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Hot Dog Shop Begins Laps Near Track Site
AUSTINTOWN, Ohio – A new hot dog and gyro shop open three weeks is expecting to attract more business as the prospects of developing a thoroughbred racetrack in the township move closer to reality.
"At lunch and dinner, we have a very nice crowd," said Jennifer Jokinen, manager of Rick's Hotdog Shoppe. The location, next to Marc's on Mahoning Avenue draws plenty of traffic, and she hopes to draw in more business for breakfast.
Jokinen has been in the restaurant business for 20 years, and said she was inspired by restaurant owner John Katsadas of Ellwood City to manage her own shop.
Jokinen and owner Rick Cioffi were on hand Monday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony sponsored by the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber.
Throughout week, the restaurant is promoting specials such as hot dogs for 89 cents, free coffee, a gyro and French fries combo for $6.99 and two breakfast sandwiches for $5.
"We're trying to make our customers happy and bring in new ones," she said.
The building was once the site of Jay's Famous Hot Dogs until it closed several years ago. More recently, the building was occupied by a Red Hot hotdog business, and Jokinen worked with the owners of that venture to start Rick's.
Austintown Township trustee Jim Davis said commercial vacancies are filling up quickly in this part of Mahoning Avenue, as Penn-National Gaming moves forward with plans to build a racetrack near state Route 46.
"Obviously, people are staying in this area," he said, pointing to a handful of small businesses that have moved into vacant storefronts over the last year.
The racetrack has also spurred discussions about a new hotel in the area, and new chain restaurants such as Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Jimmy Johns are either finished or construction is under way.
"They're looking at this is a great opportunity to get a quick return on their investment," Davis said.
Copyright 2012 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.