It’s a sweltering summer day and Kenny Comer sings along with the Red Hot Chili Peppers as he squirts ketchup on a bun.
He moves on to the chorus as he grills, then hands the hot dog out the window to a customer.
Opening a hot dog stand in an economic downturn isn’t the easiest way of putting six kids through college. But that’s what Kenny and Jeanne Comer are trying to do.
The Comers opened Chubbies Gourmet Hot Dogs last month in an former coffee stand across Hewitt Avenue from the Comcast Arena in Everett.
They spotted the for-rent sign on the shack in April and opened two months later. Though sales were slow at first, the Comers say their location is primed for lunchtime customers and event attendees.
“Business is catching on,” Kenny Comer said to a customer. “I am waiting for the hockey season to begin because that’s why we chose this spot in the first place.”
“There’s nothing else like this here,” Jeanne Comer said of their stand.
Most days the couple sells between 30 and 70 hot dogs, usually depending on weather, foot-traffic and luck.
Even in a thriving economy, opening a small business can drain a savings account. In order to turn a profit quickly, the Comers kept a close eye on start-up costs. They bought most of their equipment used online. And they caught a break by finding a sidewalk spot already zoned for restaurant uses, eliminating costly fees and hassle.
“We didn’t know anything about starting a business — or about hot dogs — but we (knew to keep) our expenses low,” Jeanne Comer said.
Though he didn’t before, Kenny Comer now knows hot dogs.
“We sell all-beef hot dogs made by the company Nathan’s Famous,” he said. “We have a huge amount of variety in our condiments. We sell all kinds of hot dogs: Chicago-style, New York-style, and Seattle-style.”
Seattle-style, by the way, is served with cream cheese and peppers.
The Comers hope to expand beyond hot dogs and sandwiches and to provide tables and chairs. In the future, they may even start a franchise.
“Right now our first priority is always customer service,” Kenny Comer said. “We’re on a first name basis with all our regulars and we know all of their orders.”
The Comers are the only ones working at Chubbies now, and Jeanne Comer has to juggle business ownership with a nursing job. Eventually, the Comers want to hire a few more employees and get their kids more involved.
“We have six kids ranging from 15 to 2 years old,” Jeanne Comer said.
“And they’re going to be putting in a few hours here to help pay for their (college) tuitions,” her husband added.
Julia Drachman is a student journalist at the Lakeside School in Seattle.
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