Spud Melvin's
Posted by: 
condor1
N 38° 51.244 W 104° 46.520
13S E 519494 N 4300606
The small eclectic Hot Dog Shop is located in central Colorado Springs near the intersection of Circle Drive at Palmer Park Boulevard.
Waymark Code: WM5NRJ
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 01/26/2009
Views: 15
What's the deal? The name might suggest something potato-related. But the closest you'll find to an actual spud here is a bag of chips. This is a hot dog joint - a very weird and wonderful hot dog joint with a very enigmatic owner.
The first sign of weirdness: Owner and sole operator Carl Bierdeman, a 48-year-old inventor, competitive bicyclist, engineer, former Chicagoan, doesn't touch your money. Instead, he uses a dust pan to take cash and make change.
He explains that he's not a germ freak. He's just obsessed with efficiency. If he were to handle money, the health department would require him to wash his hands or put on gloves before preparing food. He doesn't want to waste the time. Thus, the dust pan.
Second sign of weirdness: No phone. Again, Bierdeman, a wiry guy with a crooked grin and a shirt that's so yellow it's blinding, doesn't want to waste time. Every second on the phone is a second not serving the people at his counter.
Third sign of weirdness: Ridiculously low prices. "I think it's a sin not to be able to buy two hot dogs for 3 bucks," he tells us.
We're talking Vienna-brand all-beef Chicago dogs: $1.50 each. Brats are $2.25. You want a bag of Fritos, a can of Coke or a Snicker's bar with that, it'll cost you an extra 50 cents.
All of the above prices INCLUDE tax, and Bierdeman provides an order sheet so you can figure out your own total and have your exact change ready. He loves exact change.
Fourth sign of weirdness: The over-the-top entrepreneurial spirit. It's one thing to sell Spud Melvin shirts ($10.95-$18); it's quite another to sell your own patented exercise gizmo, The Wheel ($14.50- $54.50), in your restaurant. There's a full display in the corner, and in case you might miss it, Bierdeman has painted footsteps leading to it.
The red-and-yellow-painted counter-service cafe, which seats about 12, is decorated with pictures and news clips of Bierdeman's heroes: Gale Sayers, Bobby Hull and Albert Einstein. His other heroes - Stooges Moe, Larry and Curly - play in a constant loop on the TV in the corner.
Seasonal?: Year-Round
Seating Available: yes
Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor
Website: Not listed
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