A furloughed attorney with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is making international headlines after opening up a hot dog stand during the government shutdown. The endeavor is both Isaac Stein’s fulfillment of a childhood dream and performance art.
The stand is called Shysters, which means a lawyer who uses unscrupulous business methods.
“I did not expect this level of attention,” Stein told Straight Arrow News.
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Fulfilling a childhood dream
When he spoke with SAN Tuesday afternoon, Stein had just sold out of hot dogs. He has become a local legend in a matter of days.
“I thought that it would be cash-flow positive and commercially successful,” Stein said. “But as I’ve tried to explain, this is 70% a backyard art project where I was just trying to bring my unique sense of humor, or attempted humor, to people and make them laugh and smile.”
Stein first knew he wanted to run a hot dog stand in the seventh grade during a Harlem Globetrotters game at his school. He said he opened a concession stand for the game and found himself far more interested in selling food and speaking with people than he was in the game.
What’s on the menu?
Stein wears a suit and tie to run the stand each day. “It’s just part of the shtick. It’s my attempt at performance art,” he said.
The menu is also part of the performance art. It describes the hot dog stand as the “only honest rip off in D.C.”
Stein sells “the only choice,” a hot dog with spicy brown mustard and sauerkraut, a hot dog with the “wrong toppings,” which sells for a dollar more, dog treats and “overpriced, mediocre merchandise,” which includes the shirt off his back for $1,000.
He confirmed he would, in fact, sell the shirt off his back for that price. “Absolutely. And then I would stop sales, go home and probably go to the gym and read the paper,” he said.
The dapper hot dog man
Spending just a few minutes at the stand makes it clear locals love him. He can’t go more than a few minutes without someone saying “hello” or waving.
“I love seeing him out there selling some hot dogs, looking all sexy. Heck yeah,” Grant Sarvis said.
“Most dapper guy selling dogs in all of D.C.,” Michelle Cave said, adding the stand and his suit are “iconic.”
Stein wants to return to his job at the IRS, but he’ll enjoy this while it lasts.
“I love hearing about people’s days, how they’re doing,” Stein said. “You get a window into the community, and that’s really –– I’m really all about it.”
