Mother, and son duo Sheryl and James Myers are taking the hot dog business by storm.
“I want the Grove to see Black excellence, I want our people to know we are here,” said Sheryl Myers.
Dog Gone It Gourmet Hot Dogs brings an old-school hot dog stand vibe to The Grove neighborhood, and it stands less than 10 feet from Sheryl Myers’ boutique
You walk up to the window, place your order, and within minutes your food is ready. Most customers enjoy their “dog” sitting at the restaurant’s outdoor patio, while others walk around the neighborhood enjoying the scenery.
Dog Gone It offers fun, whimsical, sweet, and savory hot dogs, uniquely carved french fries, and deep fried onion rings.
All meals come with a side and drink, and most meals cost under $12.
“St. Louis needs a little bit of this [ hot dog stand]. Sometimes we are so behind when it comes to bringing new ideas to our area,” said Sheryl Myers.
Myers says her inspiration came when she and her husband traveled to New York to buy clothes for her boutique. They would always stop at a stand and get a hot dog.
“I mean they are the best tasting hot dogs, and I got to thinking, ‘how come we don’t have something like this at home,’” she said.
The timing couldn’t have been better. James Myers was finishing up college at Missouri State University where he received his degree in economics.
“We were in the process of trying to groom him into a position to help out with the boutique,” said Sheryl Myers.
She wanted him to be the bookkeeper of her clothing store.
However, her son had other plans. Instead of doing auditing work, he wanted to be an entrepreneur like his mom – and wanted her to be his business partner.
“I’ve experienced so many different jobs and none of them were a good fit for me,” he said. “I’ve wanted to have my own business for a while.”
The recent grad says working for Amazon and local bank branches didn’t allow him to creatively express himself. He said he “needs to be in a space where I can freely think outside the box, put those ideas into and on his own terms.”
“I’m not the type of person that can work for someone, I have too many ideas in my head,” he said.
His mom says, “James is a natural, he fell right into the role of a businessman, and rightfully so.”
James Myers has watched his mom become the owner and boss of her business, City Boutique.
It is one of the many pots that Sheryl Myers helps stir. She owns the lower level of the retail space where her boutique and hot dog stand are located. She also owns trucking and construction companies, and has rental property in The Grove.
Plus, her son is good at promoting and marketing their business in the community.
But Dog Gone It speaks for itself. A St. Louis favorite is the Riplet Dog, which pays homage to locally produced Old Vienna Red Hot Riplets. The steamed beef frank is covered in crushed red hot riplets, with melted cheese sauce, and sweet barbecue sauce. If your mouth is not watering it should be, because it is so good.
If that’s not enough to get you over there, try the West Coast Dog, with tomatoes, onions, pickles, thyme and mustard. And you can’t forget the Philly Dog. It was what it says: a Philly Cheese Steak and hot dog.
Not everyone is into hot dogs, but who doesn’t like gourmet fries? The Bar-B-Que Ranch fries are topped with Ranch dressing, bacon, and barbecue sauce.
“It’s comfort food, it’s quick and good for when you’re leaving ‘the club,’” said Sheryl Myers. “I mean it’s really, really good.”
The hot dog stand also has chicken franks, vegan and vegetarian options.
The mom-prenuer says she knows the area, with her boutique operating on Manchester Boulevard for 13 years. The Grove does not have a hot dog stand nearby, so it was a no brainer. Plus they have been getting support from neighborhood restaurants.
“ I want the Grove to see Black excellence, I want our people to know we are here,” said Sheryl Myers.
Ashley Winters is The St. Louis American Report for America reporter.
