Local hotdog and ice cream walk-up eatery opens, with restrictions but optimism

The 44th Street Dog and Dairy walk-up eatery’s owner and manager Joel Ruark. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

The 44th Street Dog and Dairy walk-up eatery, located just east of U.S. Highway 131 in Wyoming, opened just about its normal time of mid-April. But is it not entirely “business as usual” due to current restrictions on restaurants.

Owner and manager Joel Ruark, who opened the business in 2012, says is some ways his business is perfect for the COVID-19 restrictions — 44th Street Dog is a walk-up, not a walk-in, and there is very little direct contact between employees and customers.

But he also worries about the impact of not being able to allow customers to sit on his brightly colored bench tables and eat as the weather gets warmer.

“Pretty much normal opening time for the season,” Ruark said to WKTV last week. “We got to the 15th (of April), which is when we usually open, and we said, ‘Well, we qualify. We’re a take-out.’ And we do a lot of take-out food. (Where people pick it up and drive away).”

The 44th Street Dog and Dairy walk-up eatery, located just east of U.S. Highway 131 in Wyoming, opened just about its normal time of mid-April. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

44th Street Dog and Dairy, like many similar businesses, offer various styles of hotdogs, hamburgers and ice cream treats. But for the time being, they can not offer a place to sit and eat — as evidenced by the majority of his bench tables being stacked on the side of the building with only a couple available for those waiting for food.

“You can’t use those tables,” Ruark said. “I’ve been having to kick people off of them continuously. But they are very understanding. I think it is ridiculous. A family can’t event sit on the tables and eat together. They don’t want that. … I don’t love it. Especially in the summer, we have people who love to sit out here.”

And despite the current restrictions, Ruark says his business is starting pretty much as it always starts: very weather dependent.

“It is too early to tell what the impact is,” he said. “So far, I think it has been promising, maybe. It’s hard to say, the weather may have more (of an impact on business) than the restrictions.”

One thing for sure, Ruark said, his seasonal employees were ready to get back to work.

“My employees were just beating down the door, saying ‘We want work’,” he said.

44th Street Dog and Dairy is located art 521 44th St SW. For more information, visit their Facebook page @44thStreetDogandDairy.