Exploring Life & Business with Darin McKinney of The Shake-N-Dog

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darin McKinney.

Hi Darin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
After several years of travel for work, my wife and I wanted something more. We were convinced we could find a fun work/life balance. We started looking for something that was missing in our community. We remembered growing up that the hometown diners and grills that existed in our small towns were missing, and we wanted to bring that experience back to Downtown Lenoir, so we opened The Shake-N-Dog in 2018. We also wanted a family-friendly environment where parents and children could enjoy good food and create memories. We love being involved in the community and being able to give back. We have become a place that family and friends gather and hang out. After 4 years of success at our Downtown Lenoir location, we were able to open a second location in Granite Falls. This allows us to reach even more customers. We owe all of our success to the tremendous support of the communities around us. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our concept has been well accepted by the community, but there have been challenges with COVID and changing economic conditions. We were able to adapt quickly and make changes, which helped us overcome these challenges. We were able to start offering delivery through DoorDash & GrubHub, which helped us reach more customers during the shutdown during COVID. We started offering curbside service as well, which we still use today to assist with serving handicapped customers. We also have faced many struggles with rising food costs and balancing and adjusting our pricing to accommodate those changes without losing our target customer base. We have been able to implement a loyalty program to encourage return visits and offer them a way to save money. The road has definitely had its ups and downs, but this is likely the case with any business that opens. How you adapt to the changes is what keeps you in business. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a family-owned restaurant in Downtown Lenoir as well as Granite Falls, that is famous for our unusual hot dog toppings. We have come up with several different specialty hot dogs with toppings that most have never heard of, from a Bacon, Egg, & Cheese dog to hot dogs like the Arizona that are bacon wrapped, have baked beans, spicy mustard, onions, tomatoes, mayo, and jalapenos on them. 

We have 27 toppings, some unusual & some normal, that you can choose from if you aren’t feeling one of our creations. We have been voted Best Hot Dog in Caldwell County since we opened in 2018. 

If you aren’t in the mood for a hot dog, we do offer sandwiches, homemade soups, & hamburgers. 

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
We consider ourselves an example to other small businesses that if you have a good concept and good work ethic that you can achieve any goals you set for yourself. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theshakendog.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/theshakendog
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/theshakendog