Trolly Stop Hot Dogs to open on Franklin Street later this week

Hot dog lovers rejoice —Trolly Stop Hot Dogs will open on Franklin Street this week.

Trolly Stop will offer five different kinds of hot dogs including sausage, fat free turkey, vegetarian and gluten free. They will also serve hand-dipped ice cream and beer.

“All we do is hot dogs here,” owner and UNC alumnus Rick Coombs said. “We do hot dogs because we do it really well.”

The store will be located at 306B W. Franklin St., between Toppers Pizza and Jimmy Johns, and will serve late-night customers until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

“There’s probably nowhere else in town where everyone is staggering back from Pantana Bob’s,” Coombs said.

“I’ve been there, believe me, many times and they stagger on home and they have a choice whether they want a hot dog or whether they want to do pizza or a sandwich.”

Hot dog styles unique to the Chapel Hill Trolly Stop location will include the Tar Heel, Chapel Hill, Bell Tower and Old Well. There’s even a Duke style, which is totally plain.

“The ice cream is what people are going to be tickled about,” Coombs said. “Moose tracks and muddy sneakers knock you dead. They’re awful good.”

Trolly Stop is a North Carolina-based chain that started in Wrightsville Beach.

“We’ve got a base here, people that know us because they spend time at the beach in the summertime,” Coombs said.

Coombs said he is not concerned about competition from Sup Dogs, another hot dog-focused restaurant located on Franklin Street.

He said Trolly Stop is a fast food restaurant that will serve its hot dogs within 30 seconds, while Sup Dogs is a sit-down restaurant where customers order and then wait for food to be brought to them.

Sup Dogs owner Bret Oliverio said his restaurant offers a different experience than Trolly Stop.

“We both have hot dogs on our menus, but it’s just a totally different atmosphere and concept,” he said.

Oliverio said he was all for good food on Franklin Street.

“The more places with good food that are on Franklin is only going to benefit everyone,” he said.

Business has been good for Sup Dogs since they opened nine months ago, Oliverio said.

“It’s been way busier than I expected. Lunches and dinners are solid and then of course late nights are absolutely insane,” he said.

“I couldn’t be happier with our sales and our growth and that’s a testament to the UNC students who have sort of taken us in. I think we’ve been able to make a name for ourselves with the UNC students.”

UNC sophomore Karlie McCreary said she’s heard good things about Trolly Stop, but she isn’t sure whether she’ll visit.

“I like hot dogs,” she said. “I just won’t go down that far.”

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