Well dog gone: New hot dog shop to open at former Artists' Café location in Cheney

By BECKY THOMAS

Staff Reporter

The sign has changed at the former Artists' Café, along with the interior, the menu and the management.

It's now Droop's Dawgs, or it will be in the coming weeks, once management trio Mark Howells, Steve Smith and Chris Riordan are ready to open.

Right now they're doing last minute preparations, like decorating the ‘50s-themed interior with black and white checkered tablecloths a vintage car posters. They're hoping to buy a jukebox. A black and white tiled counter is equipped with silver bar stools topped in red leather.

Droop's Dawgs is just a month in the making. Howells, Smith and Riordan, all Spokane-area landscapers, were tired of their chosen trade and looking for a new passion.

“We were bored, and kept saying, I wish we had a restaurant,” Smith said. “We found this building and we jumped on it.”

They plan to offer traditional breakfast items from 6 to 11 a.m. daily, featuring homemade pancakes and waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage and biscuits and gravy. For lunch and dinner—11 a.m. to 7 p.m.—they'll offer hot dogs with a variety of toppings, French fries, onion rings and ice cream shakes.

Riordan said they hope to compete with the other hot dog shop in town, Loco Dogz, by offering more food for the money.

“For about the same price that they want for a hot dog and a drink, you're going to get a better hot dog with more toppings, fries and a drink. So that's how we plan on competing,” he said.

The men said they've received a warm welcome from Cheney residents so far, with several people stopping in to see what they're up to.

“So far, everybody's excited to come down and try our hot dogs, and everybody's excited about breakfast,” Smith said.

Though they have several different ideas for the future of the restaurant, Smith said the focus in the coming months would be on the basics.

“As long as the food's good and the service is good, then we'll be here awhile,” he said.

They hope to open Droop's Dawgs by St. Patrick's Day, with hours tentatively scheduled for 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Their phone number is 235-3500.

Becky Thomas can be reached at becky@cheneyfreepress.com.