It’s National Hot Dog Day and if you live in Tampa Bay, there’s only one place to get your hot dog fix and that’s Mel’s Hot Dogs on Busch Boulevard in Tampa.
“It’s been a real “wienerful” experience to be part of the Tampa Bay community for 45 years, said Mel’s hot dog owner Mel Lohn.
Straight out of Chicago’s inner city, Mel Lohn moved to Tampa when he was 23. After turning up empty on his search for a Chicago style hot dog, he opened his own hot dog joint and became one of Tampa’s original hot dog artisans that dared to put more than relish and mustard on a hot dog.
“I believe the biggest part of my success, other then serving amazing hot dogs and other outstanding sandwiches is the fact that my staff and I approach our customers differently. We take customers names when we take their order and soon learn their name, making them our friend rather then just a customer,” Lohn said.
And now, almost half a century after he opened the “Sultan of Sausage” has a staunch following that he attributes to buying quality beef and hiring the right people to take care of his loyal customers.
“Mels Hot Dogs are yes, gourmet hot dogs. Reason? They are all beef hot dogs made from whole sides of beef, not trimmings or any undesirable parts,” Lohn said.
So on this National Hot Dog Day, if you can’t get to his Busch Boulevard headquarters location, the only two things the Sultan of Sausage asks of bay area residents is to eat a hot dog and don’t just settle for one that is only made up of hot dog and bun, Lohn said.