Dog ‘n Suds: Restaurants, Root Beer and History

A few years back, I became friends with David Hosticka online. David owned the Dog ‘n Suds locations in Montague (which had been in the Hosticka family for over 50 years) & Muskegon, both in Michigan. 

David is also the authority on the history of Dog ‘n Suds; his knowledge came in very handy when I was writing my book All About The Burger. He had also donated many Dog ‘n Suds historical memorabilia to my Burger Museum, so thanks to him, it was very well represented.

Current Dog ‘n Suds Restaurant Locations

STATE	CITY	ADDRESS
Arkansas	Paragould	319 E Kingshighway
California	Temecula	28120 Jefferson Avenue
Illinois	Grayslake	454 Center Street
Illinois	Ingleside	517 Washington Street
Illinois	Richmond	11015 US-12
Illinois	Robinson	902 E Main Street
Indiana	Lafayette	601 Sagamore Parkway S
Indiana	West Lafayette	401 Sagamore Parkway W
*Michigan	Muskegon	4221 Grand Haven Road
*Michigan	Montague	4454 Dowling Street
Ohio	Elyria	2050 N Ridge Road
Wisconsin	Tomahawk	1228 N 4th Street

What Happened to Dog ‘n Suds?

All Former Dog ‘n Suds Restaurant Locations

All of this information comes from the 1973 Dog ‘n Suds Restaurant Directory.

Restaurants Locations Illinois A-H

STATE	CITY	ADDRESS
Florida	Fort Lauderdale	1720 N Andrews Avenue
Florida	Fort Lauderdale	1791 W Broward Boulevard
Florida	Fort Lauderdale	S Riverland Road
Florida	Hollywood	1040 South State Road 7
Florida	Hollywood	28th Avenue and Moffett Street
Florida	Lake Worth	3174 Lake Worth Road
Florida	Miami	9400 NW 17th Avenue
Florida	Naples	210 9th Street North
Florida	North Fort Myers	701 Pondelia Road
Florida	North Miami	14230 West Dixie Highway
Florida	Tampa	6811 Nebraska Avenue
Florida	Tampa	4401 W Hillsboro Avenue
Florida	Venice	1005 Cooper Street
Florida	West Palm Beach	4361 Okeechobee Boulevard

Restaurants Locations Illinois: A-L

STATE	CITY	ADDRESS
Illinois	Addison	19 W. 550 Lake Street
Illinois	Alsip	11541 South Crawford
Illinois	Antioch	Route 173 & Depot Street
Illinois	Atwood	Route 36
Illinois	Aurora	737 Hill Avenue
Illinois	Aurora	720 Prairie Street
Illinois	Barrington	110 West Northwest Highway
Illinois	Batavia	1105 North Washington
Illinois	Belleville	5811 North Illinois Street
Illinois	Belleville	916 Carlyle Avenue
Illinois	Belvidere	Rural Route 3
Illinois	Bloomington	805 Morrissey Drive
Illinois	Byron	Colfax & Blackhawk Drive
Illinois	Cahokia	530 State Highway 3
Illinois	Calumet Park	1414 West 127th Street
Illinois	Carpentersville	Route #25 North
Illinois	Carthage	136 West Street
Illinois	Champaign	1402 N. Prospect
Illinois	Charleston	1416 Lincoln
Illinois	Chicago	6100 W. Belmont
Illinois	Chicago	4200 W. Madison Street
Illinois	Chicago Heights	707 Halsted Street
Illinois	Chicago Heights	1645 Western Avenue
Illinois	Cicero	6110 West Ogden Avenue
Illinois	Collinsville	1824 North Vandalia Street
Illinois	Crest Hill	660 Theodore Street
Illinois	Crystal Lake	6410 Northwest Highway
Illinois	Darien
Illinois	Decatur	3666 East William
Illinois	Des Plaines	740 North Wolf Road
Illinois	Des Plaines	540 Algonquin Road
Illinois	Diamond Lake (Mundulein)	Route 83 & Diamond Lake Road
Illinois	Dixon	Franklin Grove Road
Illinois	Dolton	844 E. Sibley Boulevard
Illinois	Downers Grove	145 Ogden Avenue
Illinois	Dundee	Route 63
Illinois	Dwight	Route 47 South
Illinois	Edwardsville	1960 Troy Road
Illinois	Elgin	888 East Chicago Street
Illinois	Freeport	1355 W. Galena
Illinois	Geneva	415 East State Street
Illinois	Granite City	2220 Pontdon Road
Illinois	Grayslake	454 Center Street
Illinois	Harrisburg	447 W. Poplar
Illinois	Harvard	302 S. Division
Illinois	Harvey	71 E. 147th Street
Illinois	Highland	8 Broadway
Illinois	Homewood	18225 Dixie Highway
Illinois	Ingleside	517 Washington Street
Illinois	Joliet	1800 E. Cass Street
Illinois	Lake Zurich	Route 12 and Golf View
Illinois	Lansing	17600 Torrence Avenue
Illinois	Lemont	1050 State Street
Illinois	Libertyville	419 South Milwaukee Drive
Illinois	Lindenhurst	2130 East Grand Avenue
Illinois	Lisle	5522 Main Street
Illinois	Lombard	396 East St. Charles Road
Illinois	Loves Park	1421 Harlem Road

Restaurants Locations Illinois: K-Z

STATE	CITY	ADDRESS
Illinois	McHenry	2911 W. Route 120
Illinois	Macomb	1208 N. LaFayette Street
Illinois	Markham	15940 Kedzie Avenue
Illinois	Marshall	1004 South 6th Street
Illinois	Matteson	211 Dog n Suds
Illinois	Mendota	1505 13th Avenue
Illinois	Midlothian	14959 S. Crawford Avenue
Illinois	Monmouth	1134 N. Main Street
Illinois	Mt. Morris	Highway 64 East
Illinois	Mt. Zion	1040 State Hwy. 121
Illinois	Naperville	26W012 Ogden Avenue
Illinois	Nauvoo	Highway 96
Illinois	Newman	Route 36
Illinois	Newton	Route 33 East
Illinois	Oak Forest	15360 South Cicero
Illinois	Olney	1025 W. Main Street
Illinois	Oregon	Washington & Second Street
Illinois	Pana	Route 51 South
Illinois	Paris	Central & Jasper
Illinois	Peotone	Route 54
Illinois	Philo	723 N. Lincoln Street
Illinois	Plainfield	U.S. 30
Illinois	Richmond	11015 U.S. 12 North
Illinois	Robinson	902 E. Main
Illinois	Rochelle	U.S. 51 South
Illinois	Rock Falls	1405 1st Avenue
Illinois	Rockford	4309 W. State Street
Illinois	Rockford	2404 South Alpine Road
Illinois	St. Charles	Randall Road & Highway 64
Illinois	Sandwich	Route #34 East
Illinois	Sauk Village	2550 Sauk Trail
Illinois	Shabbona	408 Commanche
Illinois	Shelbyville	317 N. Cedar
Illinois	South Chicago Heights	163 West Sauk Trail
Illinois	South Holland	170th & South Park
Illinois	Sterling	2607 E. Linconway
Illinois	Streamwood	305 Bartlett Road
Illinois	Streator	914 W. Main Street
Illinois	Tinsley Park	16500 Oak Park Avenue
Illinois	Tremont	500 West Pearl Street
Illinois	Washing Park	1910 Kingshighway
Illinois	Wauconda	400 W. Liberty Street
Illinois	Waukegan	2900 Belvidere Road
Illinois	West Chicago	206 S. Neltnor Boulevard
Illinois	Wheaton	Main & Geneva Street
Illinois	Wheeling	120 S. Elmhurst Road
Illinois	Wood Dale	123 W. Irving Park Road
Illinois	Wood River	1339 Edwardsville Road
Illinois	Woodstock	1216 N. Seminary
Illinois	Worth	11208 S. Harlem
Indiana	Attica	Junction 41 & 28 North
Indiana	Bloomington	2000 S. Walnut Street
Indiana	Brooksville	U.S. 52 South
Indiana	Burlington	State Road #29 South

Restaurants Locations L-R

STATE	CITY	ADDRESS
Michigan	Mt. Pleasant	5600 E. Pickard
Michigan	Muskegon	5624 Apple Avenue
Michigan	Muskegon	4221 Grand Haven Road
Michigan	Niles	2216 South 11th Street
Michigan	Pontiac	1045 Baldwin
Michigan	Quinnesec	Bluff & U.S. #2
Michigan	St. Johns	1120 N. U.S. 27
Michigan	Sault Ste. Marie	2309 Ashmun Street
Michigan	Shelbyville	R.R. #1 Gun Lake
Michigan	Stephenson	U.S. 41
Minnesota	Albert Lea	2006 East Main
Mississippi	Brookhaven	Brookway Plaza Shopping Center
Mississippi	Carthage	Junction Route 35 & 16
Mississippi	Clinton	Clinton Plaza Shopping Center
Mississippi	Columbia	Old Highway 98 and White Street
Mississippi	Forest	227 Woodland Drive
Mississippi	Gulfport
Mississippi	Jackson	180 Raymond Road
Mississippi	Jackson	2921 West Capitol
Mississippi	Jackson	P.O. Box 9421
Mississippi	Jackson	558 West Northside Drive
Mississippi	Jackson	Highway 80 East
Mississippi	Jackson	1416 Canton Mart Road
Mississippi	Laurel	16th Avenue & Congress Street
Mississippi	Magee	New Highway 49 North
Mississippi	McComb	Highway 24 West & Harper
Mississippi	Mendenhall	Highway 49 & East Street
Mississippi	Natchez
Mississippi	Newton	Interstate 20 & Highway 15
Mississippi	Ocean Springs
Mississippi	Pascagoula
Mississippi	Van Winkle	Highway 80 & Robinson Road
Mississippi	Vicksburg	3421 Washington
Missouri	Aurora	Hwy. 60 East
Missouri	Belton	1600 North Scott
Missouri	Blue Springs	Highway 7
Missouri	Branson	Star Rt. 1
Missouri	Brookfield	Hwy. 36 & State Street
Missouri	Camdenton	Hwy. 54 East
Missouri	Cameron	8th & Walnut Street
Missouri	Carrollton	Highway 65 & 24
Missouri	Desoto	Rural Route #2
Missouri	Higginsville	806 Fairground Avenue
Missouri	Independence	19010 Ponce Drive
Missouri	Joplin	2701 Range Line Road
Missouri	Kansas City	Valley Lane N – Highway 71
Missouri	Knob Noster	Old Hwy. 50
Missouri	Lake Ozark	Bus Rt. 54
Missouri	Lebanon	630 South Jefferson
Missouri	Lee’s Summit	307 No. 71 By Pass
Missouri	Lexington	13th Highway & 20th Street
Missouri	Liberty	602 South 71 By Pass
Missouri	Marshall	1066 South Odell
Missouri	Maryville	722 S. Main
Missouri	Mill Creek	Star Route
Missouri	Moberly	Hwy. 24 East
Missouri	Monett	Highway 37 South
Missouri	Neosho	1104 West Harmony
Missouri	O’Fallon	512 Sonderen
Missouri	Perryville	Perry Plaza
Missouri	Richmond	Highway 13 South
Missouri	St. Joseph	1401 So. Belt Highway
Missouri	St. Louis	150 Kingston Drive
Missouri	St. Louis	2901 Arsenal
Missouri	St. Louis	8521 Airport Road
Missouri	Sedalia	20th St. & Limit Avenue
Missouri	Springfield	1645 N. Glenstone
Missouri	Troy	Highway 47 at 61
Missouri	Webb City	1312 South Madison
Missouri	Wentzville	901 W Pearce Boulevard
Missouri	Windsor	North Main Street
Nebraska	Bellevue	2207 Georgia Avenue
Nebraska	Broken Bow	East of City, Box 438
Nebraska	Kimball	U.S. Highway 30 East
Nebraska	North Platte	825 South Jeffers
Nebraska	Plattsmouth	So. Chicago Avenue
New Hampshire	Kenne	233 Marlborough Street
New Mexico	Clovis	1530 Thornton Street
Pennsylvania	Waterford	Route 19 South
Pennsylvania	White Oak	Rainbow Shopping Center

Restaurants Locations S-Z

STATE	CITY	ADDRESS
South Dakota	Mitchell	605 S. Sanborn
South Dakota	Rapid City	302 Omaha Street
South Dakota	Sturgis	Jct. Harmon & Hwy. 14
Tennessee	Gatlinburg	1009 Parkway
Tennessee	Pigeon Forge	Hwy. 441
Tennessee	Selmer	Hwy. 45
Utah	Layton	1643 Main Street
West Virginia	Morgantown	3510 Monongahela Boulevard
West Virginia	Moundsville
West Virginia	Weirton	Colliers Way Street & Pennsylvania Avenue
Wisconsin	Antigo	130 Superior Street
Wisconsin	Beaver Dam	Route #1 – 151 North
Wisconsin	Black River Falls	Forrest Street & Highway 27
Wisconsin	Burlington	957 Milwaukee Avenue
Wisconsin	Coleman
Wisconsin	Delafield	State Highway 83 & I-94
Wisconsin	Delavan	721 Geneva Street
Wisconsin	Elkhorn	645 N. Lincoln
Wisconsin	Fond Du Lac	Hwy. 41 & Grove Street
Wisconsin	Fort Atkinson	1259 W. Madison Avenue
Wisconsin	Janesville	1929 Center Avenue
Wisconsin	Janesville	2728 E. Milwaukee Avenue
Wisconsin	Lake Geneva	743 North Street
Wisconsin	Manitowoc	2525 Menasha Avenue
Wisconsin	Marshfield	1608 Roddis Avenue
Wisconsin	Menomonee Falls	W156-N8390 Pilgrim Road
Wisconsin	Milton	32 Janesville Street
Wisconsin	Milwaukee	10020 W. Appleton Avenue
Wisconsin	Milwaukee	4225 W. Custer Avenue
Wisconsin	Monroe	3004 E. 13th Street
Wisconsin	Oakdale	P.O. 105
Wisconsin	Racine	3458 Rapids Drive
Wisconsin	Racine	2217 Lathrop
Wisconsin	Readstown	Jct. U.S. Hwy. 14 & 61
Wisconsin	Richland Center	U.S. Highway 14 East
Wisconsin	Slinger	Route 1
Wisconsin	Sparta
Wisconsin	Tomahawk	Route 1
Wisconsin	Walworth	Route B and Highway 36
Wisconsin	Watertown	Highway 16-26
Wisconsin	Waukesha	1303 Arcadian Avenue
Wisconsin	Wausaukee	Highway 141

Dog ‘n Suds History

Year Founded: 1953
City Founded: Champaign, Illinois
Founders: James Griggs & Don Hamacher
Number of Locations at the chain’s peak: 650
Slogan: “…Where Everything’s So Dog-gone Good!”

Champaign High School orchestra director Jim Griggs and chorus director Don Hamacher had heard about a coach in a neighboring town running a successful root beer stand. They figured they, too, could make a go of it.

Griggs reached out to an acquaintance, a graduate student at a nearby university, who created the restaurant’s layout and design. He then constructed a model of his drive-in creation and called it Dog ‘n Suds.

Why that Name?

Why that name? The student said the name embraced what they were selling: hot dogs and suds, a slang word for root beer. The name stuck.

Griggs, who was giving violin lessons to the children of attorney John Franklin, told him about the idea for Dog ‘n Suds and his business plan. Franklin not only helped find their first location but financed the project and gave them legal advice.

In 1953, Dog ‘n Suds opened in Champaign, Illinois, as a drive-in, employing Hamacher’s and Griggs’ students as carhops. On the first day, with only Coney dogs and root beer on the menu, they did three hundred dollars in sales.

Hamacher’s wife Maggie created the Coney sauce for the hot dogs, and Reed and Bell was the brand of root beer they served.

Expansion by Franchising

So many cars lined up at the Dog ‘n Suds the first week that police officers showed up to direct traffic at night. The success of Dog ‘n Suds led Hamacher and Griggs to leave behind their life of education and embrace their newfound profession, which was multiplying quickly via franchising.

What made being a Dog ‘n Suds franchisee so attractive was that there was only a one-time franchise fee and no royalty percentage to be paid to the corporation. The first franchise was sold to a woman who inquired about franchising just a week after opening.

Her Dog ‘n Suds opened shortly afterward in Rantoul, Illinois. Before they knew it, Dog ‘n Suds drive-ins sprouted up all over Illinois. In quick succession, the states of Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan followed.

By 1960, the famous Dog ‘n Suds “World’s Creamiest Root Beer” recipe and equipment had been developed. Forbes rated Dog ‘n Suds as one of the top-growing franchises in the 1960s.

Rover College

There was even a training center in Champaign named Rover College after its mascot. The eight-day course covered the technical, marketing, and administrative aspects of the Dog ‘n Suds business. Upon graduation, graduates received a master of drive-inology degree.

At their peak in 1968, there were over six hundred Dog ‘n Suds locations in thirty-eight states and Canada, with approximately fifteen new restaurants opening each month.

In 1969, Franklin, who was in poor health, and Griggs, wanted to sell their shares of the company. Hamacher got four of his friends to buy out Franklin and Griggs. At this point, many of their food contemporaries had gone public, and Hamacher thought that Dog ‘n Suds could too.

Unfortunately, the Minnie Pearl debacle, which also derailed Royal Castle, killed those chances. Dog ‘n Suds was sold to the American Licensing Company in 1970.

By the time Dog ‘n Suds moved its HQ to Arlington Heights, Illinois, in 1972, the number of Dog ‘n Suds locations was hovering around 450. Rover College had also found a new home in Arlington.

Merger with Frostie

Dog ‘n Suds agreed to merge with Frostie Enterprises; which not only sold its own branded root beer but also owned 120 Stewart’s Drive-In locations. On August 12, 1975, Frostie bought out the majority stake in Dog ‘n Suds for $750,000.

Frostie implemented cost-cutting measures that hurt Dog ‘n Suds on the franchise front. They also made the weird decision to change their root beer recipe, which did not sit well with longtime fans.

Many Dog ‘n Suds locations either dropped the name and rebranded or closed altogether. No new restaurants were opening at this point, and by the end of 1975, they were down to 350 drive-ins. The newfound popularity of drive-thrus didn’t help things either.

By 1978, the Dog ‘n Suds company had shrunk to 140 restaurants. The following year, the retail root beer business and restaurants were sold to two separate companies.

Shining Light on the Horizon

There were only twenty-four Dog ‘n Suds left in 1990 when the company was sold again. Just when things seemed hopeless, a shining light appeared out of the darkness. Don Van Dame, whose father had opened the first Indiana franchise of Dog ‘n Suds, his wife Carol, and his partner, Dick Morath, purchased the Dog ‘n Suds trademark in 1991.

That same year, they started selling the “World’s Creamiest Root Beer” to supermarkets in the Midwest. In 2001, they created a new company to license the Dog ‘n Suds brand. In 2006, the Van Dames entered into an exclusive agreement with Clover Club Bottling Co. to bottle their root beer.

Currently, there are fourteen active Dog ‘n Suds locations where you can still get your coney dogs, root beer, and charco burgers.

Current Dog ‘n Suds Menu

Dog ‘n Suds Must Eats

DnS at Wiener Bash

In late 2017, I held my semi-annual event Wiener Bash, and David drove down to Miami, Florida, with wieners and coney sauce on dry ice to participate in the competition.

We had a great time, and I finally had the opportunity to try one of their famed Coney Dogs.

I knew that a visit to one of his Dog ‘n Suds was now absolutely mandatory.

When I began piecing together my road trip book signing itinerary, I knew in my Charco Broiled Burger heart that Dog ‘n Suds had to be one of the stops. I called David and ran the idea past him. He wholeheartedly agreed.

Marcela and I finally had the opportunity to drop in, enjoy the ambiance, and marvel at the detail that he had put into making this drive-in masterpiece. If that wasn’t enough, the food was killer too.

I can’t praise enough that Charco Broiled Texas Burger with its American cheese, special sandwich sauce, and coney sauce on a perfectly toasted double-decker bun.

What about the Coney Dog with its sweet and addictive coney sauce, mustard, and onions? Or how about the DnS Root Beer served in a frosty glass mug?

It was an experience of a lifetime. I wish that there were still some Dog ‘n Suds locations in Miami like there were in the 1960s.

All About the Burger Book Signing

One of the highlights of my All About the Burger book signing tour was that I finally met Troy Smith of Restaurant Rewind. He drove from Chicago, Illinois, for the signing.

We spent most of the afternoon discussing old restaurant chains between the signings. Marcela took several pictures of the restaurant portion of the Dog ‘n Suds Drive-In before the book signing started.

I hope you enjoy them.

Thank you to David Hosticka for all the hospitality. We hope to visit again very soon. It would also be the perfect time to host a Wiener Bash in Michigan, but that’s a conversation for another day!

P.S.: Please visit David’s and my pet project, the Drive-In Restaurants with Car Hops across the U.S. page (click here).

We are trying to keep an accurate list of all operating Drive-Ins with carhops across the United States. If you know of one that I did not list, please let me know!