The Jimmy Rex Show #666 - Jayson Edwards - Founder of J-Dawgs Builds Food Empire from Selling Hot Dogs
Dec 23, 2025
55:06
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”
- Instagram: @jdawgs