Posted on 06/14/2003 11:43:11 AM PDT by Willie Green
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:03:00 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
An Oakland landmark is trying to become a national brand name with a new franchise program.
Sid Simon, owner of the Original Hot Dog Shop, is planning a regional expansion of the restaurant, with a long-term goal of opening stores throughout a 1,000-mile radius of Pittsburgh. His initial plan is to follow the business model that made the flagship store in Oakland a success: locate the stores on or near college campuses, including Penn State, Ohio University and West Virginia University.
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
More from Michael Stern about hot dogs and more.
Here's a local non-descript eatery that has been in continuous operation since 1930 in Roanoke, VA. I doubt these guys will ever franchise though. Cool place trying to maintain a little local color.
http://www.texastavern-inc.com
I've lived in Pittsburgh for almost 15 years and have never been to the "O". I've been told it's overrated. Now, a hot dog shop I really would like to see expand is Texas Hot Dogs (based in Altoona). Heaven is two Texas Dogs With Everything.
I have to agree...I grew up in Western PA, kicked around the world for a decade or so in the Army and settled in LA about five years back.
As much as I love about the deep south, it was pretty damn hard to find good pizza...Luckily, there's a local place I found that does a pretty good job....
Now thats a food review! or is it???
Hotlanta denizens will recognize this as a knock off of the "Varsity". That's not a bad thing.
Your Pitt sis would disagree - The O "was" a favorite of her's.
I ate many a $3 pizza from there - as well as kick-azz 99 cent quarter pounders. Never actually had a hot dog from the O.
And in my day, I was known to eat a large fry all by myself - usually very early on a Saturday morning after a night down on McKee. I think a medium O fry would probably kill me today.
And the one in Plum - HA! Could never be as ghetto as the one in Oakland.
ping
"They're playing your song" Ping.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you as well FRiend!
LOL I'm running between the kitchen and my "office" at the moment - 12:13pm here at the moment and I got 10kgs of Texas Chili Con Carne cooking for tonight. It is going to be a busy night here.
Im opening my 3rd shop here next week.
Still waiting to meet a few fellow FReepers travelling through the region.
When I went to Pitt in the 70's, I hung out at a number of Oakland eateries, but the "O" wasn't one of 'em. The Burger King in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning, an Italian hoagie place by the Post Office, and an Arabic restaurant "Baalbek" were my favorites.
Well THE O's attempt to expand into the south side didn't go so well... we'll see how it goes going to other towns...
Love the greasy O.
The BK in the basement was a Roy Rodgers in the early/mid 90s.. don't know what it is now....
Thanks for the update. Someday I'll have to go back there for lunch, for old times sake!
Well, I still stop by Oakland from time to time, the O is still there, I was going to school when they introduced pizza... 1.99 for an entire Pie when they first had it, if memory serves... hard to beat that after a drinking binge munchies.
Of course my fav was always the fries with cheese... which is what brings me in there still to this day occassionally... of course now, it screws up my system for 3 days afterwards.. but every once in a while.... just have to go.
These days I'd only set foot in the shop if they had grilled chicken on a whole wheat bun w. low cal sauce, bottled water, and a side salad with low fat vinaigrette dressing. Eat healthy in 2006!
hahaha... you'd ingest more calories than that just from the fat molecules in the air in the O.
Ah, air quality is important also in my choice of restaurants. May they put in air purifiers and air vents. I like to sit under the air vents.
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