[EDITOR'S NOTE — Each week, this feature section, “Movers and Makers,” will feature the stories of the movers, launchers, entrepreneurs and makers who contribute to the vitality of the Mahoning Valley. This section is supported by our first community partner, Farmers National Bank.]
AUSTINTOWN — When Hot Dog Allie opened in 2018, owner Alexandria Tonkovich said she was looking to fill a void in Austintown with a hometown hot dog shop.
Hot Dog Allie, 1412 S. Raccoon Road, is takeout-only year-round, a setup that turned into an advantage it doubled down on as the coronavirus pandemic hit and indoor dining shutdown.
“I really wanted to do something different from sit-down because I see how fast paced things have become today and a lot of people are always on the go,” she said.
The restaurant has gained newfound recognition in the Valley outside of Austintown, an uptick Tonkovich attributes to the Facebook groups Mahoning County Take Out and Trumbull County Take Out, which formed to give residents local takeout dining suggestions during the pandemic.
“We got a lot of positive feedback on [Facebook] and a lot of people posting about it, and that encouraged new customers to come here. It was really great for us,” she said.
Tonkovich said most of the new Facebook fans come from neighboring communities such as Boardman and Canfield.
“It’s a lot of people outside of the Austintown area, and that’s where we were really hoping to reach, and kind of one of my biggest fears when all of this started, not having the sit-in stuff,” she said. “I didn’t know how comfortable people would be taking that drive here even if it was a 15, 20 minutes just to try it and eat in their car, but a lot of people have been receptive to it.”
Hot Dog Allie’s menu consists of hot dogs, chicken, sides and drinks and is most known for its Spicy Italian Dog, which Tonkovich said is “a shout-out to Youngstown.” Other popular menu items include fresh chicken sandwiches made in-house daily and its signature parmesan potato puffs.
Tonkovich said her new customers have kept coming even as indoor dining has reopened.
“There’s no seating inside — it’s walk up and drive thru strictly. We have a few picnic tables outside. So we were really fortunate when this happened that we didn’t have to change a lot of things other than the masks and gloves everyday,” she said.
Tonkovich opened Hot Dog Allie five years after she graduated from Austintown Fitch High School, and although she is a young business owner, she is used to the restaurant industry. Tonkovich said her family opened Youngstown Crab Company when she was 5, and her family has been part of the restaurant's management since the Youngstown Crab Company opened as Crabby Bob’s Crab Co. Restaurant & Bar earlier this year.
“So I had a lot of great experience there and just learning from them over the years, and it set me up for success with this,” she said.
She said Hot Dog Allie and Crabby Bob’s look out for each other and join forces when necessary.
“The servers that unfortunately got laid off at the crab company when they got shut down [during the COVID-19 pandemic] — I was able to give them part-time employment just while this was all going on,” she said.
Tonkovich’s initial plan for 2020 was to open a second restaurant. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed that, Tonkovich is still hopeful she can reach that goal by the end of the year. In the next five years, she wants to have at least three Hot Dog Allie locations, and keep them all in the Mahoning Valley.
Tonkovich said until then, she’s focusing on appealing to customers who might be hesitant to visit restaurants right now.
“I know a lot of people are still kind of wary about going out and everything, but when they come here, they don't ever have to worry about us. We’re always wearing masks and taking precautions,” she said
Hot Dog Allie is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
The Link LonkAugust 03, 2020 at 04:35PM
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Hot Dog Allie relishes new customers at its takeout-only restaurant - Mahoning Matters
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