Wynder's Gives a New Spin to the Chicago Dog

The owner and star employee of , Terry Johnson, chats easily about his hot dogs, background and family. He shares tales of impulsive travel, hiking through a bamboo forest and an intolerable boss who looked like Abe Lincoln.

With his winsome smile and his white socks rolled down (in an effort to bug his teenage daughter, he says), it seems that Johnson missed his calling—he could have been a writer or professional storyteller instead of hot dog stand proprieter. However, one taste of his patented spiral cut hot dog makes it clear that Johnson made the right choice.

Johnson learned his way around a kitchen while still a high schooler in Tinley Park, where he worked at . His next step was in Palos Heights, where he learned how to work the line and discovered a talent for designing beautiful plates. While cooking in the kitchens of fancy restaurants, he learned about the chemistry of cooking. He thought of his mom's fried bologna. It occurred to him that she was able to achieve a carmelized tastiness on her bologna because of the large surface area, so he realized that if he could increase the surface frying area of a hot dog, he might capture the same effect to make a very tasty hot dog. 

Enter Johnson's patented spiral hot dog cutter. The Chicago dog from his New Lenox store has a different look from a regular  hot dog, and the spiral cut of the dog, plus quality ingredients, made Wynder's the winner of our . Johnson also used his culinary background to invent his signature sauce (used on the Signature Dog and hoagie) which has brought customers back to say, "I can't stop thinking about that sauce! What is it?" (Hint: Poppy seeds and mustard are involved).

Johnson's background with his father's HVAC business has come in handy, too. He knows how to manage employees and the books, and can fix basically everything in the store himself. "When we first moved in, I had to redesign the ventilation system," Johnson said. "It wasn't up to code." 

Johnson's wife, Lisa, works there, along with seven part-time employees. It's summer, so Johnson's whole family might be at the store, unless his 15-year-old daughter has a fast-pitch softball tournament. Her travel schedule, along with the demands of running a business, keeps the family busy. 

Wynder's spiral cut hot dogs are making waves, and not just in New Lenox. The hot dogs have been a hit at many local events and festivals, such as last year's Taste of Joliet. Currently, in Frankfort features Wynder's catering for its Thursday night summer concert series.

Looking outside the Southland, Johnson is in talks with Sysco to distribute spiral cut dogs to Disney and state fairs nationwide; to prepare, Johnson is working with Real Sausage in Chicago and a robotics team to uniformly precut hot dogs on a large scale. And if that wasn't enough, Johnson might license out his patent. Investors have shown interest in opening Wynder's shops in other states, specifically Minnesota and Florida.

"I have a lot of people to thank for how everything has turned out," Johnson said. "If my mom hadn't made that bologna, if 'Abe Lincoln' hadn't ticked me off enough to quit or if I'd taken that job on Maui, I wouldn't be here today."

Yes, in 1985, Johnson turned down a job in Hawaii. Maybe if he has time the next time you stop in, he'll tell you the story. It's a good one.

• Address: 1880 E Lincoln Hwy
• Phone: 815-462-1100
• Facebook: Check out Wynder's fan page.
• Patch Places: See our for more information or to leave a review.
• Deals: Wynders accepts the SIAM card. Text 90210 for special offers, and for smart phone users, their QR code connects directly to Google Places.