Caltrans Worker Launched Sacramento Food Cart
A former state highway employee exited civil service to run an independent mobile lunch business in Sacramento.
Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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In mid-June, former Caltrans highway maintenance worker Drew Schmidt launched Between the Buns 916, a hot dog cart operating at the Metro Center office complex. The career transition allowed Schmidt to move away from state highway operations and into local food service.
Why it matters
The shift represents a move toward autonomy for a former civil servant seeking a better work-life balance through small-scale, high-margin mobile retail. For operators, it underscores the persistent appeal of low-overhead food service models in transit-dense urban hubs.
Used food cart acquisition costs typically range from $3,000 to $5,000, while menu items at Between the Buns 916 reach $11 for a two-hot-dog combo. These figures track against the startup costs for a single-operator mobile food unit in a city-center commercial environment.
The players
Drew Schmidt
A former highway maintenance worker for Caltrans who transitioned to independent food service operation.
Caltrans
The California Department of Transportation responsible for highway maintenance and infrastructure across the state.
The details
Schmidt acquired the business from a retiring operator to manage daily lunch service and test rotating weekly menu items. The cart operates at the Metro Center complex and at the intersection of Richards Boulevard and North 10th Street, offering staples including Polish dogs and spicy hot links alongside individual add-ons like chips and soda for $1.50.
Timeline
Schmidt purchased the hot dog cart in November.
Between the Buns 916 launched in mid-June.
The cart operates at Metro Center from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The cart operates at Richards Boulevard and North 10th Street on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Market Landscape
This venture tracks with the growing trend of mid-career professionals shifting from stable public sector roles into independent mobile food retail. The pivot follows a wider pattern of operators seeking low-overhead, asset-light business models to manage work-life balance.
Operators entering the mobile food sector should evaluate the fixed costs of acquiring used equipment against the revenue potential of specific high-traffic lunch corridors. Monitoring daily operational hours and product pricing is essential for maintaining margins in competitive street-vending environments.
The takeaway
Small-scale food operators should prioritize high-traffic, consistent lunch-hour locations to maximize daily revenue. Track your equipment depreciation and repair costs to ensure the business model remains sustainable beyond the initial startup phase.
Further reading
For more on local business transitions, visit Openings & Closings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Seattle Times.
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