“People call us the hot dog store.”
Assuming control of the J&J Country Roads Store in January 2020, brothers Jody and Justin Fox and Justin’s partner Amanda Ratliff have found dedication to the West Virginia hot dog—mustard, onion, chili and slaw, applied to the dog in that order—a winning formula.
“We sell around 100 units a day,” Ratliff told CSP. “Everyone said that our homemade chili is what makes it special. … We also steam our buns.”
On Sundays, hot dog sales grow to anywhere from 500 to 700 units when the local flea market is in season. It takes five foodservice workers to oversee the Sunday hot dog business, as lines to get into the store snake out to the parking lot, she said.
Three years into ownership of the store, J&J Country Roads Store boasts more than 2 million frankfurters sold.