GOWANDA - Red's Dogs & Cones recently held its grand opening celebration with live music, horse and wagon rides and food specials.
Owners Bill Gugino and Tim Noecker renovated the old Mobile station, which sits next to the village municipal building, as a way to give something back to the community.
"My partner and I had this vision of opening a hot dog and ice cream stand, to kind of give back to the community. We renovated an old building and it has really become a focal point in the village," Gugino said in a phone interview.
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OBSERVER Photo by Samantha McDonnell
Red’s Dogs & Cones owners Bill Gugino (right) and Tim Noecker (center) cut the ribbon along with Dan Gernatt Sr., (left) during the recent grand opening celebration.
The new restaurant located at 17 East Main St., Gowanda, opened in April and sports a retro 1950s theme with a black and white checkered floor, antiques and even old photos of Gowanda from the era.
But the theme doesn't stop on the outside - on the roof sits a classic 1953 Chevy pick-up.
Gugino explained the name and the theme of the restaurant were inspired by Noecker's late father, Donald "Red" Noecker, who was known for his collection of 1950s Chevy's.
"We have an old Chevy pickup on the roof. We named the restaurant after my partner, Tim's, dad and he loved old Chevy pick-ups," he added.
He said they opened the restaurant to bring the classic hot dog stand experience back to the area and be a fun, family-friendly place with good food and affordable prices. They offer a variety of food choices, including the most popular charbroiled Salen's hot dog with their signature Texas sauce as well as hard and soft ice cream.
In addition to the indoor dining room the restaurant also has an outdoor ice-cream window and outdoor seating.
They are open Monday through Saturday 11a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. Ice-cream is available until 9 p.m.
