The DogHouse is open. No, dawg, not the one your lady put you in for the weekend. This place is where you might want to stop by for a bite ... to eat.
Dogfather David Cheren, 64, always had the dream of owning and operating his own hot dog stand. As a child in Boston, Cheren worked at a family-owned hot dog stand where he realized his love for the perfect dog.
"I've talked about doing this for 40 years," Cheren said.
After a 30-year career as a trial attorney, Cheren retired five years ago. This year he finally got the chance to follow his dream as he opened Dave's DogHouse.
Although a crowded DogHouse may only have 10 to 15 customers, Cheren says since opening two weeks ago, business has gone very well.
The DogHouse walls are plastered with quips like "Damn right I'm good in bed, I can sleep for hours!" and "Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?"
While bells aren't really ringing, students' mouths will still salivate from the smell of Cheren's unique Boston-imported dogs and toasted buns.
"Not the best hot dog I've ever had, but it's pretty damn good," said journalism junior Robin Leininger.
Leininger, a Chicago native and hot dog lover, said she thought the dogs were missing only one thing.
"I wish they had cheese," Leininger said.
While Cheren wouldn't reveal the ingredients of his secret chili sauce, he did explain its creation. The developer of the sauce - a relative of Cheren - is considered one of the top chefs in the world and works at the prestigious Melisse restaurant in Los Angeles.
The owner said his goal was to create an affordable place for students who are "burned out on burgers" to get something different. Cheren thinks hot dogs are the perfect meal for a student on a budget.
"I'm not doing this to make money," Cheren said. "I'm enjoying it."
Cheren said he'd also like to plan some advertising ploys like, "Who has the best buns?" - where the winner would get a picture of his or her behind taken in front of the DogHouse counter and published in an advertisement.
The DogHouse is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. For more facts and information about Dave's DogHouse go to http://www.davesdoghouse.com.
Reach the reporter at benjamin.honingford@asu.edu.
