That's My Dog in Wrentham All About the Dogs

Michael Hogan never thought he’d be selling hotdogs on 1A in Wrentham, let alone in the food industry, but four years have gone by and That’s My Dog is still going strong.

“I’m a union painter by trade, but I was so sick of getting laid off all the time,” he said. “I met a hot dog guy in North Attleboro and it looked like fun.”

Hogan said he talked with the guy and started to get a feel for opening his own stand. He said originally he started in Easton for a year and moved to Wrentham to open at the South Street Liquor mart a little down the road. He moved to his current location, which is right down from the Wrentham Coop Bank across from the Outlet Mall.

The most unique thing about Hogan would have to be his hours. Despite the seasons, the only time he closes the stand is in January, February and March.

“I was even open for the October snowstorm in 2011,” he said with a laugh. “I have pictures of the hot dog cart with all the snow on Facebook.”

He said sometimes people who go to the outlets stop by, but he said his main clientele isn’t the out of town shoppers, but rather the locals who work at the mall or the Aggregate Industries gravel plant down on Green Street. He said one or two nights from the Outlets did get kind of crazy.

“Two years ago I opened up on Thanksgiving night [aka Black Friday],” he said. “It was just nuts, I went through a couple hundred hot dogs and at least 50 sausages. The traffic two years ago was backed up to the liquor store until 3 a.m.”

He added though it was a good boom in 2011, last year he had nothing from the traffic jam gods.

Hogan said he’s in a prime spot now for Outlet traffic, and with the new development starting to shape up across the street it’ll be even better.

“They’re putting up a set of lights right out here,” he said. “That’ll end up benefiting me too. Everybody will be stopped instead of just driving by, they’ll be looking over and craving a dog.”

Hogan said truckers are a big part of his business. Most of them are either coming to or leaving from the gravel pit.

“The big trucks come in and they have plenty of room to park,” he said. “They get their two dogs, chips and a drink in three minutes and then they’re gone.”

Hogan said he uses Old Neighborhood all beef hot dogs and Primo brand sausages.

“Lots of people like the chili dogs,” he said. “I make my own sauce for them.”

Hogan said tapping into social media has definitely helped him out. He said he posted on the Facebook wall of the TV show Eats Street, a show about mobile food, stating he would give a free hotdog if they check in on his wall.

“Eats Street commented on it and asked if they could include people who use their app. to find carts,” he said. “I said yeah, I didn’t even know these guys knew I existed. For them to recognize me it was pretty wild.”

Hogan said he also does catering for anyone who wants an outdoor party but doesn’t want to be stuck on the grill all day.

“You can add more food, whatever you want to add because it’s a private party and you don’t need a health permit,” he said.

That’s My Dog is located on 1143 South St. and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.