Bragging Rights and $150 Amazon Gift Card on the Line as Charlotte’s Favorite Hot Dog and Sausage Joint Looks for the Best-Selling Holiday Hot Dog Creation; 12 Finalists Each Have Their Hot Dog
Twelve dogs are going to each have their day at JJ’s Red Hots this holiday season during the brand’s 4th annual 12 Days of Hot Dogs promotion.
JJ’s Red Hots, known for its outrageous ‘Dog of the Week’ creations, recently challenged its fans to submit their most creative Hot Dog for a chance to be featured for a day at the JJ’s Ballantyne and Dilworth locations. After evaluating hundreds of submissions and judging on dog toppings and dog name creativity, the management team of the Charlotte’s favorite Hot Dog and Sausage joint today named its 12 Finalists.
Beginning Wednesday, December 7 through Wednesday, December 21, each finalist has one day to promote and sell his or her Hot Dog. One winner, based on most hot dogs sold for that day, will win a $150 Amazon Gift Card and have bragging rights for one year that their Hot Dog ruled its respective day and the 2016 holiday season in the Queen City. The finalists, their dog name, their day to sell and the toppings each chose, include the following (images of all of the dogs are available upon request):
Andrew Young – Cojita Please
JJ’s Original Hot Dog (Sahlen’s Smokehouse Hot Dog)
Charred Poblano Corn, Avocado Mash, Cojita Cheese and Cilantro Lime Crema
Davis Cary – Who Left the Dog Out?
Roasted Carrot
JJ’s Chili, Diced Onions and Weber’s Mustard
Sandy Gordon – Tommy Boy
All Beef Hot Dog
Shredded Swiss, Bacon, Cole Slaw and Deli Mustard
Porsche Ross – Broad Street Bully
All Beef Hot Dog
Provolone, Sautéed Onions and Peppers, Sautéed Mushrooms and Rocket Sauce
Desiree Fair – Christmas in Hawaii
Sahlen’s Smokehouse Hot Dog
Crushed Pineapple, Picked Red Onion, Peppered Bacon and Hoisin Drizzle
Eric Lockwood – Donald Scrumptious
Sahlen’s Smokehouse Hot Dog
Shredded Cheese, Pimento Cheese, Bacon, Pickled Jalapenos and Crunchy Cheetos
Bobby Williams – Korea on My Wayward Dog
Deep Fried All Beef Hot Dog
Cucumber Kimchi, Gochujang Mayo, Sesame Seeds
Mallory Willink – Castro’s Final Cubano
Sahlen’s Smokehouse Hot Dog
Smoked Ham, Shredded Swiss Cheese, Chopped Dill Pickles and Weber’s Mustard
Rebecca Studtmann – The Sloppy JJ
All Beef Hot Dog
Sloppy Joe Filling, Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese, French’s Original Crispy Fried Onions, Pickled Jalapenos
Ryan Krause – Make America Delicious Again
Sahlen’s Smokehouse Hot Dog
Housemade Chorizo Sausage, Grilled Onions, Pepper Jack Scrambled Egg and Salsa Verde
Eric Troutman – Over Porked
Sahlen’s Smokehouse Hot Dog
House Smoked Cheerwine Pulled Pork, Candied Bacon, Fried Onion Straws, Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Rico Renzi – A Dog Walks into a Bar
Bacon Wrapped Sahlen’s Jumbo All Beef Hot Dog
Beer Cheese, French’s French Fried Jalapenos, Hot Blonde Mustard and a Green Olive on a Toothpick
“This promotion gets better every year and it’s great to see everyone get excited about this,” said JJ’s proprietor Jonathan Luther. “It’s our favorite promotion of the year because it involves our friends and fans, who are really what makes this brand so great.”
“Who cares about geese a-laying, swans a-swimming and maids a-milking when you have your own Hot Dog for a day?” asked director of marketing and brand development Brandy Newton. “It’s the greatest time of the year and we can’t wait to put as many hot dogs in people’s mouths as possible this holiday season.”
The 2016 12 Days of Hot Dogs takes place as the JJ’s brand remains on an all-out winning streak, one that began with its inception in 2012. The brand raised national eyebrows for two years running by being honored by Fast Casual in its annual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list. JJ’s is the smallest chain to ever make the list and the only Hot Dog/Sausage concept to receive the honor. In addition, JJ’s has swept all of Charlotte’s Best Hot Dog awards in 2016 and most recently, JJ’s was named by Tabelog as One of The 10 Most Unique Hotdog Joints in America and was cited by Spoon University as The 50 Best Foods to Eat in Charlotte Before You Die and as one of 10 Best Hot Dog Joints Across the State by North Carolina’s Our State magazine.
JJ’s Red Hots is the premier purveyor of “hand-crafted” char-grilled hot dogs and sausages with two locations and several portable vehicles in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The restaurant concept is built on solid, hardworking values and is modeled after venerable establishments like Ted’s in Buffalo, NY, Gene and Jude’s in Chicago, and many others. Still, JJ’s is a true American original featuring house-made, scratch prepared sides and toppings served alongside time tested, revered American brands like Weber’s Mustard, Martin’s Rolls, Cheerwine and Coca-Cola. Perhaps most proudly, JJ’s Red Hots serves smokehouse hot dogs from Sahlen’s Meat Packing Company in Buffalo, NY. Sahlen’s is a 146-year-old company that remains family owned and operated, and makes, in our opinion, the best hot dogs in the world.
