Aces of Trades: Love of West Virginia hot dogs led Kim Oxley to open popular eatery
MILLERSPORT − Hometown Hot Dogs owner Kim Oxley took matters into her own hands when moving here from her native West Virginia.
"I moved here and couldn't find a good hot dog, so here I'm, 25 years later," she said. "Still going strong."
Oxley said she had no reservations about opening a new restaurant 25 years in a town she had just moved to.
"No," she said. "They said I wouldn't make it, and here I am. It's awesome."
Oxley said food consistency is one of the reasons her business has succeeded for so long, along with running a clean restaurant.
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"And then I give them (customers) a sample of the West Virginia dog and they get hooked," she said. "It has coney sauce, onions, mustard and coleslaw. When I moved up here I would ask for one with everything. Because down home we just say one with everything and you get that, the West Virginia dog. Well, they didn't have that here, so here I am."
Hot dogs are not the only thing on the menu, however, at the 12031 Lancaster St. business.
"We cut our own fries and we patty our own hamburgers up," Oxley said. "They're fresh. I make all my soups fresh. We have three different types of coney sauce - mild, medium and hot. We have fish, we have chicken. We do salads and we do breakfast all day.
"My husband (Allen) comes in here every morning at 5 a.m. and cuts my French fries and puts ice in the machine. I'm very blessed to have my family, my employees, and, of course, my customers who make it happen."
There is no doubt hot dogs are popular and have long been a part of the American food culture.
"It's what we're all brought up on, isn't it," Oxley said. "That what we started on as a child and one of our first meals as a kid."
Through the years, Oxley has seen those who were once children bring in their own children now.
"Oh my gosh, yes," she said. "And what a blessing it is. I just love them all. My customers are my family and so I just treat them as such. I love them and their kids. It's just been great."
Along with serving food to the community, Oxley is also participates in some of the local events.
"When I first moved here I started a flag program and a flower box program," she said. "But now I'm out of that. So, I'm just doing the regular events and trying to support people the best that I can."
Oxley doesn't get away from work often.
"I'm always working," she said. "I'm always working. But I do have an 18-month-old grandson, and we babysit him three days a week. That is my life right there, is that grandbaby. And we do have a farm. We have a sheep farm, my husband and I."
Hometown Hot Dogs is open from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
The business is open all year and closed on Sunday.
jbarron@gannett.com
740-681-4340
Twitter:@JeffDBarron
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Love of West Virginia hot dogs led Kim Oxley to open popular eatery
