As the afternoon sun beats down on the students rushing from class to class, John Rockefeller stands at his hot dog cart in the shade of the John P. Raynor, S.J. Library and smiles as he replenishes his grill after a rush.

"You can't find these in the store. Have you looked at these hot dogs?" said Rockefeller, 58, a retired industrial mechanic who spent 14 years as a business agent with the Carpenters Union.

He began selling hot dogs in front of the library the second week of July, he said. Rockefeller purchased a stainless steel cart this summer for about $5,000. He added a grill and a sneeze-guard and also built platforms to hold coolers and keep everything off the ground.

The cement block he stands on was originally intended for a bus stop kiosk that was never installed, Rockefeller said. Because the land is county property and the cart does not obstruct traffic, he said he does not need permission to be a street vendor there.

"If you get farther downtown, there's all kinds of parks down there, but nobody was here… I just took a shot, and I've been well accepted," Rockefeller said.

His first frequent customers were Marquette staff and faculty, but once students moved in, his business doubled.

On a typical day, Rockefeller said he will arrive in front of the library around 10:30 a.m., prepare his cart and begin selling at about 11 a.m. He said he gets waves of customers about once an hour starting at noon.

Whether or not Rockefeller brings out his hot dog cart depends on the weather.

"I am your fair weather friend. If it's storming, I won't be out," he said. "Most days, Monday through Friday, I'll be here."

Rockefeller sells his hot dogs, bratwurst and sausage for $2.50 and will add a soda and a bag of chips for 50 cents more.

The meat Rockefeller sells comes directly from the Klements Sausage factory. He will put relish, sauerkraut, mustard or ketchup on any type of sausage for no additional charge.

Rockefeller said he has begun to see the same customers coming back on a regular basis.

"I'm getting a lot of new people here lately, but I have a lot of steady customers," Rockefeller said.

He said he views his hot dog stand as a place where students can get a quick lunch for a low price.

"It's nice having it on the way to class," said Joseph Kano, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. Kano said he goes to Rockefeller's stand once or twice a week for a bratwurst.

Joe Wichgers, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said he gets something different every time he visits Rockefeller's stand.

"Three dollars for all of this? It's better than a meal at McDonald's," Wichgers said.

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 22, 2005.