Jack grew up in Hampton Roads. His dad worked in Newport News and the week that someone put an “All-Beef Hormel Hot Dogs Served Here” sign over the old German Restaurant sign, the family made their way into a restaurant so small that the roof line almost touched the counter. They were in love. Immediately!
One week later, they went back and they couldn't get in, it was so packed. Gus's was KING of Hot Dogs, in one week's time. That was 43 years ago.
Since then, Gus's is a family tradition, to the Jernigans. Every week, as a child, Jack joined his dad for hot dogs. He remembers Gus and his dad joking about the time, as a teen with a huge appetite, he ate four hot dogs, 2 fries and a milk shake. Today, Jack eats ONE hot dog with ketchup, mustard and relish.
Years passed and Jack and his sister moved away and Mom and Dad retired to Williamsburg. Mom and Dad (Betsy and Leon Jernigan) went all the way to Newport News, for their monthly lunch date. The staff knew the whole family, had a special table waiting and the waitresses all knew their order.
One summer day, July 2013, the then-smaller family: Jack, his sister and her husband, and his Mom, Betsy, stopped for lunch. Stavroula stopped by the table and asked where Leon was. The family was on their way to bury Leon's ashes in Suffolk. This was what Leon would've wanted them to do - stop and eat Hot Dogs, as a family. Stavroula said how sad it was - Leon would be missed. A pleasant and happy man - always smiling. Leon was someone who had ALWAYS been a customer - a faithful friend of Gus's Hot Dogs.
Leon always got mustard, onion and chili on his Gus's Hot Dog. Maybe we'll start calling that combination a Leon Dog. The Jernigan family will always think of Gus's as a tradition, a family landmark and then later -- their parent's social life. Those walls of Gus's - they DO talk, through the children.