The following is a reprint of an article that appears in “West of Roanoke”.

Wytheville’s Top Dog
By Allison Farley

Jack Clark, the white-haired man who can be spotted nearly every Saturday morning in downtown Wytheville, wearing a hotdog hat and peddling his New York style hotdog cart has done what many previously believed to be impossible – produce Wytheville’s most sought after hotdog.

For Clark, a self described frustrated food service entrepreneur, who struggled to find his niche, the road to hot dog success wasn’t an easy path.

It began with nearly five years of research – struggling to know all the ins and outs of the food service industry.

After a half-decade of studying all the business models available, Clark got “bit by the hot dog bug… hard.”

“I chose what is known in the industry as a New York style cart. All stainless steel with propane cooker and steam table with a built-in cooler and four sinks topped off with an umbrella.
“Next I needed a name, so all my friends were asked to submit suggestions.” Jack jokingly says, “Some of the names for a hot dog business that were submitted can’t be repeated.”

It was Clark’s wife who decided upon the name “Jack’s Last Stand.”

After forming an LLC, securing a Virginia Department of Health permit, tax license, peddler’s permit, liability insurance and ten thousand other pieces of paperwork Jack was off and running.

Now residents and visitors alike to the Town of Wytheville are treated to top of the line, all beef hot dogs, freshly steamed buns and a vast array of condiments.

“We start with a homemade chili that, I’ve been told, is ‘scrumptious and do not change the recipe.’ Next is the homemade coleslaw that is equally praised. From there our customers enjoy building the dawg, their way. There are chopped onions, sauerkraut, banana pepper rings, chow-chow and sweet pickle relish.”

For Jack’s Last Stand, great hotdogs aren’t the only thing going for him. The man is also one of the greatest advertisers in Wytheville.

From the outrageous looking hotdog hat he wears atop his head, to the hundreds of loyal Facebook friends the man interacts with on a daily basis, Jack is a promoter.

Last night even, on the eve of Chautauqua’s opening day, Jack was on Facebook promising his followers to give a quarter discount to any person who would approach his stand with the correct answer to the following question:
“How many bullets did Barney carry?”

Throughout the month of June, Jack can be spotted at the Fourth Street Exxon from 10am to 2pm.

It should also be noted, that out of all the people you will ever run into, Jack is one of the genuine nicest guys you’ll find.

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Congratulations Jack! Great publicity and a great picture of you to boot!

Sell ’em all,

-Steve