Customers can get a hot dog, a drink, or a hot dog and a drink.

That’s about it for the menu at J Dawgs.

The selection is sparse, but the BYU Student Entrepreneur of the Year Competition judges did not see that as a disadvantage. They awarded Jayson Edwards $30,000 in cash and prizes Friday for starting the company.

Kara Forrest of Provo FroYo, a frozen yogurt company, earned second place. Third went to Daniel Hill for his relay race company called Back Road Events.

“[J Dawgs] delivers what it promises,” said Tom Morrill, a 23-year-old senior from Texas and a regular at J Dawgs. “It’s a hot dog stand. It makes hot dogs.”

Edwards served a mission in Toronto, where he grew accustomed to eating good hot dogs.

“The hot dog culture is very prevalent in Toronto,” Edwards said in his presentation for the competition. “I started my mission weighing 185 pounds and came back looking like this, [gesturing to his obviously-more-than-185-pound frame].”

Edwards said he noticed an astonishing lack of good hot dogs in Provo. He sold his cherished guitar to come up with the $975 it took to start J Dawgs, located just south of campus.

The hot dog shop broke even in two weeks.

Though J Dawgs grossed just over $41,000 in the last three months alone, Edwards said it still has that authentic mom-and-pop feel.

“People still come up to the stand wondering if I can break a twenty,” he said.

The success of J Dawgs is completely due to references by satisfied customers. Edwards spends nothing on advertising, but students and community members come in flocks.

“I like J Dawgs for two reasons,” said Erik Hartman, a 22-year-old junior from Chicago majoring in chemical engineering. “One, their hot dogs are delectable, and two, their location is superb for me and my lifestyle.”

Edwards said he plans to establish several more stands for delectable hot dogs in locations in the area over the coming years.

“Muhammad has come to the mountain,” he said, referring to the long lines that grace the stand. “Now it’s time to take the mountain to Muhammad.”



Copyright Brigham Young University 17 Oct 2005