04/24/2026
It breaks my heart to inform my loyal Chopper Dawgs friends and family that we will not be participating at the Farmers on First market this weekend (4/26/2026) or at any future FoF events.
There are a few conflicts of interest that FoF and Chopper Dawgs have not been able to resolve. The FoF bylaws state that we may not resell certain items. For example, we may not offer chips or bottled water with our burgers. Regrettably, this is a detail that has escaped my attention.
We were also informed that we are not allowed to sell any sides—including our pepper jack mac & cheese, which is prepared from scratch onsite. The only reason given for this was that the dish is “not in line with their product standards.” Although perhaps vague, no additional clarification was provided. We did not operate outside any by-laws that I am aware of. Just simple statement from the board, not in line with our product standards. To be clear, we were offering to use only made from scratch sides to go along with the hamburgers using beef sourced from a local farm.
While some of these challenges may have been workable with time and communication, the main problem was a result of how and when these decisions were communicated.
Our first event with FoF was March 29th. Our menu was submitted weeks in advance with no concerns raised. This week, however, after confirming details for the upcoming event, I received a call stating that the board had reviewed the menu and realized they had previously overlooked certain details. At that point, we were told we could no longer sell drinks, chips, or sides—only what was listed on our original application.
This was communicated just three and a half days before the event, after we had already finalized our menu, printed materials, and purchased inventory. There was no opportunity to discuss or find a solution—only a last-minute change to how we operate.
We were given the option to still set up under those restrictions. However, this would have required completely reworking our menu, pricing, and setup at the last minute, while also suffering a loss on the products we had already purchased. This is not a sustainable way for us to do business and is ‘ultimately why we will not be participating in FoF for the foreseeable future.
We sincerely apologize to everyone who planned to come out and support us this weekend. Please know this is not the end for Chopper Dawgs, we have several events lined up and will be announcing those soon.
If there’s an event you would like to see us at, please let us know.
Thank you for your continued support. We truly appreciate you.
