Guge's Dogs moving from food cart to Bridge Street storefront in Amsterdam

STAN HUDYAMSTERDAM RECORDERJoseph Gugliemelli stands next to his grill inside his new permanent location of Guge's Dogs at 43 Bridge Street in Amsterdam Friday, March 25, 2022. He expects to open in early summer. — PHOTOGRAPHER:

STAN HUDYAMSTERDAM RECORDER
Joseph Gugliemelli stands next to his grill inside his new permanent location of Guge's Dogs at 43 Bridge Street in Amsterdam Friday, March 25, 2022. He expects to open in early summer.

AMSTERDAM — A long running food truck is making the move to a permanent storefront on Amsterdam’s south side following recent approval from the Planning Commission.

Amsterdam native Joseph Gugliemelli started running Guge’s Dogs out of a hot dog cart around 2016 before upgrading to a 16-foot food trailer serving handheld breakfast and lunch options around the city and at local events.

“Now I’m looking to finally go a step further and open up my own place,” Gugliemelli said Friday.

After scoping out sites around the city, Gugliemelli found the ideal home for Guge’s Dogs in an existing building at 43 Bridge St.

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“I think it’s a great location, I’m going to put work into the building,” Gugliemelli said. “The south side is a nice place, especially with what the city is trying to do to revitalize, pick up businesses and add more storefronts.”

Gugliemelli will install a kitchen in the roughly 1,100 square foot space that previously housed a consignment shop. The dine-in or eat-out restaurant will feature six interior tables.

Outdoor dining will not be offered on-site, but patrons could easily carry out their meals to enjoy along the Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook Pedestrian Bridge or Riverlink Park essentially next door.

Guge’s Dogs will offer the same fare at its brick and mortar location that the food truck was known for with some new twists thanks to the expanded kitchen space.

Breakfast sandwiches, sausages and home fries will round out some of the morning offerings. Hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries with a variety of toppings, sandwich specials and soft serve ice cream will be some of the features of the lunch menu.

Guge’s Dogs will fill a void in the city, according to Gugliemelli, who noted a decline in city based eateries over the years from his youth when locals could grab a bite at practically every other street corner.

“There are not too many places that offer breakfast anymore within downtown,” Gugliemelli said. “To have some variety and options is nice for people.”

“Who doesn’t love a good hot dog?” he added.

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Hours are tentatively planned for Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The eatery would extend hours during community events on the south side. Gugliemelli still expects to break out the hot dog cart to take part in events in other areas of the city after opening the new venue.

The Bridge Street building will be leased from owner Stephen Sizemore. Despite the new rental agreement, the property is being marketed for sale for $375,000 and has been listed for nearly a year. Gugliemelli acknowledged some concern under the circumstances, but indicated he is working with the owner to try to safeguard the business in the event of a sale.

“I’d like to have some longevity, I don’t want to have to pick up and move,” Gugliemelli said.

Reactions to the business plans from the Amsterdam Planning Commission during the site plan review on Wednesday were overwhelmingly positive.

“We need another breakfast place,” Jacqueline Marciniak commented.

Board members agreed the proximity of Guge’s Dogs to the MVGO Pedestrian Bridge would be ideal before approving the application.

“It’s a nice spot,” Michael Palumbo said. “I like this idea a lot.”

Gugliemelli is targeting the opening of Guge’s Dogs at 43 Bridge St. in early summer, but acknowledged that ongoing supply chain issues and construction delays could impact the timeline.

Reach Ashley Onyon at [email protected] or @AshleyOnyon on Twitter.