05 July 2009

OUR 33RD ANNIVERSARY IN THE WEENIE TRADE: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

It all began at our friend John Crawford's 4th of July party in 1976, the Bicentennial. John was a hard working, clean living, no nonsense kind of guy, a self employed landscaper who loved The Grateful Dead, was well educated, studied philosophy and had recently become a vegetarian....

I didn't think too much of the vegetarian thing when he invited us over for the party but it translated into some of the grossest veggie dogs I'd ever seen. I woke up the next morning with one of the worst hangovers I'd ever had, but more importantly, I also knew what I wanted to do: I was going into the hot dog business and I was going to sell great hot dogs, too.

I'll save the ins & outs of this major, life-changing decision for later (the book), but the die was cast.

Sadly, John is no longer with us. He passed away quietly and suddenly (heart attack) one warm Spring afternoon several years ago now. John was 48 at the time, way too early to go, and we always take a moment on the 5th to think of him, wherever he is...