Ezra “EZ” Brooks loves hot dogs. In fact, he loves hot dogs so much he is making E-Z Dogs his first business.
Brooks, 20, was born with Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, which is caused by an extra chromosome.
But that hasn’t slowed him down as he graduated in 2021 from Clarion Area High School, where he was involved in sports. One of his teachers gave him the nickname “Easy” in school.
He said his favorite hot dog is built with traditional condiments and topped with baked beans.
Brooks said he used what was left of his high school graduation money and, with help from his mom, invested in the hot dog cart.
Tanya Brooks said they shopped for the stand before finding a used one in Pittsburgh. The former owner was a Steelers fan and that suits Ezra just fine as he is considering a special hot dog to honor his hero, Steelers defensive star T.J. Watt.
The mobile hot dog cart is similar to one seen in big cities. And although it can be rolled around, Tanya Brooks prefers to use her car to tow it. She admitted she is still working on backing up, however.
The cart uses propane to heat the steam table. Another compartment keeps things cold.
“We have been offered several spots on Main Street already,” said Tanya, who is employed by Clarion Vocational Services.
The mother and son team hopes to open at the end of August or beginning of September, and they have already received requests to take the stand to special events.
But the cart won’t be open year round.
“It gets a little cold in January,” Tanya said.
Ezra just hopes the Steelers will be as successful as his E-Z Dogs.
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