Stanley’s Steamers

Specialties

«Stanley’s Steamers» is San Francisco’s first and oldest cart company and is best known for its 10 sidewalk hot dog stands located in San Francisco’s Union Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, Financial District, and the Moscone Convention Center. Our popular hot dog is made exclusively from 100% grass-​and-​vegetarian fed Angus beef, with no hormones or antibiotics. The San Francisco Chronicle food section called our Stanley Steamer «an urban delicacy» and deemed it one of the best foods to eat when in Union Square.

We also have an entire fleet of carts that do catering, rentals, and special events… everthing from small office parties to sold out concerts. In addition to hot dogs, we offer Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, popcorn, soft pretzels, and a variety of other fun foods served from our colorful carts. Every Christmas, we operate our famous roasted chestnut cart in front of Macys in Union Square, which has been a holiday tradition for almost 30 years.

History

Established in 1974.

San Francisco Carts and Concessions is San Francisco’s first and oldest mobile vending business. Started in 1974, it began when Stanley Roth, then a student at UC Berkeley, tried to get a food peddler permit to sell pretzels for a summer to help pay for law school. The police department, before accepting any paperwork, required applicants to first obtain a «sidewalk occupancy» permit from the DPW. The DPW said it only issued such permits to construction companies, and the Board of Permit Appeals explained it had no jurisdiction over the issue without a formal denial. It was a classic «Catch-​22» that had kept food carts off the streets for years.

Undaunted, Roth applied for a Street Artist license and sold his pretzels as «Baked Sculptures of Flour and Water.» What followed was a 2-​year battle to obtain the first legal food vending permits in San Francisco’s history. The entire story is outlined at www​.sfcarts​.com.