Furloughed IRS lawyer running new gig as D.C. hot dog vendor : NPR

Nearly one month into the government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal workers remain on furlough.

Isaac Stein is one of them. Normally, he’s a lawyer for the IRS who writes tax regulations. But on a sunny Sunday afternoon on a corner in his Washington, D.C. neighborhood, he’s wearing a suit and tie, working his hot dog stand, “Shysters Dogs.” Its motto: “the only honest ripoff in DC.”

“I am having a grand old time slinging hot dogs,” Stein said.

A hot dog and a drink runs $10 or $17, with a bag of chips tossed in if you buy two dogs.

The stand is a realization of a childhood dream for Stein. While his classmates enjoyed playing basketball, he said, he had more fun manning the concessions stand. This summer, he decided he wanted to open a hot dog business of his very own.

“I got all the permits in late September, and then I was furloughed on October 8th,” Stein said.

So with his newly free time, the side project he started before the shutdown turned into a seven-days-a-week gig. It’s a simple menu: a “correct hot dog,” or a “hot dog with the wrong toppings.”

“I’m trying to incentivize people to do what I think a correct hot dog is, which is mustard and sauerkraut,” Stein said. “If someone wants other things, that’s totally, totally fine. No judgment. But I do reserve the right to assess an additional dollar as a penalty.”

The rest of the menu is similarly cheeky, including RC Cola (which Stein thinks is the best cola), MoonPies, dog treats and branded stickers. He offers a 5 cent discount for customers who “briefly recite the historical significance of MoonPies and/or RC Cola.” Also available on the menu: “SHIRT OFF MY BACK”.

The menu board features what Stein deems a “correct hot dog” and a “hot dog with the wrong toppings,” as well MoonPies and dog treats.

Ava Pukatch/NPR

hide caption

toggle caption

Ava Pukatch/NPR

“If someone coughs up a solid grand, I will literally strip half naked, take the shirt off my back, call it a day and walk home,” Stein said.

No one’s taken him up on that offer just yet.

Stein said he sells about 50 hot dogs a day. He’s looking forward to getting back to his IRS job as soon as possible.

“But I’m definitely not giving this up,” Stein said. “This is going to be a weekend project, I think, for life.”

He hopes it can bring a laugh to the community — even if he has to charge you a 10% tax for ordering a dog with the “wrong toppings.”