CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 39 D awn Dawkins Caison has owned and operated the Hot Diggidy Dog restaurants since 2009, but loyal customers don't have to look very hard to see the essence of the hot dog and burger joint that keeps 'em coming back. e Roxie Avenue location is convenient for soldiers right off the All American freeway near Raeford Road. It's a hot spot for a quick lunch treat. Frequented by locals, Dawn shared that there are a few customers who sit at the same spot every week, and that she oen sets the table to "reserve" it for them. You don't oen find that kind of cus- tomer service, or loyalty, these days at a simple establish- ment that makes its living from peddling grilled hot dogs, burgers and milkshakes. Folks who haven't dropped into Hot Diggidy Dog since Dawn took ownership will find the interior of the old place updated. To start, mak- ing more room she pulled out the booths allowing for more seating, while also increasing efficiency for the line that of- ten forms during lunch. "My customers are my fa- vorite part of the business," said Dawn. "It's like one big family." Simply decorated with "ce- lebrity" photos of kids that grin from the walls above the The secret ingredients: simplicity, tradition and family By kELLy TwEdELL counter, Dawn enjoys seeing those same kids come back, much older of course. Long gone is the old menu board, replaced now by a chalkboard menu with just eight items. But the most im- portant element — the familiar, comfortable atmosphere — remains the same. And the ticket orders are hung up on a long wire with a clothespin, just like in its earlier days. Some things are better le unchanged when they just make sense. While Dawn has not added many new menu items, the basic menu is what the regulars expect. "Regulars make up 80 percent of our business," she said smiling. Adding milkshakes to the menu has been a win. Using an old-timey milkshake maker, they offer vanilla, strawberry and choco- late. Dawn shared her secret: she adds a pinch of malt into the milk served up in the silver old-fashioned style contain- ers that they are blended in. For Dawn, these milkshakes bring back old memories of her dad, the late Mayor J.L. Dawkins, when they would go to Brady's Soda Shoppe downtown, owned by one of her friend's families. Both locations combined have 14 employees. At the Roxie Avenue spot, a long- time employee has been grilling requests from his favorite customers. "I love seeing the same customers business Hot dog diggidy

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