My love for hot dog trucks began when I was a little girl in the late 70’s and my Grandmother, Lonnie Smith, owned a hot dog truck with my Aunt. Some of my fondest memories were helping her on that truck: the smell, the excitement of driving it through the streets, the look on the customers’ faces, preparing the sauces, and the sense of satisfaction that came after a day’s work. Owning my own food truck was always a dream of mine, something I thought I might do after I retired from teaching, but upon finishing my degree and discovering that the job market had dried up, I decided to pursue my crazy dream a bit earlier. When my sister Melissa saw a vintage 1973 food truck for sale, the dream became a reality. Deciding upon a name for the business, I remembered how I could convince my sister to do anything (including helping our grandmother on her truck) by calling her by her favorite children’s literary character, Pippi Longstocking. Pippy’s Hotdog Truck was born.
Pippy’s uses 100% beef hot dogs with all natural casing, gluten and MSG free, and veggie dogs are always available. All toppings and sides are homemade, and I am honored to use my grandmother’s meat and onion sauce recipes. Whenever possible, I source my ingredients from local farmers, and I am constantly inspired by seasonal produce. Sodas are made from all natural ingredients, without artificial flavorings or high fructose corn syrup.
Pippy’s is available for weddings, children’s parties, and catering events…Hope to see you soon!!