For half a decade, hungry who got their hot-dog-fix on Moline’s River Drive will now have to find their favorite vendor one town over.
John Roy Rogers has been selling hot dogs for five-and-a-half years until a recent discrepancy with a health inspector.
Rogers said a city health inspector came to his stand and told him the cart was not up to state code. The inspector said the vendor needed running water and that it was not okay to let customers get their own soda out of the coolers.
The hot dog vendor and former chef said he knows how to handle food, and says the city is too tough on the operation.
“I run a safe ship,” said Rogers. “I’ve never made anybody sick. I know what I’m doing. My temperatures are always good.”
The vendor plans to leave the Riverfront on Sunday, May 19 and set up shop in East Moline.
“I think it’s wrong,” said customer Jay Johnson. "I don't understand. He does everything sanitary I don't understand it. He's an entrepreneur trying to make a living."
Rogers said he’s not going to fight the city.