Earlier this year, Darryl Evans and Jason Salvatore were laid off from their jobs at a local car dealership as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. They say that adversity leads to opportunity and the longtime friends recognized this as the perfect opportunity to strike out on their own.
“We were sitting in Jason’s backyard trying to figure out what we were going to do next and decided to stop working for other people and start working for ourselves,” said Evans, “I always talked about opening a hotdog place when I was younger. When Jason mentioned that as an idea, I knew that I was definitely in.”
The result is Dynamite Dawgs, which opened earlier this week at 6312 Center Street (at the SW intersection with Munson Road next to Sunoco).
The duo put their money where their mouth is to fund their venture. “Jason pulled out his entire 401K and we put in a lot of our own money to get this dream started,” says Evans.
Both Evans and Salvatore are long-time Mentor residents so opening their business here was an easy decision.
“It’s a great city filled with even greater people,” says Evans, ”We look forward to serving them our delicious food.”
Their extensive menu features a selection of specialty dogs, appetizers, fair foods (including fried Oreos, funnel cakes, cheese-on-a-stick and more), sliders, and even vegetarian options, as well as ice cream for dessert.
When asked what their favorite menu items are, Evans remarked, “My personal favorite is probably the Chicago Dawg and fried Oreos. Jason’s favorite is definitely the Hangover Dawg.”
We thank Dynamite Dawgs for the investment in our community and commend them on their investment in themselves. It’s this type of entrepreneurial spirit that makes our community proud and we wish them success in the future.
Dynamite Dawgs is open for dine-in or take Tuesday-Saturday from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. They look to add delivery service in the near future. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram or visit their website at www.dynamitedawgs.com to learn more.