Professional Feature, continued
I was very excited when Ray Rhead opened The American Dog three and a half years ago in the Tracy Corners shopping center on the north side of Tracy. The American Dog is one of the Hidden Treasures of Tracy and they prepare their American Dogs with exactly the same flavor I remembered from when I was young.
The idea for the company came from a brainstorming session between friends in a house only a few blocks east of the current location of the store. They just liked the idea of a place where a person could get a good old fashioned American Dog. They did their research and studied the success formula of the Casper's Hot Dog chain in the bay area.
Ray moved forward with his dream to open The American Dog in Tracy and his dream became a reality about three and a half years ago. I stopped in during their first weeks of operation and found a part-time manager who was working for the company because he had also missed the great flavor of these hot dogs. The two hot dogs I had that day were exactly like the ones I had liked in my youth and I became a regular customer.
Ray Rhead is active in the city business community. He is a serious supporter of D.A.R.E. and will make sure they are properly represented at the Classic Cruz'n on the Boulevard car show being held at the shopping center on September 14, 2003. The car show is one of the community promotions that Ray is conducting to remind the public of the shopping opportunities along the north end of Tracy Blvd. I will attend and will cover the show for next month's newsletter.
Starting a small business just as the economy entered a recession has been challenging, but challenges are not new to Ray. Ray served in the Marine Infantry as a radio operator during Operation Desert Storm, which was the liberation of Kuwait after it was invaded by Iraq. His military training is evident in the sparkling clean American Dog food restaurant. As one of his customers, I can remember having Ray take my food order while carrying a baby in a pack. Getting a business running requires the ability to adapt and overcome to get the job done. He has done this well.
Ray is working on new and innovative ways to sell hot dogs and to expand the business. He sells his hot-dogs at the Tracy Farmer's Market and participated in the first monthly First Friday event in the downtown area. He is working with building management to expand his facilities so he can add additional food preparation services and expand his menu. He can even cater your large or small party, birthday, or company event with the great taste of an American Dog.
The best measure of success is the loyalty of his customers, and The American Dog has had a few customers pitch in and help when he really needed it. They did what it took to keep their favorite hot dogs available here in Tracy.
hope more people will seek out this hidden treasure of Tracy and treat themselves to one of the best hot dogs in the country. Take Tracy Blvd north to the Food-4-Less shopping center near I-205. They can be found on the southeast end of the center. Map Link.
Click on the photos to enlarge them in a new window.
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| A conservative and clean storefront facing Tracy blvd in the shopping center. | Ray listens intently as a customer places her order for her favorite hot dog. | Everything in the store is sparkling clean. Most food is prepared right under the watchful eyes of the customer. | Ray completes the order and is ready to hand it off for preparation. |
Keith Chiles