#666 - Jayson Edwards - Founder of J-Dawgs Builds Food Empire from Selling Hot Dogs

Jayson Edwards is the founder of J-Dawgs, one of Utah’s most iconic food brands. He started it as a BYU student with $600 from pawning his guitar to his dad, running a tiny shack near campus that somehow turned hot dogs into a full-blown movement. In this conversation, Jayson breaks down what actually made J-Dawgs explode early, the painful lessons that come with scaling a food business, and why focus, quality, and community matter more than hype. In this episode, we talk about:

• Starting J-Dawgs with $600 and no clue what he was doing
• How the “shack” created crazy demand before social media
• Why he stayed narrow instead of expanding into everything
• Supply chain chaos, owning the IP, and protecting quality
• What COVID was really like as a food business owner
• Hiring, culture, and the weight of 300+ employees
• Temptation to sell, and how to make decisions without emotion
• Contentment, family, and not chasing “happier than happy”

Follow Jayson / J-Dawgs:

• Instagram: @jdawgs