Colorado hot dog shops adapt as restaurant costs rise

Mustard’s Last Stand opened its Boulder location in 1971. More than five decades later, it still operates from the same spot. Co-owner Dave Goodhart said the high school students he served when he started in 2003 still come back. 

“The high school kids I first served are now having their kids come in,” Goodhart said. “I couldn’t imagine starting a restaurant now without that stuff to fall back onto.”

That kind of history matters at a difficult moment for Colorado’s hot dog restaurants. 

Several longtime shops have closed in the past two years, while owners still in business point to rising rent and labor costs, tighter household budgets and an increasingly competitive restaurant landscape. The places that remain are finding different ways to survive, from leaning into regional traditions to creating signature dishes or expanding beyond hot dogs altogether.

Mustard’s Last Stand is confronting another challenge: relocation. The restaurant has begun the process of leaving its longtime home at 1719 Broadway in Boulder, which is scheduled for demolition as part of the city’s Boulder Creek Park Phase 2 project. 

Even as it prepares to move in late 2027 or early 2028, Mustard’s remains committed to serving Chicago-style hot dogs to Colorado’s transplanted Chicagoans. That means bringing in genuine Vienna beef from Illinois.

“People have this made-up in their head that a hot dog should be cheap because it’s made out of the fillers, throwaway meats, into a hot dog,” Goodhart said. “[We’re] trying to show that it’s a quality product shipped in from Chicago.” 

Goodhart said competition has also changed as third-party delivery services such as DoorDash and Uber Eats make it easier for customers to compare restaurants and order similar food from more places.

“There’s a lot more [competition] now than say 30 years or 10 years ago,” Goodhart said.

This is just one of the challenges that Colorado’s hot dog restaurant owners face. The primary issues mentioned by Goodhart include high rent, labor costs, a shortage of labor and the economy. Goodhart notes the 55-cent raise to minimum wage coming in 2027.

“Recently, Colorado has not been a very favorable place to run a restaurant,” Goodhart said. 

Jose Arce, owner of Marco’s Hot Dogs and Tacos in Longmont, agrees. 

“It’s the economy, and we’re trying to keep our prices at a reasonable price for our customers,” Arce said.

Marco’s Hot Dogs and Tacos was started by Arce’s grandmother in 1995 as a burrito restaurant, but Arce’s mom took over in 1998, developing the same recipes they still use today. Even now, they remain “family owned through and through,” according to Arce.

Arce has only added one thing to the menu: their famous burrito-style hot dogs. After making it for a customer who enjoyed it so much, the burrito dog found its way onto the menu permanently. 

“I put all our toppings, the hotdog, on a flour tortilla and wrapped it up for him,” Arce said.

The burrito dog gives Marco’s a signature item that draws on both sides of its menu rather than competing solely on the traditional hot dog.

Arce has been less enthusiastic about another major change in the restaurant industry, describing his experience with delivery apps as “too much of a headache to try DoorDash.”

Ed Ginsburg, owner of Harley’s A Hot Dog Revolution in Littleton, has found similar issues in his business. 

“The economy right now is not at its greatest. So I think sales for not only hot dog restaurants but every restaurant are down,” Ginsburg said. “It’s all tied to the economy.”

Harley’s A Hot Dog Revolution has adapted by committing to a full menu change, expanding beyond hot dogs to include hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and more. This is in addition to including unique items like the barbecue brisket dog with sriracha slaw. 

While Mustard’s has doubled down on its Chicago identity and Marco’s has built around a signature creation, Harley’s is broadening its menu to give customers more reasons to visit. Ginsburg said the menu change had been successful so far. 

Other changes to the Colorado hot dog scene have been rampant. Yacht Club has added hot dogs with caviar to their menu, and Other Dog has stayed committed to completely vegan hot dogs. Even Coors Field has added a nearly two-foot-long hot dog to its list, nicknamed “Glizzilla.”

Those adaptations are happening as Colorado’s hot dog scene has lost several recognizable names.

Biker Jim’s, near Coors Field; Steve’s Snapping Dogs on Colfax; Mile High Vienna in Baker; and Dog Haus in Northfield are all local favorites that have shut their doors in the past two years. Biker Jims and Dog Haus both faced financial issues, while Steve’s and Mile High Vienna’s owners faced health complications. 

Despite these closures, entering the hot dog business can be cost-effective and simple. Goodhart notes that even a cart outside a basketball game could generate decent revenue.

“For someone wanting to get into the restaurant business for little cost, a hotdog is probably the easiest,” Goodhart said.

The hot dog also has the benefit of being universally well-loved and a popular American food item.

“The hotdog is one of those things that can stand up to downturns in the economy, because it’s still relatively inexpensive compared to other things,” Goodhart said. “With the popularity of it and the nostalgia of it, I think the hotdog isn’t going anywhere.”