreneurship center, and leveraging ghost
kitchens.
I am confident there is a lot more I can achieve with my hot dogs and big dreams.
About The Author
Jacob Irving plans to attend Texas A&M University.
This story was part of the Side Hustlin' Student Scholarship.
Check out the other winners here: Side Hustlin’ Student Scholarship Results Page.