Jaequan Faulkner, owner of Mr. Faulkner’s Old Fashioned Hot Dogs
Minneapolis, MN — Jaequan Faulkner, a 13-year-old Black entrepreneur, was reported to the health department of the city of Minneapolis for running a small hot dog stand business without a license. But instead of shutting it down, the city officials stepped in and decided to help him obtain a health permit as well as receive further training.Every summer since 2016, Jaequan Faulkner has been cooking Mr. Faulkner’s Old-Fashioned Hot Dogs in front of his home to raise money for new clothes. Until last month, someone noticed that his small business doesn’t have a health permit and complained to the Minneapolis Department of Health and forced him to shut down.
The complaints reached the agency and when they investigated about it, they saw that the owner was actually a “young teenage boy.” They decided to help him.
The health inspectors pitched in to pay for the 10-day short term event permit which costs $87 and the business continued the operation.
Moreover, Daniel Huff, the department’s environmental health director, said they were excited to help a determined young man such as Faulkner. He contacted Northside Economic Opportunity Network which gave Faulkner pointers on how to start a business and also started a Facebook page for his business.
Since the first permit only lets him do business on the same location for 10 days, the community decided to help him continue by sponsoring the permit in other locations. Once his first permit expires, the local police department will be sponsoring the next permit for him to stand outside the precinct.
The Minneapolis Urban League, a local civil rights organization, volunteered to sponsor the next and a community church will also sponsor him after that. His business will continue for the rest of the summer.
Faulkner was more than happy that he gets to continue what he loves doing. “I don’t want to stop,” he told KTSP. “… It makes me feel really proud that people know what I’m doing.”
Watch the news coverage below: