Hot Dog! Who is the king of toppings?

Planning to grill up some hot dogs this 4th of July? Did you know that Independence Day happens to be the most popular day for the frankfurter?Have you ever wondered which hot dog topping is the most popular?

So many questions, so little time! Thankfully our friends at JJ’s Red Hots have some advice for anyone planning to serve hot dogs on July 4th.

Their advice? Don’t forget the mustard, the reigning king of hot dog toppings.

JJ’s, the Charlotte-based, award-winning upscale Hot Dog and Sausage brand, which raised national eyebrows last year when it made Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers list for the second consecutive year, today released its third annual study of the Top Ten Hot Dog Toppings, based on four years of the brand’s sales data. According to JJ’s, America loves their Hot Dogs with the following toppings (in order of preference in the past year):

1. Mustard
2. Onions
3. Chili
4. Relish
5. Cheese
6. Bacon
7. Sauerkraut
8. Cole Slaw
9. Ketchup
10. Queso

The usual suspects, mustard, onions and chili held tight to their top three spots for the third year. Relish, cheese, cole slaw and bacon also made the list for the third time in a row. Creeping into the list at number nine, much to the chagrin of JJ’s president and founder Jonathan Luther, who despises the topping: ketchup. I personally would have thought that would be a little higher on the list. I have one kid who only wants mustard with the other wanting nothing but ketchup. Queso made the list for the first time.

“While I have to live with ketchup for a year, most of this year’s list made sense from a historical point of view,” said Luther. “The surprises from last year – such as pimento cheese, salsa and caramelized onions — disappeared and most of the mainstream toppings settled back into place. Fortunately, we have featured more than 300 toppings since we opened so we have everything to attract old school connoisseurs and more than enough to please even the most demanding palate.”

According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (who knew), Americans will gobble up seven billion(!!) hot dogs between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day. The most popular day of them all is July 4^th. Can you believe that Americans will consume more than 150 million hot dogs this weekend? That’s enough to stretch from DC to LA more than five times. Appropriately, JJ’s celebrates its 4^th anniversary on July 4th. They will feature an All-American Hot Dog, a virtual Fourth of July picnic on a premium hot dog, with mustard, relish, and onions, specially priced at $2 all day at both Charlotte locations – Dilworth and Ballantyne.

“We treat every day like July 4^th at JJ’s,” said Brandy Newton, JJ’s director of marketing and brand development, “We couldn’t be more psyched about the future of Hot Dogs, especially ours.”

You likely won’t be booking a flight to join JJ’s at their anniversary celebration, but I hope that you take some time this holiday weekend to celebrate and maybe enjoy a hot dog or two. I mean, if we’re going to collectively take down 150 million hot dogs on the 4th, we’re going to need everyone to pitch in a little, right?

I’m a mustard and sauerkraut lover, but I want to know – what’s your favorite topping combination?

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© Taryn Jeffries 2016