Hot dogs bring friends together

Todd Peeler and Mary Deal enjoy lunch at Hap's Grill. Hap's, along North Main Street in Salisbury, is a popular place around lunch time. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

By Mark Wineka

mwineka@salisburypost.com

This is a story of friendship.

This is a story of hot dogs.

Courtney Everhart had her first Hap’s Grill hot dog at lunch Monday.

“OK, this is good,” she said, while still chewing her first bite.

Her friend — make that her best friend — Amber Cassada had that I-knew-you-would-like-it look in her eyes as she worked on her own hot dog, which she prefers with chili only.

Both girls are community college students from Lexington. But Amber knew all about Hap’s.

“My parents come in about once a week,” she said.

The girls are pretty much inseparable. They attended Central Davidson High School together. They both work at Fancy Pastry in Lexington, and Cassada’s parents almost consider Everhart another daughter, given all the time she hangs with the family.

It was Everhart’s first day back at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Monday so, of course, Amber traveled over to Salisbury, too, even though Cassada attends Davidson County Community College.

Amber is studying special education; Courtney, radiography.

As the girls stood outside, working on their hot dogs, they were joined by Joan Young, who also happened to be from Davidson County — Churchland, to be exact.

Young travels to Salisbury often, and she started coming to Hap’s a long time ago with her husband, who died about 12 years ago.

“Now I come by myself,” she said.

This particular day, Young had been to F&M bank in Salisbury and an eye doctor’s appointment here. She also delivers tapes to folks who can’t make her church’s Sunday morning services.

Earlier, she had delivered a tape to a resident at the Yadkin House in Salisbury, so it was a good day to stop at Hap’s before heading back over the Yadkin River toward home.

Young orders her Hap’s dog with no onions.

“And always a Cheerwine,” she said, pointing at her glass bottle.

Over hot dogs and Cheerwine, Young struck up a quick friendship with the college girls across from her, delighting especially in the special education curriculum Cassada was following.

A 1954 graduate of Catawba College, Young taught elementary school for 34 years before retiring.

If they don’t stay inside and eat their hot dogs and hamburgers at the counter, Hap’s customers like to linger outside around the tall tables, sit on the bench or dine under nearby trees, on the tailgates of trucks or on top of the Salisbury Post newspaper box.

It’s almost a religion.

Todd Peeler and Mary Deal work at the Hefner VA Medical Center and only get 30 minutes for lunch. So if they want to dine out, Hap’s is a good option, given the speed with which the eatery delivers its orders.

“We come about once a week,” Peeler said.

Deal usually orders a hot dog and tells them to leave off the onions.

Peeler said he will normally have a cheeseburger and hot dog, but Monday he decided on two cheesedogs.

“Trying to break the monotony,” he explained.

They didn’t forget their Cheerwines, either. Remember, this is a story about friendship.

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.