March 23, 2017 By Hannah Wulkan
A trendy hotdog restaurant has reopened and is looking to expand its offerings after being shut down for owing back taxes earlier this year.
The New York Dog House, located at 37-06 30th Avenue and known for its specialty hotdogs with unique toppings, reopened on March 11, about a month after it was seized by the Department of Taxation and Finance for owing more than $150,000 in taxes.
Now the restaurant has reopened, and though he is still working to pay back the owed taxes, owner Vlad Stern said that he is confident that the restaurant is now operating properly and is excited to expand the menu.
“We were fortunate to be able to work with an agent from the Department who took the time and was very patient with us, we were able to find an accountant who represented us well, and negotiate a resolution,” he explained. “Since reopening it has been amazing seeing old and new faces, having the staff back and looking ahead.”
Stern and his father launched the business in early 2015, and had never run a restaurant before. After early issues with finances, Stern has been working with the Finance Department to resolve taxation issues for about two years now.
Though the restaurant has been seized twice for owing back taxes, Stern said that everything is finally operating properly and he is working closely with the Finance Department to ensure he does not have to close again.
“In a very tough situation we have grown and learned how to operate and do things right,” Stern said.
Stern is very confident in his business, and in addition to reopening is also starting the New York Burger House, a new brand offering a selection of gourmet burgers in addition to hotdogs.
The burger shop is currently operating as a popup shop out of the Dog House and through delivery services such as Seamless, Grubhub and UberEats.
Stern said he is also looking forward to the warmer weather, when the restaurant will open up its outdoor garden.
“We’re just concentrating on growing, and since reopening we’ve been getting great feedback and have really great customers coming through,” Stern said. “We’re just working and trying to provide a cool place for people to come and enjoy themselves.”
