‘The best doggone hot dogs’ in Columbus. New restaurant also has vegan options
Donald Scott, 68, wore a baseball cap as he energetically loaded toppings on a hot dog and conversed with a waiting customer, Kaye Williams.
Williams decided to visit Scott’s new Columbus restaurant, That’s My Dog, after hearing about it from her friends. The eatery piqued her interest because it offers vegan options.
“A lot of places don’t have veggie options,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer. “So, I don’t eat at a lot of places because they don’t have options for people who don’t eat beef or pork.”
A similar scenario repeated itself several times throughout the afternoon as a steady stream of customers came in on the recommendation of friends to try the hot dogs. Scott’s wife, Vickie, sat up front, taking orders as her husband worked in the kitchen, making the food.
The couple hopes to build on the early success of That’s My Dog, 2001 South Lumpkin Road, after a patron brought attention to the hot dog joint on the Columbus, GA Foodies Facebook page last month.
“She came in one evening and bought a hot dog,” Vickie told the Ledger-Enquirer. “And then she came right back and she says, ‘I need to put you on Columbus Foodies.’ And that’s how it started.”
After the post made the rounds on Facebook, That’s My Dog received support from Columbus residents looking for a new restaurant and neighbors happy to see Scott open a business.
Scott grew up in Columbus and has lived in south Columbus for over 20 years, he told the Ledger-Enquirer.
“He knows everybody,” Vickie joked as her husband chatted with a friend outside the restaurant.
Building a rapport with customers and members of the Columbus community is a value for Scott, he said.
“I try to interact with everybody that comes in here,” Scott said. “Let them know that they’re welcome, that we care about what we do for them.”
Cooking what he knows
Scott worked as a cook at Fort Moore (now named Fort Benning) for about two years before he decided that he wanted to do something different.
When choosing what his restaurant would be like, Scott kept it simple.
“I didn’t want to do all the different foods,” he said. “I said, ‘Well, I’m just going to specialize in hot dogs and sandwiches.”
That’s My Dog offers a variety of hot dogs. Some of the more popular options are the Slaw Dog and the Pitbull Dog. The restaurant also offers chicken sandwiches.
Alongside his regular menu, Scott also offers a vegan option for most items, including a vegan chicken sandwich, a vegan hot dog and vegan chili.
“I try to do the stuff that I’m good at,” he said. “That’s why I do the hot dogs and sandwiches. And that’s why I do the vegan food.”
Scott was a vegetarian for about 25 years. Like Williams, he found it hard to find restaurants that offer vegetarian options.
“Basically, what I had to do was either cook it at home or go to Country Life,” Scott said.
As he decided to open That’s My Dog, Scott realized that there wasn’t a fast food option for vegans in Columbus. He decided to meet that need.
That’s My Dog is open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“I would like Columbus to know that we are doing the best doggone hot dogs in this town,” Scott said.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 12:02 PM.
