Hot Dog Stand Opens in Loon Lake

When he retired, longtime restaurateur Paul Bewick did what he knows best: opened a food joint. “My joke was, when I retired, I was going to open up a hot dog stand, sit out here on a corner in Loon Lake or someplace, and (it’d) give me a reason to talk to people all day long,” said Bewick.

That’s just what he did. Paulydogs offers a variety of hotdogs, sausages, burgers, chips, and pops, said Bewick, the sole employee. Paulydogs sells hot dogs in two sizes, “colossal” quarter-pound dogs and standard two-ounce ones, along with German and New York sweet Italian sausages. All have the option to add cheese or chili sauce. Other toppings include mustards, ketchups, different hot sauces, jalapenos, pickles, relish, and onions.

Paulydogs also offers specialty products, such as the Seattle Dog: a hot dog on a stadium bun with sour cream and grilled onions. Bewick said his favorite item is the New York sweet Italian sausage. “You have such a great flavor to it,” he said. “It’s a little spicy – you put grilled onions and sweet hot mustard on it. That just makes them pop.”

Bewick said he wanted to open the food cart because he loves visiting with people. “It’s a way for me to get out and meet people, which has been really fun. I’ve met so many people in the last couple of months just up in this area,” he said. Paulydogs is a mobile extension of Bewick’s business Country Catering and Concessions.

The stand opened May 1, and Bewick predicted he’ll keep the seasonal business open until the end of October, weather permitting. The food cart typically stakes out by John’s Thrift Store, 3923 WA-292, in Loon Lake. Bewick said he tries to operate the stand three days a week, typically Thursday through Saturday or Friday through Sunday, but days and times vary.

On a usual day, Paulydogs would open around 11 a.m., said Bewick. “The day and the business would [affect] how late I stay open, anywhere between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. It just depends on what’s going on,” he said. Paulydogs travels to different areas of Stevens and Spokane counties, and recently catered the grand opening of the Deer Park splash pad in Mix Park.

Bewick said he also catered a dog show last weekend. . Catering is “customized to what (the customer) wants. It could be as cheap as $8 a person, or depending on how far out they want to go with it, it could be $15 a person. It really just depends on what the client wants and also how many people,” Bewick said.

Bewick said he spent 50 years in the food and beverage industry. He’s managed businesses and owned a Spokane Valley Zip’s Drive In. Looking forward, Bewick said he hopes Paulydogs will be at different events throughout the region, from up to Colville down to parts of Spokane. “I’m not looking at franchising it or doing anything crazy like that,” said Bewick. “I’m just rolling with it and seeing where it takes me.”

For more information, call Bewick at 509-507- 3614.