Scott Hull was working a retail job at Omaha Steaks, and his wife, Alexis, was a case manager for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services when thoughts of owning their own business turned into serious discussions. Scott’s passion for food led them to the food service industry, eventually deciding to open a food truck. But what kind of food to serve? Hull explained, “I went with hotdogs because there aren’t any restaurants in the area that offer a variety of gourmet hotdogs outside of a basic chili dog. I wanted something different and unique.”
Hull grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. While in high school, his family moved to Bellevue and he graduated from Bellevue West. Hull’s wife, Alexis, is from Bellevue and a Bellevue East graduate.
“When I started telling my friends, a few of them remembered me talking about opening a hotdog cart when I was a kid,” Hull shared, “so I guess I really did follow my childhood dream!”
Monster Dogs’ official debut was at the Bellevue Farmer’s Market in early September. Since then, their food trailer has appeared all over town, including spots like Cornhusker Auto Wash, Certified Transmission, Elevated Coffee Co and Taphouse, Northrup Grumman, Peter Sarpy Elementary, and the Bellevue Police Headquarters.
Each year, around the end of October, most food trucks in the midwest pack it up for the winter months and turn their attention towards catering or other ways to supplement their income. Hull said that when they started up, there wasn’t much of a plan for the winter. But then an example of “Right Place, Right Time” happened.
Hull was preparing his trailer for long-term winter parking on the west side of the Capehart Square strip mall near 28th and Capehart Road. While getting everything in place, someone approached them with news that nearby Sorties Tavern had an empty kitchen and might be looking for someone to run it and offer food in the bar. The next day Hull met with the owner and, after a couple of discussions, decided it was the best move for the winter. “The only thing asked of us was to add more items to our menu, which we had no problem doing,” said Hull.
So what happens to the Monster Dogs food trailer in the spring when the weather warms up? Hull says the plan is to do both. “Yes, the trailer will return in Spring 2024,” Hull shared. “We plan to be able to run the kitchen at Sorties along with the food trailer through the Spring and Summer, then stay with Sorties once the trailer season ends again.”
Diane Bruce was the owner of the popular local restaurant B & B Classic Dogs, where the specialty was a variety of gourmet hotdogs. Bruce said it’s great to have a gourmet dog option back in Bellevue and has given Monster Dogs her full support. “I am excited that someone is bringing back the Gourmet Hot Dog theme! It has been fun working with Scott & Lexi and it has brought back lots of memories of when we started B & B,” Bruce said. “I am hoping I can share the good and the bad to help them from having to start from scratch.”
Monster Dogs is open inside Sorties Tavern at 2871 Capehart Road. Their hours are Monday and Wednesday from 11am-2pm and Thursday-Saturday from 11am-8pm. More information can be found on the Monster Dogs Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/p/Monster-Dogs-LLC-100092664736221/.
Hull talked about his experience in Bellevue since opening his business, “We have seen and felt the support and that keeps us up and running. We love to give back to our community and will continue doing so. We enjoy being part of the Bellevue community.”
