This past Saturday was the last night of business for Whiskey Dogg (24532 Lorain Rd.), the North Olmsted-based gourmet hot dog joint launched in January. Owner Joe Kahn sold the business to a new operator who very likely will rebrand the space and concept, says Kahn.
Kahn is a co-founder of the popular Barrio taco concept, which launched three years ago in Tremont, added a second spot in Lakewood, and is gearing up for a fall opening downtown. Kahn and partner Tom Leneghan officially parted ways, leaving Kahn free to pursue other options — which he is doing in Columbus.
“I loved the Whiskey Dogg concept, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity in Columbus,” he says.
That opportunity is a Barrio-style eatery on High Street in the Short North, which should open this fall.
“It will be the same great tacos, same great margaritas, same Day of the Dead theme, same everything except the name,” he explains. “We really love that market — it’s hopping down there.”
Kahn says he intends to open a second Columbus location within the year, with plans for even broader growth down the road.
This article appears in Aug 13-19, 2014.
Terrible location in N Olmsted. Good luck making a left out of there and good luck with competing with Fatheads directly across the street
Is there any information about the new owner and what may replace it?
Sad We finally found a place we all love to eat at and now its gone!
MAck ain’t wrong… The two places prior were a far cry, but Whiskey Dogg was actually pretty damned good. But not sure what combination of easy access, competition (Nuevo Acapulco draws a crowd too, in addition to Fat Heads, which is off the chain), parking, street visibility and other factors causes it precisely, but that location has NOT had good luck… It’s seemed unable to sustain a strong customer base no matter what restaurant it is. WD was probably the strongest offering and had killer ratings on yelp, trip advisor, etc, and it hung around less than most.