Yummy Dogs is the Hot Dog Shop Laguna Has Been Waiting For
Like many great ventures, the idea for Yummy Dogs came from one simple question: “Where can I get a good hot dog?”
“I was walking down Forest Ave with my wife one day,” recalls owner Mitch Gold, “and we realized there were no good hot dog spots in town. A beach town with no hot dogs… are you kidding me?”
On a whim (and partly as a joke), Gold told his wife they should open a hot dog shop in town. While he was initially met with a questioning look, that didn’t stop Gold from looking into it. “I got home and began looking at locations,” he remembers. “It grew into an idea that actually made sense.”
what started as a craving for a random snack would eventually seed and sprout into YUMMY DOGS, Laguna’s FIRST hot dog shop and arcade, aptly located on Forest Ave (where Catmosphere used to be)!
Operated by Gold and his daughter, Julie Caricato, the duo have operated several businesses both on their own and with each other (one of which includes Luv 2 Play, an indoor playground franchise). Caricato notes there is a lot of crossover with Luv 2 Play and Yummy Dogs, which also offers stocked cafés. “It was an easy transition for us and fun to focus on the menu side,” she shares. “It was fun to play with all the different tastes a hot dog can bring.”
They’ve got the classic styles, like Chicago and New York, but they also have out-of-the-box dogs like their Mac & Cheese Dog (complete with bacon bits), their Reuben Dog (sauerkraut and Swiss cheese), and, perhaps most notably, their Laguna Dog (yes, it has avocado on it). Gold proudly notes that the Chicago is their best-seller, and is a big hit with the parents, even if most kids tend to opt for a Plain Dog. All of Yummy Dogs hot dogs are made with Vienna Beef, a famous Chicago beef supplier that’s been around since 1926. So even if the kid opts for plain, they’re not opting out of quality!
In addition to their delicious Dogs, the father-daughter team sought to create a safe and secure place where kids could be kids. It’s what drives them as entrepreneurs.
“We want to offer the people of Laguna Beach, as well as the tourists of Laguna, a place to go with their kids,” Gold explains. “Our arcade is designed for a younger crowd, even though we have adult games as well.”
Try your hand at classics like Pac-Man or the lovingly dubbed “claw machine,” or experience something new and cutting-edge, like their virtual reality game, Rilix Coaster, which takes you on a wild, exciting outdoor roller coaster ride.
Yummy Dogs has only been open for a few months, but their team sees the place growing nationally. As they continue to play with their ever-expanding menu (part of which includes adding a Cheddar Jalepeño Dog), Mitch, Julie, and Sophia continue to dream big for their little hot dog shop that could.
And the best part? Real life dogs are allowed, so stop by after a beach day with the pups. (They even offer a Pup Dog, naturally!)
Pop in for their specials:
$8 Mon-Thurs All Day Dogs for Locals.
Beer/Wine Buckets (4 for $20).
Half Price Arcade Wednesday.
Happy Hour Mon-Thurs 7-10pm.
Photos by Marielena Photography.