Coney Island Hot Dog Stand
Encyclopedia
Coney Island Colorado in Bailey
, Colorado
is a 1950s diner shaped like a giant hot dog
, with toppings. The building has been called "the best example of roadside architecture
in the state".
The diner has indoor seating, courtyard seating and riverside picnic table seating.
The bun is 35 feet (10.7 m) long, and the hot dog 42 feet (12.8 m); the entire building weighs 18 tons.
It was originally built in 1966 on Colfax Ave. in Denver
, named The Boardwalk at Coney Island. The first owner, Marcus Shannon had intended to start a chain of eateries around the concept, and obtained a patent for the design, but they had gone under by 1969.
In 1970, under new ownership, the stand was moved to the Rocky Mountain town of Aspen Park
, along U.S. 285. Initially called Coney Island Dairy Land, it later dropped the last part of the name. Despite initial opposition, when it was put up for sale in 1999, a local campaign began to designate it a landmark and save it from destruction. The present owner purchased it for about $150,000 and added a state-of-the-art water purification system, a new secondary kitchen area and a complete restoration of the interior kitchen.
The popularity of the stand was such that its last day open in Aspen Park, "the waiting line extended literally for miles". On March 18, 2006, to make way for a bank, the stand was moved again, 17 miles down U.S. Highway 285 to its present location in Bailey, close to Pike National Forest
.
On September 22, 2003 it was featured in the nationally syndicated
newspaper comic Zippy the Pinhead
. http://zippythepinhead.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=22-Sep-03&Category_Code=co&Product_Count=0
There is a 1/6 scale model of the Coney Island stand at Tiny Town, in Morrison, Colorado
.
Moving Day for the Dog, High Timber Times, Thursday, March 23, 2006 http://coneyislandcolorado.com/?p=96
Bailey, Colorado
Bailey is an unincorporated town and U.S. Post Office in northeastern Park County, Colorado, United States.The ZIP Code of the Bailey Post Office is 80421. Bailey is in the Mountain Time Zone. The community is located along U.S...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
is a 1950s diner shaped like a giant hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
, with toppings. The building has been called "the best example of roadside architecture
Novelty architecture
Novelty architecture is a type of architecture in which buildings and other structures are given unusual shapes as a novelty, such as advertising, notoriety as a landmark, or simple eccentricity of the owner or architect. Many examples of novelty architecture take the form of buildings that...
in the state".
The diner has indoor seating, courtyard seating and riverside picnic table seating.
The bun is 35 feet (10.7 m) long, and the hot dog 42 feet (12.8 m); the entire building weighs 18 tons.
It was originally built in 1966 on Colfax Ave. in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, named The Boardwalk at Coney Island. The first owner, Marcus Shannon had intended to start a chain of eateries around the concept, and obtained a patent for the design, but they had gone under by 1969.
In 1970, under new ownership, the stand was moved to the Rocky Mountain town of Aspen Park
Aspen Park, Colorado
Aspen Park is a census-designated place in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 882 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Aspen Park is located at ....
, along U.S. 285. Initially called Coney Island Dairy Land, it later dropped the last part of the name. Despite initial opposition, when it was put up for sale in 1999, a local campaign began to designate it a landmark and save it from destruction. The present owner purchased it for about $150,000 and added a state-of-the-art water purification system, a new secondary kitchen area and a complete restoration of the interior kitchen.
The popularity of the stand was such that its last day open in Aspen Park, "the waiting line extended literally for miles". On March 18, 2006, to make way for a bank, the stand was moved again, 17 miles down U.S. Highway 285 to its present location in Bailey, close to Pike National Forest
Pike National Forest
The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, USA, west of Colorado Springs and including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas and El Paso counties. The major rivers draining the forest are the South Platte...
.
Appearances in Media
It appeared in the 1999 television documentary A Hot Dog Program and on the 2004 television program Hot Dog Heavens.On September 22, 2003 it was featured in the nationally syndicated
Print syndication
Print syndication distributes news articles, columns, comic strips and other features to newspapers, magazines and websites. They offer reprint rights and grant permissions to other parties for republishing content of which they own/represent copyrights....
newspaper comic Zippy the Pinhead
Zippy the Pinhead
Zippy is an American comic strip created by Bill Griffith. The character of Zippy the Pinhead initially appeared in underground publications during the 1970s...
. http://zippythepinhead.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=22-Sep-03&Category_Code=co&Product_Count=0
There is a 1/6 scale model of the Coney Island stand at Tiny Town, in Morrison, Colorado
Morrison, Colorado
The historic Town of Morrison is a Home Rule Municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 430 at the 2000 census...
.
Moving Day for the Dog, High Timber Times, Thursday, March 23, 2006 http://coneyislandcolorado.com/?p=96
Further reading
- Clark, Colleen. "10 great places to feel dwarfed by kitsch", USA TODAY, October 19, 2006.
- Lawson, Pamela. "A Dog's Tale", Canyon Courier, March 8, 2006.
- Lawson, Pamela. "Moving Day for the Dog", Canyon Courier, March 22, 2006.
- Lawson, Pamela. "I thought it would be fun to restore Dog", High Timber Times, March 22, 2006.
External links
- Coney Home Page
- Bailey Colorado - Hot Dog Diner entry at Roadside America
- Comin' Round The Mountain, photos from the Park County Bulletin, March 18, 2006.
- Coney Island Hot Dog Run, photos of the move by Rick Gonzales.
- Dogs, Craig's Picture of the Day, April 30, 2003.