Thanks to the ongoing government shutdown, Washington has no shortage of overeducated professionals living in existential crisis. Few are embracing the chaos quite like Isaac Stein, a 31-year-old IRS attorney who swapped drafting retirement regulations for slinging hot dogs on the streets of the nation’s capital — by choice, and with a full sense of irony. In a city where every lawyer claims to serve the public, Stein may be the only one who’s doing it literally.
With the help of a federal furlough, Stein’s living his childhood fantasy of owning a hot dog cart, and he’s managed to turn it into his own unique side hustle, suit and tie included. His cart, brilliantly named SHYSTERS, advertises itself as “The Only Honest Ripoff in D.C.” It’s “performance art” meets processed meat, and every single detail has been thought through with a lawyer’s precision and a comedian’s sensibility. Reuters has additional details:
A “plurality but not the majority” of his customers order a steamed hot dog served with spicy brown mustard and sauerkraut, which Stein describes on his menu as ‘The Only Choice: Correct Hot Dog and Drink’. …
The menu is a blend of nostalgia and regional flair: Hebrew National hot dogs and Chicago-style giardiniera, as well as Moon Pies and RC Cola for Southern patrons, and free, hot dog-shaped dog treats. “If someone recites the historical significance of RC Cola and Moon Pies, I give them a nickel off,” Stein said.
What started as a weekend side gig has turned into a full-time, street-side enterprise while the government remains shut down. Instead of reading the tax code, Stein now reads his customers, describing the experience as a series of “vignettes in a novel” — brief glimpses into real lives, one hot dog at a time. “You feel really connected,” he said.
Stein has invested five figures into SHYSTERS, and says he’ll continue selling hot dogs on the weekends when the government reopens for business, because living the dream for this lawyer comes with serving of sauerkraut.
Washington lawyer on furlough lives out dream of running a hot dog cart [Reuters]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
The post Furloughed IRS Lawyer Opens Hot Dog Cart, Finally Starts Serving The Public appeared first on Above the Law.
Thanks to the ongoing government shutdown, Washington has no shortage of overeducated professionals living in existential crisis. Few are embracing the chaos quite like Isaac Stein, a 31-year-old IRS attorney who swapped drafting retirement regulations for slinging hot dogs on the streets of the nation’s capital — by choice, and with a full sense of irony. In a city where every lawyer claims to serve the public, Stein may be the only one who’s doing it literally.
With the help of a federal furlough, Stein’s living his childhood fantasy of owning a hot dog cart, and he’s managed to turn it into his own unique side hustle, suit and tie included. His cart, brilliantly named SHYSTERS, advertises itself as “The Only Honest Ripoff in D.C.” It’s “performance art” meets processed meat, and every single detail has been thought through with a lawyer’s precision and a comedian’s sensibility. Reuters has additional details:
A “plurality but not the majority” of his customers order a steamed hot dog served with spicy brown mustard and sauerkraut, which Stein describes on his menu as ‘The Only Choice: Correct Hot Dog and Drink’. …
The menu is a blend of nostalgia and regional flair: Hebrew National hot dogs and Chicago-style giardiniera, as well as Moon Pies and RC Cola for Southern patrons, and free, hot dog-shaped dog treats. “If someone recites the historical significance of RC Cola and Moon Pies, I give them a nickel off,” Stein said.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPl1pWhjQzD
What started as a weekend side gig has turned into a full-time, street-side enterprise while the government remains shut down. Instead of reading the tax code, Stein now reads his customers, describing the experience as a series of “vignettes in a novel” — brief glimpses into real lives, one hot dog at a time. “You feel really connected,” he said.
Stein has invested five figures into SHYSTERS, and says he’ll continue selling hot dogs on the weekends when the government reopens for business, because living the dream for this lawyer comes with serving of sauerkraut.
Washington lawyer on furlough lives out dream of running a hot dog cart [Reuters]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
