Hey! Hot Dog Owner B.J. Uedelhofen Responds To Joliet's Support

JOLIET, IL — While many were celebrating St. Patrick's Day at Joliet's bars and restaurants, one Joliet woman was concerned about a beloved hot dog business.

The 41-year-old woman took to Brian Bessler's Joliet Area Bars & Restaurant Guide to inform the group's more than 19,000 Facebook followers: "Just a head's up. Hey! Hot Dog off of Clement St. could use some help. We stopped there for barbecue beef and the owner comes to your car and goes in to make your order and brings it back. We asked him how things are, and he is struggling ..."

In less than 24 hours, the Facebook post had received 561 Likes, 760 Shares and 68 comments. Hey! Hot Dog is a local landmark at 601 Ruby St. It's been here since 1978.

The small, family-owned hot dog business first opened in 1959 when it was on East Cass Street.

"Thanks for posting this!" Bessler commented on the Facebook thread. "BJ is a great guy!"

Late Thursday afternoon, Joliet Patch caught up with Hey! Hot Dog owner B.J. Uedelhofen.

And he had a smile on his face.

He does not have a Facebook page, and he does not have a website for Hey! Hot Dog. He had no idea there was a huge buzz Wednesday night about the status of Hey! Hot Dog when he showed up on Ruby Street for his daily 11 a.m. opening.

What happened when he got to work Thursday?

"There were three cars in the line, and I didn't even put the key in the door," he remarked. "It was a wonderful lunch hour. Thank you, Joliet. Thank you, Joliet, for all your support. This was very unexpected, definitely."

Even when Joliet Patch showed up around 3 p.m. to interview him, cars, vans and pick-up trucks were constantly pulling into the parking lot to order food.

Since last fall because of the coronavirus, Hey! Hot Dog has kept its indoor seating area off-limits to customers.

Hey! Hot Dog has remained open, Monday through Saturday, as a drive-up to-go service.

Uedelhofen said it's just too risky, health wise, to open up his small indoor restaurant for customers. He can seat a total of 19 people.

The problem is that he and his employees are only a couple feet away from their customers as they are cooking the hot dogs, making barbecue sandwiches or pouring their homemade root beer.

"We don't have the room (inside) to spread everybody out," he said.

For those reasons, Uedelhofen said he wants to wait until more people are vaccinated from the coronavirus before letting everyone come inside to order or enjoy their meals while sitting at the counter.

At one point, a wide smile came across Uedelhofen's face during his outdoor interview with Patch on the otherwise chilly, windy and gloomy Thursday afternoon.

Uedelhofen said he wanted people to know that he's not running out of money.

"We are not going anywhere," he laughed. "We are not destitute by any means.

"We're just waiting for the weather to break. February into late March is always a slow time for us. It's always typical. Every spring and late winter, February and March we're slower. And that combined with COVID, it's just been tough, real tough."

One customer returned to the Hey! Hot Dog parking lot a few minutes after picking up their food order. They handed Uedelhofen a wad of cash to keep as a tip.

He refused to take it, insisting he does not take tips. But the customer insisted on Hey! Hot Dog keeping the extra money.

The tip was given to Uedelhofen's long-time helper Lauren, who was hard at work Thursday taking orders and bringing motorists their food.

She has worked at Hey! Hot Dog the past six years.

A couple of minutes later, a woman named Lee Ann pulled up in her vehicle with a Vietnam military veteran in the passenger seat. Lee Ann said she is from Wilmington and now lives in Joliet.

She, too, arrived because she learned of the social media post on Brian Bessler's Facebook page Wednesday night.

"I'm contributing because you guys are hurting," she told the Ruby Street business owner.

Lee Ann ordered a hot dog and a barbecue sandwich. She let Joliet Patch take a photo of her standing in front of Hey! Hot Dog holding her paper bag of food.

"And don't forget to mention the homemade root beer," she told Joliet Patch.

Once the warm weather arrives, Hey! Hot Dog will have a half dozen picnic tables set up outside. In a couple of weeks, Uedelhofen said he will start making Italian sausage as a Wednesday weekly special during April.

The Italian sausage will be dipped in red marinara sauce, with sautéed onions and bell peppers.

"It's really a good sandwich," he said.

Other than that, there are no major changes coming to the menu.

"People are just asking for the basics," he said.

And to reiterate, Hey! Hot Dog is not going away, its long-time owner said. In fact, the farm produce stand will be back in July.