Hot Dog Wars: A Bite of Summer Nostalgia
- 7 hours ago
- 4 min read
As the days warm to summer standards and the sun stays out later and later, here at the Castle Test Kitchen we can’t help but lean into those summer foods that we remember from our childhood—peanut butter (JIF, of course) and grape jelly sandwiches, Faygo Red Pop from the corner store (which tasted better after the bike ride there to get there), and of course, hot dogs. While hardly the stuff of gourmet meals, we have strong memories of good times connected with these foods and many more.
Hot dogs, in particular, took many forms in childhood—grilled, roasted over a campfire, or as a treat from Mr. Hot Dog. Mr. Hot Dog was a favorite of this Castle Test Kitchen staffer’s parents—and there was many a Sunday night when the day got away from us and we ended up with takeout from Mr. Hot Dog for dinner. Today, we wondered, just what the backstory was on this family-friendly fast-food joint.
The Mr. Hot Dog franchise in Bay City and Saginaw was owned and operated initially by the Shan Investment Co. Though the chain itself had been present in Michigan since the late 1920s, the mid-Michigan area didn’t get a taste of the famous dogs until the 1960s. Shan Investment was an outfit of several Bay City and Saginaw men who would eventually come to own and operate a number of Mr. Hot Dog and Richies Drive-In restaurants, amongst others. One notable player of the group was John Zestos, a restaurateur in his own right who was eventually connected to Saginaw’s Johnny’s Bonanza, Howard Johnson, and Fuzzy’s to name a few.
Mr. Hot Dog’s first Saginaw location was at 1615 E. Genesee at Gage on Saginaw’s East Side, opened in 1966. Though one would assume the name said it all, Mr. Hot Dog was more than just dogs—their fish and chicken dinners were notable favorites in our household in the 1980s—in 1966 they sold for just 59 cents. Mr. Hot Dog eventually advertised “something for everyone” and family deals that couldn’t be beat—including bulk deals on hot dogs, coney islands, 2 for one dinners, and eventually steak sandwiches too. Famously, Mr. Hot Dog offered inexpensive food of the finest quality—Farmer Peet’s hot dogs (and then Koegels), fresh Icelandic fish, homemade coney sauce, etc.
And while many of us remember this chain fondly, it was not without controversy.
While the East side location did fast business, it was also a defacto gathering place for crowds of young people. During the late sixties, as tensions in Saginaw were growing, Mr. Hot Dog served as the home base for grass roots protests, for crowds of teenagers and for those groups looking to cause trouble too. While the reason for Mr. Hot Dog’s significance in this regard is unclear, its placement just past the main business coordinator down E. Genesee made it a perfect staging area for big groups.
By 1971, the Mr. Hog Dog franchise was looking to expand its hold over Saginaw, and sought approval by the Saginaw Township zoning board for locations at State and Bock and on North Center near Gratiot. Though both were initially approved, the State and Bock location quickly spiraled into a controversial misstep by township officials. The State Street location would have meant the demolition of two houses and backing up to a residential neighborhood. The residents argued that dangerous increased traffic at the corner, litter, greasy smells and more made the Mr. Hot Dog placement unreasonable. On appeal, the board waffled and rescinded their initial allowance for the State Street location. However, a new location at 55 N. Center did open by 1972.
Thomas and Michael Lefkiades also opened Mr. Hot Dog restaurants in Saginaw--on Michigan Avenue and eventually on Court Street and Mason. Both locations fell to neighborhood scrutiny. The first when the historic home of Madge Bliss Alger* at 1841 N. Michigan was razed for the parking lot of the first location—the restaurant opening in 1979. The second on Court Street erupting into a lawsuit by neighbors in an attempt to keep the restaurant out. The neighbors argued against the litter, traffic, smells—and overall thought that a fast-food joint did not fit into the historic Court Street neighborhood. The destruction of more historic homes on the lots needed for the restaurant fueled the opposition—but the Lefkiades brothers did eventually win out, and Mr. Hot Dog was constructed on the northwest corner of Court and N. Mason (today’s T&T Mexican).
Wracked by construction controversies, competition from other fast-food chains, robberies, and even liens by the Michigan Treasury Department for back sales tax—the area’s Mr. Hot Dog restaurants were forced to first be reborn as Michigan Coni-Island and eventually close. Today the only Mr. Hot Dog restaurant in the state can be found in Bay City, still serving up the original coney sauce, fish dinners, shakes and more.
*Madge Bliss Alger died in 1975 at age 90. She was the daughter of Fred H. Bliss, and wife of Francis Alger, both founders of the Bliss-Alger Business College in 1907.
The Recipe: A 1980s Summer
Ingredients:
Warm weather
Bike (Banana Seat-preferred)
Sony Walkman and Cassette Tapes of Choice
All change from the couch, under the bleachers, and your siblings’ rooms
Directions: Mount your bike in the morning, before the sun heats up the sky too much and head toward your nearest corner store. Before leaving, make sure all the change you collected is tucked safely into the pockets of your shorts or your Hello Kitty coin purse. You may also want to slide a cassette into your Sony Walkman at this point. We suggest anything Michael Jackson.
Waste time heading to your destination by picking dandelions, wading in the creek, and watching birds.
Upon arrival at the nearest corner store, use the change to purchase as many pieces of candy as possible and a Faygo Red Pop. Enjoy your sugar rush with one foot on the ground, the other on the pedal of your bike, propped in the shade.
Return home when the porch lights start to come on. Repeat the next day.
