Star Beacon
May 03, 2008 12:50 am
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ASHTABULA — Max and Marilyn Wulff are moving out west — from Bridge Street to Walnut Beach!
Summer visitors to the historic Ashtabula Harbor may remember the Wulffs by their portable hot dog stand under a bright red and yellow umbrella at the corner of Bridge Street and Goodwill Drive. Locals and tourists wolfed down all-beef hot dogs, bratwursts, Italian sausages, chips and cans of soda pop for a couple of years now. But that was just the beginning for the owners of M&M Harbor Dog.
This summer, the Wulffs will run the Walnut Beach concession stand.
“We’re thrilled to have them,” City Manager Anthony Cantagallo said. “It’s very exciting.”
The Wulffs were the sole bidders for the concession, according to city records. The Ovaks, who ran the stand for the past nine years, wavered back and forth on whether to bid. On Friday, when the bidding closed, they decided to retire instead, records show.
The food business is nothing new to the Wulffs. They owned The Westside Market in Cleveland for 20 years.
“We want to provide a pleasant, fun beach experience,” Marilyn Wulff said. “This will be an opportunity to offer more than hot dogs and bratwursts.”
When asked the secret to a good, summertime hot dog, Max Wulff did not hesitate to answer.
“The secret to a good hot dog is to start with a good hot dog,” he said. “Steam them a little, then grill ’em.”
Then add yellow mustard, Bertman’s ballpark mustard, ketchup, chili and pickles, he said.
Cantagallo said city crews soon will be readying the beach for summer. He’s already signed a contract with the YMCA of Ashtabula County for certified lifeguards to keep watch over swimmers at the beach, starting Memorial Day weekend.
Last July, the city received a new $60,000 beach-cleaning machine as a gift from the Ashtabula River Cooperation Group II, a group of private companies. The machine cleans the beach in four hours, Cantagallo said.
The state routinely checks the water quality and Walnut Beach boasts a sunny reputation as one of the cleanest places to swim in Lake Erie.
“It’s a great place to spend the summer!” Marilyn Wulff said.
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