MENTOR, Ohio — For 22 years, Scooter's Dawg House has been the place to go before or after hitting the beach at Mentor Headlands. For countless Lake County residents, a visit to Scooter’s is an annual tradition filled with hot dogs, burgers, ice cream and fantastic french fries.
This story begins in 1999 when original owners Scott and Diane Hagara converted an old coffee shop into a beachy hot dog shack. When the founders wanted to retire, longtime fan Mike Blauman stepped in to take over.
They say if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s been Blauman’s approach since the handoff. One of the few things he changed was to switch from frozen to fresh burger patties, which get the smash treatment on the griddle.
“That was actually one of the changes I made when I came here,” said Blauman. “We went from frozen burgers to fresh burgers, and that's been a huge success."
With “dawg house” in the name, customers know they can count on great hot dogs. The menu board is crammed with so many creations that it can be intimidating. There are 24 different dog combos, but that doesn’t stop customers from making up their own concoctions. And then there are the various sizes.
“We have three sizes of hot dogs,” said Blauman. “We have a normal 6-inch hot dog, just a fifth of a pound. Then we have a quarter-pound ‘long’ hot dog, which is about 10 inches, and that's a quarter pound. Then we have our Homewrecker, which is 10 to 14 inches, depending on the size, and it's a really thick hotdog.”
When put on the spot to choose his favorite hot dog, Blauman doesn’t hesitate for a second.
“Oh, easy,” he says. “When I came, it used to be the chili dog and, actually, the Cardinal dog. But then I added an L.A. street dog to the menu, and now that's my favorite when I come here."
Scooter's flies through 750 to 1,000 hot dogs a day, but it's the french fries that people can't stop talking about. Sizes called junior, small, medium and family range from big to bigger to comically big. New to the menu is a Tiny size, which is perfect for one person.
How many pounds of spuds does Scooter’s sell in a day?
“It's actually easier to tell you for the year,” Blauman says. “We did 122 tons last year.”
If you have yet to visit Scooter’s, you’re likely one of the last people in Northeast who hasn’t. The well-run place is mobbed from March to September when it opens and closes for the season. During the week, about 300 to 500 people make their way through the small shop on any given day. But on weekends, it’s a whole different ball game.
“It’s anywhere from 500 and 700 hundred [per day],” Blauman estimates. “It's really crazy on the weekend; you know what I mean?”
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