JEWFISH KEY – The sandbar off Jewfish Key, a popular spot for weekend boaters to drop anchor, now has a floating food service option in the form of Capt. Marc Bouclier’s The Hot Dog Guy boat.
Bouclier bought the 21-foot Carolina skiff last year to support Crysten’s AMI, his family’s Holmes Beach-based boat tour and rental business, but after speaking to a retired relative who had opened a hot dog business in Arizona, the idea was born.
“I thought it was a great idea to be able bring food and drinks to people when they’re out on their boats and in the sun all day,” Bouclier said.
He had the former fishing charter bait boat customized to create the hot dog boat and recently received approvals from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
He plans to have the boat at the sandbar between 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, along with some Fridays, weather permitting.
“We’ll be able to anchor the boat and have people walk from all over the sandbar to us,” he said. “The boat is easy to maneuver around in shallow water, people can come right up to the side of the boat.”
A strong advocate for supporting independent local businesses, he has multiple logos on his boat representing Island businesses.
“Everybody that’s involved in this boat was a handshake of ‘Let’s have some fun and let’s keep it island,’ ” Bouclier said. “There’s a couple of companies on here that have something to do with either the building of the boat or the marketing of the boat.”
Logos on the hot dog boat include Crysten’s AMI boat tours, Drift-In AMI, Anchor Stow, Anchor Down Real Estate & Rentals, Snook Haven, Kick Azz Fishing Charters, JMF Boatworks, Crabby Joe’s, 941 Marine Electronics, Mulligan’s Bar & Grill, Auto Trim, A.M.I. Boatworks, Custom Marine Fab and Speed King Signs.
Bouclier said people from those businesses will have an opportunity to go out on the boat with him on the weekends.
“All of our products are going to be bought from locals,” he said. “We’re keeping it simple, it’s strictly hot dogs, water and sodas.”
In keeping with his mission to support small business, Bouclier recently started a new Facebook page: Anna Maria Island FUN.
“This page is open to anybody and everybody to promote their business,” he said.
