Hot dog, Snipes opens new hot dog kitchen

The Teeny Weeny Wiener Wagon now has a dedicated location in downtown Red Oak.
Patrons can come and get their favorite hot dogs at 601 N. 3rd St. in Red Oak, formerly Jeremy’s This N That. Owner Jeremy Snipes said he started the Teeny Weeny Wiener Wagon about five years ago, while he and his wife were living in Council Bluffs.
“We started with a New York style hot dog cart, and it just took off from the start. We ended up with Iowa Western Community College’s concessions, and we added a second cart,” Snipes said.
Despite the success, Snipes said he was one of the many businesses that was affected when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
“When COVID hit, we got out of it. I was having health issues, so I couldn’t be around people a lot, so when we closed the wagon, we opened the bin store,” Snipes commented.
Still, Snipes said his heart was always with the food, and when COVID-19 began to come to an end, Snipes brought the wiener wagon back.
“I was able to get my health issues worked out as COVID was ending, and we bought a 12-foot concession trailer, and we started the Teeny Weeny Wiener Wagon back up in August of this year. From the minute we got it, we were packed with customers again,” Snipes explained.
With the colder temperatures now hitting the region, Snipes said it was not conducive to run the food truck. That, combined with supply chain issues, led to the revamping of the Jeremy’s This N That location.
“We were having trouble getting merchandise for the store, and based on how the trailer was going, we decided to open a commissary kitchen, do take-out and delivery, and convert this over.  So that’s what we did. Black Friday was our first day open,” Snipes said.
Revamping the location, said Snipes, came at an interesting time. Snipes, who was battling kidney failure, suddenly discovered he was up for a transplant.
“I was working the trailer on Oct. 7 and got the call that I needed to be at the hospital, since they had a kidney waiting for me. We had just started construction, so it was interesting to do a kidney transplant and remodel at the same time, but everything went great, and I’m back to 100%,” Snipes commented.
While things started off a little slowly, Snipes said things have been picking up and it’s been wonderful. Once the weather gets warmer, Snipes said he’ll resume running the wagon as well.
“The trailer is already pretty much booked for next year, and once the weather gets nice, the trailer will be out. But this kitchen will also remain open. A lot of what we’re doing with the kitchen is to support the trailer.”
Snipes said he’s always had a passion for food and has been in food service all of his life, and he wanted to bring something new to the city of Red Oak.
“I eat, breathe, and die hot dogs. Every day there’s a daily special with a new hot dog that I’ve come up with, such as the taco dog, the pizza dog, the buffalo chicken dog. Now that I’ve got the kitchen, I want to do something different every day. I sit at night thinking about what I can do next to top myself, while also keep the prices affordable for people. I do everything I can to keep the prices down,” stated Snipes.
Also, being able to focus on hot dogs, Snipes said, allows him to be creative with his ingredients.
“I guarantee no one can make hot dogs like I do. You can go out and buy canned chili, but I make my own chili, it’s called a Coney sauce, and it’s kind of a New York Style. I do homemade sloppy joe toppings for a sloppy dog. Everything I make is from scratch,” Snipes commented.  
Being able to do what he loves, Snipes said, is an amazing feeling, and he doesn’t feel like it’s a job.
“This is a lifestyle. Even when I’m not busy, and I’m between customers, I’m thinking about the craziest thing I can do next. We’ve repeated a few specials, but normally it’ll be something new every day,” stated Snipes.
Since the Teeny Weeny Wiener Wagon kitchen is right next door to Val’s Sugar Shack, Snipes said currently, the kitchen is take out and delivery only. One new feature is online ordering.
“We have recently added that, so people can call me and I’ll bring it out to the car when customers arrive, and we also use Door Dash for delivery. I will also deliver orders myself,” said Snipes.
Beyond the menu, Snipes said he’s also more than willing to do special order hot dogs for customers.
“Whatever they can think of, I’ll do it. As an example, the north Casey’s used to come to the trailer a lot, and some of the Casey’s staff suggested doing a macaroni and cheese chili dog, so I made the Casey’s dog. It’s my homemade Coney sauce with homemade macaroni and cheese. I named it after them since it was the employees that came up with it,” Snipes explained. “My wife, Melinda, works at Rubey Realty. Her co-workers gave her some ideas for hot dogs, and so the Rubey dog will be coming out soon. We’ll always have a core menu, but every day there’s a special on top of it. If it sticks, and people like it, I’ll add it to the menu.”
Current hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Starting Jan. 8, the kitchen will be open seven days a week.
“On Sunday mornings we’ll be offering biscuits and gravy, and I also have a breakfast dog that will be coming out with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, bacon, and a few other special twists on there. We’re doing it Sunday only, so as not to be a conflict of interest with Val’s Sugar Shack, so the day she’s closed, I’ll be offering breakfast.
Snipes also said they’re looking at expanding the evening hours of the kitchen until 9 p.m. on weekdays.
“It seems like there’s not a lot of options after 7 p.m. for food on the square, so we want to be that option,” advised Snipes.
The website for placing online orders is teenyweenywienerwagon.com, or customers can call ahead at 712-309-5066.  Customers can also follow the Teeny Weeny Weiner Wagon Facebook page at facebook.com/Teeny-Weeny-Wiener-Wagon-208127689727121 for the daily special.