HOLLY HILL, N.C. (WGHP) — Zack’s Hot Dogs is shutting down what it described as a “test-model” location at the Holly Hill Mall, according to an announcement from the Burlington restaurant chain.
Zack’s Hot Dogs has long been a Burlington staple. Founder Zack Touloupas opened the first restaurant, then named “Alamance Hot Wienie Lunch,” on the corner of Front and Worth Streets in 1928. He would later change the restaurant’s name to match the nickname given to it by customers. The restaurant moved to its current flagship location at 201 W. Davis Street in downtown Burlington in 1977.
Within just the last few months, the restaurant opened two additional locations. The Holly Hill Mall spot, located at 309 Huffman Mill Road, opened on Nov. 25, 2022. The restaurant then opened another standalone location at 3120 Garden Road on Jan. 13.
On Friday, the Burlington chain will close its Holly Hill Mall location. The company says that the location was originally intended to serve as an employee training facility and as a “test-model” to see if Zack’s Hot Dogs could succeed as a “destination-type restaurant located within an enclosed retail-focused mall environment.”
“The concept proved itself viable in the short-term, and we have been pleased with the response and support of our customers and the mall community,” said John Burton, president and owner of Zack’s Hot Dogs, in a statement. “However, we have decided the future for Zack’s Hot Dogs will be best served based on the model we recently implemented at our Garden Road Burlington restaurant.”
The Garden Road location stood out amongst the other Zack’s locations as the only one with a drive-thru and early morning hours. On Feb. 15, this location began offering breakfast.
The move leaves only Zack’s “original” location, open 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and the Garden Road location, open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
