UPDATE: Dominion Dogs has officially announced that it will open its doors on Sept. 9 at its new location in the James-York Plaza.
Opening day will feature all your favorite dogs from the cart with the addition of french fries, novelty ice creams, and other family favorites. Cold beer is on hold until ABC awards licensing (in the works). Dominion Dogs will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 9, with regular hours to be announced.
WILLIAMSBURG — Dominion Dogs has been active in the community with its food cart around town. Now, it looks to open a brick-and-mortar location in August at the James-York Plaza.
Husband and wife duo David and Andrea Andres met in college while working at a California Pizza Kitchen in Norfolk. It was there that their shared passion for original and quality food began.
Andrea spent the first 10 years after college working in marketing and David worked as a high school history teacher. Even then, the couple was always looking for some way to make extra money.
“We have the entrepreneurial spirit,” Andrea explained. “We would find ideas and say: ‘Oh hey, might want to try to do this.'”
After their shared history in the restaurant business, Andrea Andres agreed wholeheartedly with David Andres’s idea to start a hot dog cart together.
“When [my husband] came to me with the idea, I said: ‘Well, this is great, because hot dogs are for everybody,’ so how can you go wrong with it?” Andrea recalled.
The business was originally a way for the couple to make extra money in the summer, but then the cart took off after its May 2020 launch. With the pandemic and working from home, David had more time to work on the cart, and they were able to complete all the inspections needed to get Dominion Dogs rolling.
“After the first summer, we said we think we can do this as a restaurant. but we didn’t have the money, it’s expensive to open a restaurant so we just did it for a few years and now we’re around the corner [from opening our own place,]” Andrea added.
Dominion Dogs decided on the James-York Plaza after looking all over Williamsburg. This was due in large part to positive feedback they had received at Virginia Beer Company left them wanting to be part of the neighborhood.
Dominion Dogs will be keeping the cart for big events to make sure it is still active in the community. It also plans not only keep its vegetarian and barbeque options, but to also expand its hot dog menu by add 10 new options, as well as fries and other fried items. Most noticeably, Dominion Dogs wants to try its hand at creating its own Garbage Plate.
Dominion Dogs plans on offering local and Virginia craft beer both on tap and in bottles.
“[My favorite part about running Dominion Dogs] is being plugged into the community and being around people,” Andrea explained. “We want to be a light for people and have a wholesome experience. To have fun without the stigma of bars.”
Dominion Dogs hopes the storefront opening in August will continue its new chapter of knowing its customers, the community and working by its guiding principles.
For more information about the family behind Dominion Dogs and its offerings, visit its official website.
