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Hot Dog Stands (page 1)

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George's Coney Island
Worcester, MA
George's Coney Island started as a small hot dog stand in 1918. It moved next door to its present location in 1928. In 1938, the restaurant expanded and had an Art Deco makeover, adding wooden booths and a tile floor. In 1940, the 60-foot-tall neon sign was added. It was modeled after owner George Tsagarelis' hand holding a hot dog with dripping mustard. Nothing inside or outside has changed much since then. For more, see this website. [map]

Walter's Hot Dogs
Mamaroneck, NY
Walter's Hot Dogs opened in 1919, selling hot dogs and apple cider. It moved to its present location in 1928. The sign spells out "Walter’s" in hot dogs. Today, Walter's continues to sell their specially formulated "splits" (hot dogs made of beef, pork and veal, split down the middle) and grainy mustard with pickle bits. The building has a copper roof and is a stylized Chinese pagoda. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Original New York System
Providence, RI		 Olneyville New York System
Providence, RI
The Original New York System opened in 1927. This sign was built around 1933. The restaurant may be closing soon. [map]

The Olneyville New York System opened in 1946. The Smith Hill location is tiny with just a row of stools. It also has an enameled steel paneled exterior. In 2021, the sign was removed and found too far gone to restored. It was replaced with a replica. The original sign was broken up and sold in separate pieces. [map]

There is another location in East Providence, RI which has another one of these signs. It is now known as the M&M Family Restaurant.

The Olneyville New York System opened another location in Cranston, RI in 1981. That location does not have one of these neon signs. There is also another New York System location in North Providence in a strip mall.

A "New York System" is a griddle-grilled, four-inch-long hot dog topped with meat sauce. In Rhode Island, they're called "weiners" or "wieners". The name New York System was developed in the early 1900s. Hot dogs were still a novelty then and the association with New York added cachet. For more, see this website.

Pink's Hot Dogs
Los Angeles, CA		 Art's Famous Chili Dogs
Los Angeles, CA
Pink's Hot Dogs opened in 1939. It started with a pushcart at this location. In 1946, this building was constructed. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Art's Famous Chili Dogs was established in 1939. It closed in 2020 and the building was remodeled for the Breakfast Shack. The Art's sign remains. For more, see this website. [map]

Blackie's Hot Dogs
Cheshire, CT
Blackie's Hot Dogs opened in 1928 and is famous for its hot dogs which are cooked in oil (not fried). The business started out as a gas station. However, the real money-maker was the hot dogs. Therefore, the pumps were removed for parking. The unique hot-pepper relish is made the same as when Blackie's first opened. The building is made of two octagonal structures joined in the middle by a double garage door. There are two identical neon signs. [map]

Clare & Carl's Hot Dog Stand
Plattsburgh, NY
Clare & Carl's Hot Dog Stand opened here in 1943. The stand features red hots, car hops, and picnic tables. There is another location in town but this one is the original. [map]

Hot Dog Johnny's
Buttzville, NJ
Hot Dog Johnny's was established in 1944. In 1947, the stand moved to the current location. [map]

Skeeter's
Wytheville, VA		 former Jim's Doggie Stand
Phillipsburg, NJ		 Mike's Hot Dogs
Schenectady, NY
Skeeter's is famous for its chili dogs. Open since 1920, it has nice old cabinetry, stools and signs as well. For more, see this website. [map]

Jim's Doggie Stand opened in 1910. In 1966, a truck crashed into the building and pushed it into the river. The business then moved into the ground floor of this 1920 building. In 1991, Jim's moved again across the river to a shopping center in Easton, PA where it is known as Jimmy's Hot Dogs. The building was vacant for many years, until it was renovated in 2004 (photo at right). The building then housed Jimmy's on the Delaware, no relation to the original Jimmy's Hot Dogs. That business closed in 2008. Since then, the business has been known as Jimmy's Doggie Stand. For more, see this website. [map]

Mike's Hot Dogs opened in 1947. The sign is supposedly from then. If so, then it has been repainted and channel letters applied. Inside, there is a 50-foot-long formica counter. The restaurant is known for its hot dogs with meat sauce. In 2019, the rooftop sign was damaged when a tree fell on it during a storm. It was repaired but the "First Prize" letters are now plastic, not neon. [map]

Boz Hot Dogs
Hazel Crest, IL		 Franks-a-Lot
Portland, OR		 Fredgie's World
Famous Hot Dogs
Jensen Beach, FL
Boz Hot Dogs has about sixteen locations around the Chicago area. They were founded in 1969. The location must have been one of the earliest. There was another location in Griffith, IN which occupied a former Tastee-Freez. [map]

I believe Franks-a-Lot opened in 2008. This place was previously known as The Dog House. [map]

Fredgie's World Famous Hot Dogs opened in 1989 in the Snook Nook Bait & Tackle parking lot. [map]

Griffin Dog House
Griffin, GA
The Griffin Dog House opened around 2013. [map]

Dog House
Hillsborough, NC		 Dog House
Durham, NC
This Dog House restaurant chain was established in 1974. In addition to the dog house shaped building, there are fire hydrant styled trash cans. There are four locations in Durham. There are five locations in Durham and this one in Hillsborough. I believe they all use this building style. For more, see this website. [Hillsborough map]; [Durham map]

former Dog House
Los Angeles, CA
Gray's Chili Dogs
Porterville, CA
There was also a Dog House hot dog chain in the Los Angeles area in the 1960s. The buildings had fake chimneys and there were dog house shaped signs. This former location now houses the Corner Kafe. The building's shape is concealed behind the canopy which was added later. If you know of any other buildings that have survived, please let me know. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

I suspect that the Gray's Chili Dogs building originally housed a Dog House. The smaller building behind it shown in the bottom row of photos above, which appears to be used for storage, was built in 2012. Although it's hard to see behind the plastic covering, the neon dog bears a strong resemblance to the signs at the Taylor Brothers stands (see below). I suspect it may have come from the Porterville location. [map]

Taylor Brothers Hot Dogs
Visalia, CA
Taylor Brothers Hot Dogs
Watsonville, CA
The original Taylor Brothers Hot Dogs stand opened in Porterville, CA in 1949. That location is gone now. In 1950, a stand was opened in Delano, CA. In 1952, that building was moved to Visalia, CA where it continues to operate. The neon sign is animated. [map]

The Watsonville location opened in 1954. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Hot Dog Stands
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