This story was written by a high school student participating at NEPM's Media Lab Summer '23 cohort, in partnership with MassLive.
Fire House Hot Dogs’ meatball sub is a no-doubt home run with plenty of flavor.
Many people enjoy watching sports and have a favorite team, but Eric Maldonado has taken that passion for sport and combined it with food. Inspired by his love for baseball and softball and being a fan of the New York Yankees, he opened his own batting cage and food truck, Fire House Hot Dogs, to keep him connected with the local baseball community.
His first business adventure began in 2019, when he bought his first hot dog cart. This started out as a hobby and was something to do while he was off playing softball.
“It was never really a thought to us as a business,” said Johanna Maldonado, Eric’s wife. “So it kind of started off as something to do, why not try to have Eric play sports and to make some money on the side and have fun along the way? And it just took off over the past few years.”
Eric's food truck is well known for his hot dogs and you will find references to some baseball players' on his menu. He believes hot dogs are a staple when it comes down to watching baseball and any other sports live.
"Hot dogs and baseball go together, when you go to a baseball park all you have is hot dogs,” Eric said. “The batting cage business is an extension of his love for the sport and invites his food truck fans to have fun playing and practicing baseball. The main reason why we got into these businesses was all because of sports.”
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