Inside Koney King, a Century-Old Hot Dog Institution in Gary, Indiana
James Hendrix, owner of Koney King, says, “You can't get away from the Koney dog with mustard and onions. You cannot!”
It's that chili sauce that keeps people coming back, no matter what you put it on! These folks know what they're talking about. This isn't their first time being inside Koney King.
“I've probably been coming here 30 years,” one customer states.
“We’ve got some of the finest ingredients that make some of the best chili,” prides Hendrix.
James Hendrix runs the place these days, but the restaurant had been in the hands of the same family for nearly 100 years. Mike Petroff started the shop back in 1920, and it stayed in his family all the way up to 2018.
“Paul was the third owner of Koney King, and I was Paul's barber. So in the midst of it being his barber for about maybe four or five years, he decided he was done with Koney King. He was 75 [years old], ready to retire, and he just offered the opportunity to really take the building,” Hendrix explains. “Let's be clear: Koney King was not up for sale for the business, but I didn't know that day one. A couple weeks in I was like, “When are you going to show me how to make the chili?” He said, “I wasn’t selling you that.” He thought that the business was so far gone. We agreed that I wanted to continue the legacy, and he showed me. And here we are today!”
The Secret Behind the Famous Koney Sauce
If you ask Hendrix for that recipe, he'll give you the same answer he gives everyone else.
“That would be a no,” Hendrix laughs. “I was honored enough to have it passed down to me, and the next wave would hopefully be my grandson, and to keep continuing it on. But that's a legit question and it happens all the time.”
But he did walk us through some of the process, leaving out the trade secrets, of course.
“We make chili fresh every day, sometimes two to three times a day. If you don't have one of these, you're not making real Koney sauce, period,” Hendrix says, emphasizing his giant wooden spoon. “No cans being opened. This is all 100% fresh ingredients. It's a no tomato or bean sauce that's been in business now for 104 years. You can get the burger, the dog, the fries and add chili to all of them. Everything on his menu is exceptional.”
And since Hendrix still cuts hair at his shop next door, a lot of folks come around for a cut and a Koney. So, of course, the fellas in the barbershop have big opinions on what to get next door. And people in this neighborhood see Koney King as a lot more than just a hot dog shop.
One customer says, “It's a whole staple in the community, so it's always good to support. It’s always good food too.”
And Hendrix understands the value of a place like Koney King better than anyone.
“I mean, it was a pleasure and honor to actually get this handed down. A lot of people depend on this place. We see people five times a week. We depend on the customers and they depend on us. I don't think that Glen Park would be the same without Koney King,” Hendrix concludes.
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The above video is a clip from Journey Indiana from WTIU. You can watch more segments and full episodes at pbs.org/show/journey-indiana/