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Captain Jack's Burger Grill


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  • 4 weeks later...

Some news about New England Hot Dog Co. was sent our way. It should be interesting to see if Great Adventure's stand will be open this season.

 

New England Hot Dog Co. closes; franchises’ future now uncertain

 

By GERRY TUOTI - Staff Writer

Taunton Daily Gazette

 

Posted Jan 21, 2012 @ 04:36 AM

 

The New England Hot Dog Co.’s parent company is no longer operational, but individual franchises are allowed to continue using the brand name and operate independently, according to the chain’s former CEO.

 

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The franchise on Bay Street in Taunton, however, has been closed for weeks. There are no signs at the restaurant that indicate whether it will reopen. A MooBella ice cream machine that had been inside the restaurant is no longer there. At a Subway in the same shopping plaza, an employee said New England Hot Dog Co. workers showed up for their shifts a few weeks ago and discovered the locks had been changed at the hot dog eatery.

 

The chain’s former CEO, Richard Saxe, said he was under the impression that the Taunton franchise would reopen after renovations, but added that he’s been “out of the loop” since the parent company went under. The Taunton franchise, Saxe said, is owned by a group called the Dog Pound.

 

“As far as I know, their intent is to reopen,” Saxe said. “I wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent, but I’m cautiously optimistic.”

 

Representatives of the Dog Pound could not be reached for comment.

 

Saxe was one of the founders of New England Hot Dog Co., which began in 2004 with a hot dog eatery in Marblehead.

 

“It was a great concept,” he said. “People loved it. I think in a different situation and a different time, the franchise would have survived.”

 

New England Hot Dog Co. offered a wide assortment of hot dogs and dozens of toppings. Specialty hot dogs were named after local communities. The Silver City Hot Dog, for example, featured a linguica topping.

 

The chain expanded over its first few years, but the economic downturn that hit in 2008 caused serious stresses for both the parent company and some of the individual franchises.

 

The parent company still holds on to the rights for its proprietary name and logos, but effectively ceased operating four months ago, Saxe said.

 

“We lost our funding,” he said. “I didn’t want to put more money into it. I’d been doing it for eight years. I couldn’t put more into it without jeopardizing everything. Sometimes you have to cut your losses.”

 

The domain name for New England Hot Dog Co.’s website, nehotdog.com, expired on Jan. 5.

 

“I funded the deficit all those years,” Saxe said. “I don’t have an endless supply of dollars.”

 

The end of the New England Hot Dog parent company, Saxe said, doesn’t affect the individual franchises, although a number have closed up shop.

 

“The stores are individually run and owned,” he explained.

 

Dick Shafer, Taunton’s director of economic development, said he hadn’t heard any news about New England Hot Dog Co.

 

“It’s too bad,” he said. “It’s been a nice eatery. A lot of small guys are struggling. Hopefully they reopen.”

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  • 2 years later...

If you look closely at one of Flyin' Phils photos from his last trip in January, it appears that the Load It Up stand (originally Captain Jacks) has been repainted. That probably means another change of names is coming this season.

 

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It most recently looked like the photo below when the park was last open.

 

gallery_2_35_78892.jpg

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^ The other Go Fresh Cafe was on the plan last year.

 

GO FRESH CAFÉ

• Chicken Salad, Tuna Salad, Crispy Chicken, Grilled Chicken or Veggie Wrap Served with an Apple or Cucumber Salad

• Spring Mix Salad or add Chicken Salad, Grilled Chicken, Crispy Chicken or Tuna Salad

• Fiesta Salad or add Chicken Salad, Grilled Chicken, Crispy Chicken or Tuna Salad

• Caesar Salad or add Chicken Salad, Grilled Chicken, Crispy Chicken or Tuna Salad

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