Roverdogs sate 3 a.m. hunger

Last month, Jim Forkel, a trained chef, operated his small red hot-dog stand Roverdogs, which was usually parked between Tower and Cannon clubs. So far, Roverdogs has only been open for two nights. Still, in these two nights alone, Forkel estimated that he sold around 500 hot dogs.

Forkel said he anticipates serving food more frequently in the future. “I know that late-night food is an important thing to college students,” he explained.

Forkel described the food stand as a “mobile hot dog gourmet kitchen.”

The stand has already developed a loyal following.

“The dogs are delicious and I’ll definitely get one whenever I walk by,” Alex Schiller ’09 said in an e-mail. He added, though, that he wished Roverdogs wasn’t a cash-only operation. “Jim should see if he can get a prox swiper from the University like the ones in Frist.”

“It was delicious,” Stephanie Burset ’09 said in an e-mail about the Roverdog she purchased. “[Schiller] and I plan on trying all of Jim’s … Rovers over the course of the semester.”

For those with fickle palates, Roverdogs offers 11 variations on the typical hot dog.

Many of the Roverdogs are named after members of Forkel’s family. The Kelly’s Famous, for example, is named after his wife Kelly, whose chili tops the hot dog. The Chunky Butt is ironically named for Forkel’s 12-year-old, 80-pound son Ryan.

Forkel said Roverdogs is an extension of the hot-dog businesses he operates in the summer. “I’ve always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit,” he explained. “I just saw an opportunity, and I jumped on it.”

“One kid just called me the new Einstein of Princeton,” Forkel added. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I’ll take it.”

Forkel said his goal goes beyond merely satisfying his personal ambition. “My goal with this whole thing is just to put my kids through college,” he explained. “If I can make an extra [$40,000 or $50,000] doing this, then that’s my goal. I’m happy with that.”

Since Prospect Avenue is not on University property, Forkel did not have to ask permission from the University to operate his food stand. He is working with the Alcohol Coalition Committee (ACC) and a representative from the Office of the Executive Vice President, though, to see if he can move his stand in front of Robertson Hall.

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“[The ACC members] were tossing around the idea of having an available late-night [option] for students,” Forkel explained.

The new location, Forkel added, would allow him to capitalize on the patronage of Princeton students and increase Roverdogs’ visibility. “I’ll be off the street. It will be a safer area for people to be, and I’ll be more visible there than just parked on a parking space.”

He stressed, though, that Roverdogs will remain independent of the University, as it has been so far. “This idea came totally from myself and no one else,” Forkel said.

If student reaction is any indicator, Roverdogs is here to stay, Forkel said. “One guy threw $20 at me and said, ‘I don’t know what I’d order. Just keep it. I’m just glad you’re here.’ ”