If it’s sunny out, hot dog guy Don Cowan is ready to roll.
When the warm weather rolls in, so does Don Cowan, owner of Brian’s Father’s Hot Dogs. “I have one son. Guess what his name is?” quips the 61-year-old Methuen native, whose hotdog cart and cheerful smile have been familiar sights in downtown Andover for nearly a decade. And nowadays, when Hollywood needs hot dogs, Cowan has become the big screen’s go-to guy.
Why did you leave the printing business to sell hot dogs? I owned A+ Printing in Reading for 10 years. When my largest account went bankrupt, they took me with them. But a friend of mine sold hot dog carts and hooked me up.
So how famous are you? I was in two movies: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past with Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner, and I have my picture with Jennifer Garner on my refrigerator to prove it. And then I was in The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.
How did Hollywood find you? I also sell hot dog carts and trailers. The production team wanted to rent one, and I told them that I don’t do that. They would have to rent me and the hot dog cart. It was a package deal.
Tell me about your customers. I’m not good at names, but I’m real good at what people will order. I have one individual that comes and sees me every single Saturday. He gets one hot dog with relish on the bottom and a bag of chips. I have to open his bag of chips for him, I have to pop open his soda for him, put a straw in there, and then he sits down. No matter what I’m doing, even if I have a mile-long line of people, I know I have to take care of this guy.
What’s your favorite part of the job? It’s a lot of fun because of the people. I mean what’s the worst thing that can happen when you’re serving a hot dog? You drop itÂ…so you give them another one!
What do you do when a thunderstorm hits? Pack up and go home. You’ve got to remember that the umbrella is metal. I’m a lightning rod.
Who are your favorite customers? Well, obviously the ones who eat a lot. There’s one guy who looks up and down the street to make sure his wife’s not coming. He’s not supposed to be eating hot dogs. -Alexandra Pecci, photograph by Bob O’Connor