Josh Hatheway of Stevensville has spent his entire life dreaming of owning a hot dog stand, or a hot dog cart, or even a hot dog food truck. His family jokingly call Josh “Bubba from Forrest Gump,” only he thinks continually about styles of hot dogs instead of the myriad variations on shrimp. He’ll prattle on about “Coney Dogs, Chicago Dogs, New York Dogs, Seattle Dogs,” and on and on. His wife Cori says, “You get the picture, this dude LOVES hot dogs!”
His love of “all things hot dog” is turning his dream into reality soon with the impending arrival of his new venture called DogSlinger in downtown Stevensville.
With a target goal to be open on April 8th, downtown Stevensville will become the home to the new hot dog joint, as DogSlinger takes over the building that was formerly occupied by Ricky’s at 5664 St. Joseph Avenue.
Owners Josh and Cori Hatheway, have designed a menu with more than 20 different types of dogs featuring both regional favorites and foodie-influenced creations for the more adventurous. Each week, a not-on-the-menu “Wurst of the Week” will be featured. Additionally, they will offer a variety of sausages and delicious sides, including a giant order of Loaded Tots that’s big enough to share with multiple people. All hot dogs are genuine Vienna Beef, however, a plant-based substitute will be available, as are gluten-free buns.
Josh says, “We’re excited to bring our gourmet-inspired dogs and sausages to Southwest Michigan,” and adds, “DogSlinger is unique, and we can’t wait to share our creations with everybody in the community.”
DogSlinger will be open for take-out, or customers are welcome to enjoy their meal at one of the outdoor tables in the DogSlinger side-yard, where they are adding more tables where you can enjoy a to-go order in the afternoon sunshine. Curbside pick-up is also available for customers who may not be comfortable going inside.
Cori says that the DogSlinger’s initial hours will run: Tuesday – Thursday from 11am-to-7pm, and Friday and Saturday from 11am-to-9pm. She adds that the hours may adjust after Memorial Day, once the official summer season kicks-off.
Meanwhile the Hatheways are just awaiting approvals from the Berrien County Health Department, and other authorities before they can place the “now open” sign in the window.
To commemorate their Grand Opening, DogSlinger will have random drawings and prizes for customers throughout the month of April, and you can check out their Facebook page for more details on those plans.
You can find DogSlinger online social media centers at:
● Facebook @DogSlingerMI
● Instagram @dogslingermi
● Twitter @DogSlinger1
● Website http://dogslinger.net
