Small Start Turns Into Unique, Big Vision

Managing Editor/Publisher

What began as a way to just "raise a little money" has turned in to quite the business venture for Cherie Engelman, her father, Nathan, and their family.

The venture, Good Dogs/Hotdogs has been going strong since 2021.

"I started it when I was 14," Cherie explained. "We started as a little taco cart at the fair. We bought the taco cart, cleaned it up and got it fit for serving food and then we opened it up at the Grant County Fair in 2021."

It wasn't long before it was expansion time.

"We started with a taco cart and made some decent money at the fair for two years," Cherie said. "We then decided to buy a horse trailer, which we turned it in to a food truck."

Nathan said the idea of repurposing horse trailers had become fairly popular.

"When we searched food trucks (on the Internet), one time I was looking and it popped up there was a little two-horse trailer that had been converted into a mobile bar," Nathan said. "They could take (the mobile bar) to events and venues. There was a trailer for sale at the end of the street here for a long time. We thought, 'we can do that.' So, I went and took a look at it."

After discussing what they could do with the horse trailer and going over what it could look like, they made the move.

"We said, 'let's go for it and give it a try," Nathan said. "We had the money, because she had sold enough hotdogs she could buy it. We started putting a little money in to it to make it a food truck."

Cherie and Nathan began working on the trailer with some help from her grandparents.

"My grandparents (Wendell and Sarah Wahmeyer) helped a lot  with electrical stuff and welding. We also had help from Marlin and Glenda Friesen."

Ever dreaming and thinking "what's next" the horse trailer has now been traded in for a location.

"I'm going to college and it was an idea I brought up awhile ago," Cherie said. "(Nathan) said he didn't know if that would work - it would be a lot more work than just taking a food truck out once in awhile."

Cherie is in college and her dad has a pretty full plate himself.

"I pastor in town with Larry Borthwick at New Beginnings Church and I work at the coffee shop at Bear Creek every morning - I come in early and bake pastries and make coffee," Nathan said. "So one more thing isn't exactly what I actually needed, but as we started to visit about it, and because I have worked here for nine years and the relationship I have with  Steve and Kristy Frazee - we decided it was just a good fit."

According to Nathan, they wanted to be sure if they proceeded they would be able to have the staff they needed.

"We wanted to be sure we could do it where we were able to hire a staff where we wouldn't have to be here all of the time," he said. "We were able to hire Jonathan Gluntz as our manager. He has food service experience. He's going to be really crucial to this operation, because we won't be able to be here all of the time. Once we get up and going we are going to kind of turn it over to him to let him manage and continue to work with Cherie about what menus look like and how to keep things going."

Cherie is hoping to make extra money to help pay for college if all goes well.

So what's on the menu?

"We wanted to start with something other than Mexican food or burgers - the typical small town food," Cherie said.

Nathan agree.

"We wanted to do something different and a little more unique," he said. "When we started, we knew we wanted to offer more than just hotdogs. We do have the salmon salad sandwich - we served that at the fair and it was popular, so we wanted to keep it. The sides are things we did in the hotdog cart  as well. Cheesecake has been kind of a thing, too, it was a specialty for her and her's is pretty darn good."

Instead of expanding the menu when they moved in to the location at Bear Creek Coffee, they decided to make the menu even more unique with items not found anywhere else but Ulysses because they are their creations.

"We decided to take all of our classic recipes and offer them as burgers and chicken sandwiches as well," Nathan said. "So, we have all of the classic Good Dogs hotdogs which you can now come in and order as a hamburger or a chicken sandwich and they are really good. I don't know why we didn't do it sooner because it is really good.."

Nathan reiterated how unique their menu is.

"We wanted to do something else unique, and that is the elk burger," he said. "My family has eaten a lot of elk over the years compliments of my dad who lives in Colorado. We have been big fans of elk meat for a long time, so we added it to our menu as a unique offering for Ulysses. You can't get that anywhere else here. So far, the reviews are good. We are excited about it."

What does Cherie hope to accomplish from her business ventures?

"I just want it to be successful for everyone who works here, and me as well, to help me make it through college," she said.

Cherie is currently attending Tabor College where she is double majoring in exercise science and psychology.

"Hopefully I will get my degree in athletic training in six years," she said.

The rest of the Engelman family, including mom, Erica and Cherie's four siblings have been involved with the  business ventures.

"The whole family has been a part of it from the start," Nathan said. "It is a lot of work and everybody has done well coming alongside, ultimately reaping some rewards from it - a little cash here, a little fair money there. And the free food - her siblings love the hotdogs, so they have always enjoyed being able to just get what they want ."

Unique appears to be the theme throughout - Good Dogs is sharing a business location thanks to Bear Creek Coffee. In the morning the location is Bear Creek Coffee. Good Dogs takes over from 4-10 p.m., and they will also offer many of the Bear Creek Coffee drinks during their stint.

"I think most of the restaurants here close by 8 p.m.," Nathan said. "We know that is going to be a tough sale for people to remember for some time, but we are planning to stay the course. Maybe we will add a little more night life around Ulysses."

Nathan said he hopes "sharing" will be positive for both.

"That is a really big deal," he said. "We wanted it to be very symbiotic and positive for both of us. We want to help Bear Creek continue to succeed. We wouldn't have been able to start this business on our own - finding a location, remodeling, and doing all the work required. We probably wouldn't have jumped in to this venture without the relationship with Steven and Kristy Frazee and being able to work with them and share here."

Although she is still in college, Cherie will be home on breaks and some in the summer when she isn't busy helping with summer camps.

And, there is more planned for Good Dogs.

"We're planning some night activities for Monday and Fridays," Cherie said. "There will be trivia nights and live music. It will be great."