Walter's Undergoes Renovations, Maintains Historic Tradition

By Ian Sacks and Jack Clark

Walter’s Hot Dog Stand has been a staple in the town of Mamaroneck for the last 95 years. Opened year-round, Walter’s has attracted generations of families.

Being located on Palmer Avenue, right behind Mamaroneck High School, Walter’s is a popular spot for high school students to go for lunch. Students will typically start lining up for the famous hot dogs several minutes before the stand opens at 11 a.m.

However, Walter’s also attracts adults and senior citizens, who continue to come back long after their days as Mamaroneck Tigers racing down “Hot Dog Hill” to be the first in line.

“It’s convenient,” said Robert Funicello, a long-time Mamaroneck resident, who has been coming to Walter’s for more than 60 years. “I used to [go to Walter’s] when I was in high school. You weren’t allowed to come off campus then; so we would sneak down here and hide. It just feels like home.”

Walter’s was established in 1919 by Walter and Rose Warrington. For the first nine years of operation, it was on Boston Post Road. It has been in its current location since 1928.

Walter’s had much of the original 1928 equipment in place until it underwent a four-month-long renovation earlier this year. During the makeover, the electrical and plumbing systems were upgraded, and the flooring and the walls were redone.

Walter’s also got new refrigerators and grills, but the biggest improvement was the installment of a computer system. Orders are inputted into the computer at the cash register and are instantaneously displayed on a screen at the workstations, which speeds up the entire process.

When Walter’s reopened on May 2, customers lined up to get the famous hot dogs that had been absent for four months. One time, the line spanned 60 people. This busyness persisted throughout the summer, and as the colder weather begins to set in, some customers are looking forward to shorter lines.

“It’s great for us,” said Lee Rogot, of New Rochelle, who goes to Walter’s with her husband and daughter. “You don’t have to plan ahead of time; you can just come. During the summertime, the line is just too long.”

As Walter’s has become a family tradition for the Rogot family, it has been a family enterprise for multiple generations. Walter passed the business onto his son, Gene, who is still actively involved at the age of 92. The day-to-day operations are mostly handled by Gene’s daughter and grandchildren.

“Walter’s is all about tradition,” said Director of PR & Customer Relations Katharine Zera. “Our great-grandfather started something so cool and so innovative for his time and passed it onto our grandfather, who really taught us everything that we know. It’s almost overwhelming - in a good way - to be a part of something that means so much to so many people.”

Photo by Jack Clark