Walkin' Dog

The shop's menu consists of mostly hot dogs, in addition to pretzels, nachos, popcorn, and ice cream. They offer made-to-order hot dogs using imported Vienna sausage, and are noted for their Chicago-style hot dogs with a poppyseed bun and its traditional green relish.

Walkin' Dog originally occupied the smallest stall in the Northstar Center's lower level food court, in a 250 square feet (23 m²) space adjacent to the building's interior hotel entrance.[1] It is located one floor below the Minneapolis Skyway System and once neighbored eateries like Arby's, Burger King, and Cheetah Pizza.[2] Rachel Hutton from the Star Tribune described its offbeat location as being "wedged into a dark corner", while Minnesota Monthly's Susan Du compared it to the size of a postage stamp.[3][4] Owner Dave Magnuson took over the business in 1991 following a newspaper ad seeking food service workers. After Northstar Center lost several major tenants in the 1990s, he began dressing up in a hot dog costume and would walk the Skyway System to promote his business. American sports writer Sid Hartman was a regular customer during his tenure at nearby WCCO Radio.[3]

Following the closure of the neighboring Arby's restaurant in 2018, Walkin' Dog became the longest operational tenant at Northstar Center.[5] During the COVID-19 pandemic and after unrest as a result of the George Floyd protests, the restaurant experienced a 70 to 80% reduction in business. In addition, it became the last remaining tenant in Northstar Center's food court during its final operational year, with Magnuson remarking: "It was a neighborhood down here and now I'm the only one left".[6][7] He described Minneapolis as eerie after the COVID-19 pandemic and compared the drastic loss of downtown customers to that of the city following the September 11 attacks in 2001; he said: "Honestly I'm kind of glad I'm at the age where I cannot do this a whole lot longer if I choose not to, it's kind of terrifying."[8] Later in 2021, Walkin' Dog moved to a different space within the same Northstar Center food court, taking over a space previously housing Cayol's Oasis Frozen Yogurt.[9]

Beginning in 2022, Northstar Center started a renovation project that would turn the former Crowne Plaza hotel into a Hotel Indigo, convert the eastern office tower into apartment residences, and refurbish the existing western office tower.[10] According to a Facebook post shared on the restaurant's official page, Walkin' Dog will close on April 21, 2023, as a result of the renovation project, which would close the food court for the duration of a year. Magnuson stated that the building's property management offered Walkin' Dog a new space following its reopening, but he declined their offer.[11] He wrote: "We wish to thank you for your patronage, conversation, encouragement, and mostly, your friendship in the last 31+ years."[12]

The restaurant has been noted for its affordability.[13] In 1999, the Star Tribune highlighted its prices in an article covering cheap Minneapolis meals, such as US$2.50 for two hot dogs, or $1.25 for a milkshake.[2] A 2019 article from the same publication noted that despite downtown Minneapolis' decrease in popularity for typical fast food spots, Walkin' Dog was an exception and still offered menu items for $2.45.[14] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Magnuson stated he was urged by customers to raise prices due to operational cost increases, but decided against it to prevent spending on new signage.[15]

The Star Tribune's Rick Nelson recommended Walkin' Dog as one of the nine best food staples within the Minneapolis Skyway System.[16]

• List of hot dog restaurants