Today we’d like to introduce you to Gustavo Tonella. Them and their team share their story with us below:
While still in College, Gus and his buddies would take every opportunity to travel in to Mexico, a favorite destination due to the variety of authentic “Mexican Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs.” AKA “tj hot dogs or sonoran hot dogs”. During their many visits to Mexico they would travel by car throughout the border towns of Tijuana and Mexicali in search of this bacon wrapped beauty. It was not uncommon for the group to take a short flight into Guadalajara or a cruise to Cabo San Lucas, making the best use of their Summer Vacation. Where again they would go in search of and enjoy “Traditional Gourmet Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs.” This was the opportunity to forget about college, have a great time and focus the mind on the delicious hot dogs with a variety of toppings from grilled onions, mushrooms, guacamole, chipotle, beans, bacon and many more making every hot dog experience unique and fun!
Gus spent his summers mastering his hot dog gourmets techniques from authentic mobile carts and experts in hot dog industry at Guadalajara, Jalisco. Several years later, he returned to Mission Bay, San Diego. On summer days, after boating the waters on the bay, he would only dream in a mexican gourmet hot dogs business. After participating in different farmers markets and multiple San Diego events Gus opened his first hot dog business mobile stand in San Diego, CA in the early summer of 2010. Since that day back in 2010, Gus, with the help of a lot of great people, has sold thousands of hot dogs. .
In addition to the World Famous Mexican Hot dog, Doggos Gus’s also offers other signature menu items including: Agua Fresca’s Horchata, mexican chips and desserts. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to quality and freshness. Freshly made salsas, beans, and gourmet bread are a cornerstone of Doggos Gus. our all beef bacon wrapped hotdogs are grilled to perfection over the griddle. You even get a free smile with every one of our Famous Mexican Hotdogs.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a catering business, it was very tough to operate during covid as the lockdown canceled every event. All my caterings were canceled. More than 90 weddings canceled/postponed. In addition to festivals, farmers markets, birthday parties.
My restaurant opened in January of 2020 and covid hit us 2 months later.
It hasn’t been a smooth journey at all. Imperial Beach looked like a ghost town. The beaches and parks were closed. The hotel across from me was completely booked for spring break and was forced to temporarily shut doors. It was very tough to stay afloat.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a gourmet hotdog joint in imperial beach. Offering bacon-wrapped hotdogs with toppings like Guacamole, chipotle crema, chorizo, carnitas, shrimp. We serve them on a center cut brioche bun that is delivered fresh daily from a local bakery. Here you can find the authentic T.J Dog and the Sonoran Dog along with some other favorites like the Surf n Turf and the California.
We also have some popular sides like our street corn, our delicious doggofries and amazing shakes. Like the Mexican hot chocolate shake and the Nutella shake.
We also just added our Curbside Michelada Bar where you can have authentic Micheladas and ColadaClaws To-go or enjoy them on our Deck.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Persistence Consistency. And of course passion.
Pricing:
- Catering $12 per person
- Bacon Hotdogs range from $6-$10
- Michelada catering starts at $250
Contact Info:
- Email: Doggosgus@hotmail.com
- Website: Doggosgus.com
- Instagram: @doggosgus
- Facebook: Doggosgus
- Yelp: Doggosgus
