Dog eatery opens

By CAITLIN SULLIVAN/Staff

Down the hill from the cluster of fast-food joints off Interstate 81’s Exit 17 there’s one that doesn’t fit the round holes. Yes, the food is fast, and yes, the food is cheap, but it’s one of a kind.
“Everyone loves hot dogs,” said Anna McVey, sitting at a picnic table in her new hot dog joint, Square Peg, next to Magic Mart.
“Everything is fresh and the beef is local from Carter County, Tenn.,” she said.
The beef and pork blend hot dogs have no nitrates or color added.
Without the nitrates, her hot dogs have a shorter shelf life, but that hasn’t been a problem so far. She ran out of 100 freshly smoked dogs in three days last week.
“It’s quick and easy,” she said.
She makes all the fixings for the 12 varieties of hot dogs herself. Almost all the 12 choices cost $2. For the Windy Dog, she uses her grandmother’s chili recipe, with carrots in place of sugar.
“I felt like there was a need in Abingdon other than a sit-down and order place,” she said. “This is an opportunity to present local food in a quick and easy way.”
Plus it’s affordable.
“I was nervous about the two dollars because the average price of a sandwich (around here) is about six dollars,” she said. “But the economy was part of the reason I chose to serve hot dogs. I saw a need for a lower price lunch item.”
Not only is most of the food homemade, so is her sign.
When she found out that it would cost $400 to order one, she decided to do it herself for a quarter of the cost.
“I’ve always dreamed of having my own business,” she said. “As a parent, I want something for my kids that’s quick and healthy.”
McVey even has something for vegetarians. She cooks down black beans and spinach and forms them into logs for her Veggie Dog.
And she’s working on more. She said she’s planning on selling a Ripper, which is a deep-fried hot dog with spicy slaw. She’s also planning to add her own buffalo chicken sandwich to the spring menu.
The Square Peg is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. (276) 698-9993.