Upcoming Events
Poll
Local landmark Pudgee's set to close
Hot dog stand is Floral City favorite
FLORAL CITY — Citrus County is about to lose some of its local taste, in the culinary sense of the word.
Pudgee’s All American Hot Dogs, a roadside dining attraction for more than a decade, is set to close Saturday.
After surviving lean recession summers and the vagaries of weather, the take-out only hot dog stand succumbed to a fire inspection.
And what was legal in 2001 no longer passes mustard.
“It was built by the 2001 standards of Florida hotels, motels and restaurants,” owner John Sterling said.
The 53-year-old describes himself as “a hometown boy who went to high school here and gave the county its first original hot dog stand.”
“I’ve had inspectors, code enforcers, food inspectors, everyone inside this place,” he said. “No one has ever raised any flags of any sort, because we never had any issues. We’ve never tried to be above the law.”
The business is basically a small trailer with room for a cook or two. Several tables sit outside under a canopy, which is apparently also a violation. The colorful trailer is plastered with signs, cartoons and photos paying whimsical homage to the hot dog.
The whimsical theme carries onto the menu, which lists 10 different hot dogs, along with sausages, burgers made to order, fries and sides.
According to the Citrus County Sheriff/Fire Inspection, Sterling needs to install a fire suppression system over his grill, an improvement he said could cost more than the trailer is worth. He currently keeps three fire extinguishers on hand.
Since he posted the closing date on an outside sign, word has spread. Longtime customers, whom he greets by name, have been stopping by to wish him well and get their last fill of his food.
“I want to thank them all for supporting me,” he said. “They’ve shown a lot of love.”
“They are all like family,” Sterling said. “I’m part of their family and this is part of Citrus County.”
“I’ve tried to keep prices affordable,” he said, “so someone could enjoy a meal for a couple dollars. Not everyone wants McDonalds.” And if someone could not afford to eat, Sterling made sure they did not leave hungry.
As for his future, “I don’t know,” he said. “How do you plan for something like this?”
“This was our family business,” his wife Terri Sterling said. “I don’t understand it.”
Contact Chronicle reporter Pat Faherty at 352-564-2924 or pfaherty@chronicleonline.com.
Add new comment
Read and share your thoughts on this story
Ad Gallery
Copyright © 2013
Closing?
Pudgee's a landmark & closing? Never heard of it or ever saw it! No wonder it's closing! Now get rid of some of the other slop slingers likes Joe's, Sonny's BBQ, Kracker Shack Cafe, & Momma's Country Kitchen! There's too many slop slingers in this county that need to be investigated by the health department.....serving food that makes you sick!
Brealistic
It's been there for 12 years,
It's been there for 12 years, and those "slop slingers" are how families make a living. Apparently you've never heard of a family owned business. They are becoming a lost art due to idiots like you. You must frequent all the hoity toity chains that have processed and packaged food, just throw it in the microwave. Well pudgies had some of the best hotdogs, sausage & peppers and burgers. All made to order. Maybe you should put all these family owned businesses out of business and open up yet another boring chain that is in every other town. I hope pudgies does stay open and you get the chance to try it. And for future references, maybe you shouldnt be so closed minded, and actually support our community and its "slop slingers"!
Sounds Good to Me!
Lets put in some better dining throughout the county! Roadside slop is not very healthy or edible! If it was so great and so wonderful with a full menu then why haven't they opened a real establishment? So they don't have to wash their hands? So they don't have to have fire suppression systems? As for family business, how many employees do they have? How much do they pay an hour? Medical insurance for employees? Seating for how many? How about advertising? Never seen any ads for Pudgee's. You call this a family business? What healthy alternatives do they offer? I'm sure your palate is so refined it denies the taste of anything but, grease! Besides you sound like one of those people that wouldn't experience a decent meal and a glass of wine. You'd probably prefer a heart attack in a sack & a beer to wash down the grease!
Brealistic
well mr./mrs. know it all...
well mr./mrs. know it all... I happen to be a child of a family owned restaurant. That was FINE DINING and have I have a extensive palate for fine food and wine! Probably more experience in wine and different foods than you can imagine. I've been to many countries and islands having tasted and enjoyed many different wines and liquors more than peoples car payments. We were victims of the economy going down hill and had our restaurant in citrus county for over 12 years! So whether it being on the side of the road, fine dining restaurant, or a deli, I know first hand how it feels to close up due to things out of your own hands. I now work in the medical field, have insurance and make A LOT LESS than when we had our restaurant. You are a stupid person. Its people like you that bring down a community. You sound like one of those bitter yankees. Maybe you should just move back up north and do us all a favor.
Jerk
So you never heard of, ate at, or seen Pudgees. A Family business that has been legally in existence for 10 years and provided a service to the community, paid taxes, and was a small family business that took care of there own and you call them "slop slingers" because you have -what- knowledge of these people??
You continue to be a bitter jerk with nothing better to do than spew stupidity on these pages.
Don't Jump to Conclusions
I feel so sorry for you, you're missing out on life! You could experience so much more out of life Tommyboy, if you'd give up your hateful attitude! You probably need to go visit your mom and say hello, for a change, and get a real home cooked meal. I'd invite you over for dinner but, your palate might be in for a shock! This so-called family business....how many employees do they have? You don't even know if they wash their hands, do you? How many other health regulations are they declining to implement? I'm sure they are nice people but, that's not the issue! They wanted to own a family business but, a slop cart by the roadside is not ideal for them. So, they paid taxes big deal! Everyone pays taxes! Did they offer healthier alternatives for dining? This wasn't a regular establishment and things change. I'm sure they can fix what is needed so, you can patronize this business in the future. I wouldn't want you to go hungry, now! Heaven forbid if you go a day with your hotdog and local gossip! My point was that I've never see it so, it couldn't have been that much of a landmark in Citrus County! I travel all over this county and am aware of many small family owned businesses but, most of them really stink and the food is disgusting! On top of that, the cleanliness of many of the family restaurants is quite unsanitary! Stumpknockers is another restaurant I would never eat at! I'd prefer to starve before going there! But, like I said previously......I never heard of Pudgee's and I'm surprised that the Comical would even consider this a landmark when it doesn't even have an established address. Have you ever seen Pudgee's advertised anywhere? They might have great greasy hotdogs and bags of chips and pop to wash it down but, that's just not my idea of lunch or a meal. I don't care to sit outside in the Florida heat with flies flying around my food and ants crawling on the food. I'm sure some people enjoy this picinic atmosphere but, it is not very sanitary and the menu has to leave something to be desired! I don't even know why I'm justifying myself to you! These so-called family businesses don't supply our economy with many jobs at all and if they do hire someone other than family they don't pay squat and they don't supply insurance, 401k, or anything else because their clientele are similar to you, they'd rather pay $3.00 for a heart attack in a sack then wash it down with a beer than to sit down and have a healthier meal in an atmosphere that helps the patron to relax & unwind.
Brealistic
Your pathetic, & need a proper education.
Jumping to conclusions is something your good at , along with being a snobby northerner. Driving with your nose pointed toward the road will allow you to see what is around town, not pointing up toward the sky.
The fact that your ignorant of business's around town means nothing. Business that rely just on word of mouth to have a 12 year streak speaks volumes about the service and quality.
You make the claim to others " to not jump to conclusions." Yet you jump to conclusions about asking how many workers work there, yet you say you never have seen the place. Well if you would do more thinking and less defecating form your mouth you could check the facts.
You ask if they even wash there hands, the facility has a sink and they use it all the time. You say 'so-called family buisness' as if it is not, yet the facts speak for itself, its John and his relatives that have ran the company for 12 years.
You might just want to get a one way ticket back up "north' where its too cold to have outside ameneites 1/2 the year and all the other ramblings about how "up north its better".
Small business tend to rely on word of mouth, and if there were bad things going on there they would of been out of business in the 1st year.
Big corporations your snooty nose approves of, can have horrible service and still survive. If your so worried about health care benefits for employees, why don't you march on McDonald's property asking them the same thing. You seem like a bitter old woman who's upset her snarky kids wont call her or visit so you can slave over the stove for your "excellent meals."
****free tip - A SMART MOUTH IS ALSO A LONELY ONE******
A one way ticket for you to go back to where you belong seems to be the best idea on this entire page & I'm not going to bother reading any response you have to this, as nothing you have said on this entire page means anything , except a showboating of your ignorance.
Fact Checker.
Thank You!
Thank You so much for my concerns dear! I appreciate all the feedback and criticism from my postings good or bad. However, it goes along way of showing the unreasonable mentality that has consumed you and many in the area. I can see that you are a believer in hate and have to vent once in awhile because you don't know what you're talking about in the first place and it's all right. I understand that the cuisine in Floral City is limited and well, I guess a hotdog stand along the side of the road is a haute attraction for the people in the area. They don't even have a restroom! Are they even civilized? Bet they don't even wash their hands while at work? You can eat there all you want honey.....but, don't blame me if you get sick!
Brealistic
HOLY CRAP....
Another victim of "codes." John has some of the best fast food anywhere. Not only does he serve food but he is a friend to everyone who eats there. Even if you haven't been there in a year or so, he remembers you. As one poster said he should be grandfathered in. Hopefully something can be done to stop this abomination. If not, you will be sorely missed John.
Randy, the one legged guy.
Grandfathered
Not too sure about this, but maybe the placed could be considered grandfathered in somehow, or perhaps you could get some kind of variance to allow the Fire Extinquishers instead of the full blown suppression system. Just a thought. Good Luck!
WHY
Why no tables? OK to cook under a canopy with no fire suppression system?
we will miss you!!!!!!!!!!
Its always sad to hear a family business closing its doors. What ever the circumstances are. You will be missed dearly. Being a beyond picky hotdog eater, I LOVED your hotdogs and sausage & peppers. We would stop in often, and you will most definitely be missed!!!! Best of luck to you and your family.
Sorry to see this
I have not read the new rules. I even was thinking of going back to selling hot dogs which I did for years. But I do know one reason was people even though I kept the money down and never raised the cost they just did not want to pay the price. And I laugh because of the cost of one in HomeDepot.
But as for the tables and chairs that was always a rule. Mobile is mobile , tables is a no no.