Zack’s still serving hot-dogs after 81 years

 

Zack Touloupas II in front of a Grecian rug representing the first dollar made at Zack's.

 

Zack’s is 81 years old, but the restaurant has no plans of slowing down or changing with the times. Like a kind and old-fashioned grandfather, the hot-dog establishment has been welcoming generation after generation of Burlington’s hungriest citizens.

Making a trip to Zack’s is like stepping back in time to the beginning of the diner era. Burgers are frying on an open grill, while Zack’s famous hot-dogs are being assembled with a large variety of condiments.  

Waiters dressed in blue collared shirts and white aprons hustle to get to the families occupying the wooden booths, bringing them bottled sodas or fountain drinks before they shout orders to the kitchen nearby.

Individuals sit at the bar on round stools, where they face a classic unlit menu that is littered with the innumerable combinations that make up the diner’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner specials.  

The owner, Zack Touloupas II, stands in the same place his father and grandfather left off, right behind the cash register. He acknowledges that the family has kept the restaurant pretty much the same over the years.

“We’ve got ice for the drinks these days, but I think that’s pretty much the only thing that’s changed around here,” Zack said.

Although its façade is dated, its appeal is timeless. The restaurant is anchored by the business foundation that Zack’s grandfather, Zacharias Touloupas, laid down in 1928.

Touloupas and his father came from Greece in search of a more lucrative life. While the money didn’t immediately materialize, Touloupas began to work in cafes in Columbia, S.C. and then later Durham, N.C.

Eventually he had the opportunity to buy his own store in downtown Burlington, which was called Alamance Hot Wienie Lunch at the time. The family renovated their restaurant in 1960 and it remained a landmark until 1978, when it was moved from the corner of Front and Worth streets to the corner of Davis and Worth.

A large rug woven in Touloupas’ homeland symbolizes the family’s first dollar. The carpet dollar hangs behind the counter that his grandson Zack now works at.

Zack started working at the restaurant’s new location for his father, John Touloupas, at the age of five. He started washing dishes and slowly worked his way up to inherit the family business.

“The business has been good to both my family and my dad’s family,” Zack said. “I may not know everyone who comes in here, but most of them know us.”

Everyday for breakfast, Zack says his “semi-retired” father, John, comes in for breakfast and just to “hang-out.”

“My guess is that he is trying to make sure I run this place right,” Zack said smiling.

But by all appearances, the restaurant seems to be doing well. A large crowd comes in every Saturday to have a familiar hot-dog lunch, topped with Zack’s famous chili recipe.

The most popular menu item is a hot-dog “all the way,” which is loaded with onions, chili, mustard and slaw. Zack says customers need to be careful what they order though, because sometimes non-locals don’t know the Zack way of making things.

A cheese-dog for instance, is just a rectangular block of cheese inside a bun with chili on top. Zack’s grandfather invented the menu item, but often people haven’t heard of it.

“I’ve had a customer order a cheese-dog and get mad that there isn’t a hot-dog in the bun.” Zack said. “I just tell them, ‘You didn’t order it right.’”

Gary Ball, who started dressing dogs and cooking burgers there in 1976, says he enjoys busy Saturdays, but he really likes Wednesdays the most.

“I love seeing all the people come in Saturday, but Wednesday’s pay-day,” Ball said laughing.

But while the crew has seemingly turned the hot-dog business into a science, it is still a demanding job. It’s difficult to catch them standing still in their chili-splattered aprons for more than 30 seconds at a time.

“It’s hard work, and I wouldn’t suggest it to my children,” Zack said, after talking about passing down the family business. “They’ve worked here part-time over the summers, but I think they have their own aspirations now.”

Many workers have come and gone over the years, though. Travis Evans, a waiter and kitchen helper, says he worked for eight years at Zack’s, went to North Carolina A&T State University and then returned to work for another eight years.

“I started working here because I needed a local job when I was younger,” Evans said. “I left for a while, but I’m back at it again.”

The place keeps pulling people back in even after so many years. Zack attributes the restaurant’s success to their “consistency in food quality and service.”

“A lot of people came here as a kid, and then they’ll come back ten years later and feel nostalgic, saying that they are glad we are still here,” Zack said. 

For Zack and his crew this is their favorite part of the job. Although it might be hectic, they say it is worth getting to see the friendly faces of an invested community.

Visit Zack’s website for more information