"RACINE — Top Dog Hot Dogs owner Caleb Robinson has closed his store on Monument Square, but the head of Downtown Racine Corp. hopes to eventually get him another storefront.
"Top Dog’s last day at 520 Main St. on Monument Square was Friday. Without elaborating, Robinson said he had loans and tax obligations that required him to slash overhead.
“'It seemed like for every step I took forward, I was taking two steps back,' he said Monday."
Read more: http://journaltimes.com/business/local/top-dog-hot-dogs-closes-downtown-store/article_dd4088ae-6f93-11e2-9b87-001a4bcf887a.html
I was just there last week. I spoke briefly with Caleb. He said nothing about this.
Top Dog is the only place in Racine that I've found that makes Chicago dogs like the ones I bought in Chicago when I lived there. I have found other Racine restaurants that serve what they call a Chicago dog, but they're not what I consider a Chicago dog.
Top Dog Hot Dogs spoiled me. It's close by and I've spent more money there than I should. I'm going to miss it. The article states that Caleb may return with just the hot dog cart this summer. I hope so.
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8 comments:
That's sad, when a businessman tries so hard, but just can't make It work. Never been there, but I too hope he finds a way to try again.
It's a tough, tough universe.
Andromodo has spoken
Aww that's a shame.. We were actually talking about the hot dog place, when talking about what we wanted to hit up when we were there visiting..
that makes me incredibly sad :( I tried going there every time we were over there, loved that place, I sure hope he is able to reopen somehow, somewhere
: (
the food business is a tuff one to get into.....
I have never been there and have never heard anything bad about them
A great video talking about Wild Root Market - and the challenges it faces if it is to open in Racine.
The talk is great, because it discusses retail businesses and what it takes to open and maintain one. The fact is - those conditions just don't exist in Racine, and once the loan and grant money is burned through - the payments come due, and the volume of business isn't there to sustain the business. I am old enough to remember when Racine was full of manufacturing jobs and all those churches on street corners were bars and stores. YEP - people had money and business flourished.
You can just about be guaranteed that John Dickert and most of the mouth breathers on the Common Council don't understand how small business is affected by things like:
Facility Cost
Profit Potential
Income vs. Expenses
What it takes to have a sustainable business model, especially in a retail setting with a relatively high cost fixed structure, relatively thin margins, and sufficient sales volume.
Selection of Site = Profitability = Success.
John Dickert and The City of Racine can offer none of that.
Racine is morphing into a bedroom community with enormous costs that will have to be paid by homeowners as more and more businesses fail.
When is the pay ENOUGH for those whose dimes are paid by property taxes?
I mourn for Top Dog. I'm going to wear black for a week. Boo-hoo...
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