Pictured is Hogs on Dogs’ owner Jacob Conrad of Warren set up and ready for business as he is every Tuesday in the Midtown parking lot.

If you ever travel to New York City and try to find a cheap bite to eat, there’s a chance you may have tried a hot dog cart. You’ll find them on nearly every busy street corner selling their sausages at an affordable price. With their trademark yellow and blue umbrellas, they typically sell Sabrett brand hot dogs, cooked on the cart in heated water and affectionately known as “dirty water” dogs. A New York style hotdog is topped with mustard, sauerkraut, and onions. The onions are cooked into a sweet onion sauce that most carts carry.

Around 1867, a German immigrant working on Coney Island started selling sausages in a split bread roll. His name was Charles Feltman as he is credited for selling the first true hotdog that we know today.

An employee of his, Nathan Handwerker, went off on his own and started his own business called Nathan’s Famous. He sold hotdogs for 5 cents each, cheaper than all of his competitors. Nathan’s still exists today on Coney Island and around the country. His original stand hosts the annual hotdog eating contest.

Warren recently joined the ranks of big cities like New York with the introduction of a hot dog stand right here. Hogs on Dogs, owned by Jacob Conrad of Warren, sets up every Tuesday in the Midtown parking lot right across from the post office entrance, weather permitting. Instead of the boiled dogs, Conrad grills his on a flat top grill. They aren’t just plain hotdogs either. They are wrapped with bacon that he buys locally from Straight Off The Block butcher shop in Sheffield.

“I wanted to do something in Warren that no one else was doing,” Conrad said. “I wanted to bring something new to the area. I love bacon and I love hotdogs so why not bring them together?”

Conrad works at Chapman Dam State Park for the White Cane Foundation during the summers. He does boat rentals for Chapman Concessions.

“I wanted to add a little extra fun so I decided to start a hotdog stand,” Conrad continued.

One of his signature dogs is called the Swanky Franky. It starts with the bacon wrapped hotdogs and adds sweet barbecue sauce, cheese sauce, and a special homemade chili sauce.

“It’s a secret recipe. I make it from scratch. I received the recipe from a dear friend, Vicky, who created it. It’s truly a staple for the stand, next to the hotdogs.”

“I love having the community involved with the stand. It helps me feel closer and more connected with the community that I love.”

If you’re downtown on a Tuesday or any of the other times that Jacob is set up, you’ll smell the aroma from his stand from down the street. You’ll find a friendly guy who is there to serve you and the community.

When asked about his goals, Jacob thought about it for a little while and replied: “My goal is to feed as many people as possible. When you feed people, they are happy. That is always a great thing.”

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