By Jessica Borders
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT —
At Wright Dawgs II, Gary and Judy Wright offer the hot dogs that their customers first fell in love with almost four years ago.
On Dec. 18, 2006, the couple opened their original Wright Dawgs restaurant at 540 East Park Ave. in Fairmont, and they watched as their business grew in the years that followed. They still see new faces there every day.
Opening a second store wasn’t always in their plans, but a property in Bellview caught Gary’s attention. He told the landlord that he was interested in that space, located in the Bellview Plaza beside Save-A-Lot, and to let him know if it ever became available.
When the site opened up, Gary and Judy — who live nearby in Bellview — decided to expand their business and create Wright Dawgs II.
They spent 2 1/2 months renovating the building. They put in a new cook system, remodeled the bathrooms, painted and thoroughly cleaned the place. They also took out the former booths and replaced them with tables.
Wright Dawgs II officially opened at the end of March. Judy said they often get compliments about how good the restaurant looks inside. It has a homey feel, and people can sit down and relax.
The menu is basically the same at both locations, but the salads are currently only featured at Wright Dawgs II. This item should be available at Wright Dawgs on the East Side after September.
The restaurant offers a variety of different hot dogs, including low-fat “Healthy Dawgs,” “Talley Dawgs,” deep fried and others. Customers love the taste of the sauce and the hot dog itself, the owners said.
The menu also includes corn dogs, “Frankie’s Steak Sandwich,” pork barbecue or chicken sandwiches, meatball or steak hoagies, and wings. In addition, people can get pepperoni rolls, chicken nuggets, fries, onion rings, cheese sticks and more.
Daily specials are offered, and customers can dine in or carry out.
Gary operates the new Bellview restaurant, while Judy runs the East Side location.
The Wrights and their four dedicated employees focus on keeping everything neat and clean and always being polite to the people who stop by. Gary and Judy take time out to greet their customers and joke and laugh with them.
“We’ve met a lot of nice people,” Gary said.
Business is growing slowly but surely at Wright Dawgs II, and Gary and Judy invite everyone to visit their new restaurant and see what it has to offer. Once customers walk in for the first time, they’ll want to come back to enjoy more good food and the nice, clean atmosphere, Judy said.
Both locations are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call Wright Dawgs II at 304-333-8002 or Wright Dawgs at 304-368-0834.
E-mail Jessica Borders at jborders@timeswv.com.
