The popular East Lansing restaurant What Up Dawg? closed its doors on business for good Tuesday evening.
What Up Dawg? was established in 2010 and was located on M.A.C. Avenue just north of Albert Street.
Popular eatery and bar, What Up Dawg? closed its doors Tuesday
Packaging sophomore Jack Schumacher prepares to throw beer pong ball while international relations senior Marcus Kamal, left, and MSU alumnus Paul Matouka, right, watch April 23, 2015, at What Up Dawg?, 317 M.A.C. Ave. in East Lansing. The group was hanging out at What up Dawg? playing beer pong and enjoying their thirsty Thursday specials. Allyson Telgenhof/The State News.
The restaurant announced their closing via social media on Monday.
Time for the Dawg to graduate and move on like the rest of ya.. pic.twitter.com/qbDKxBgAPc
— What Up Dawg (@WhatUpDawgEL) May 11, 2015
The restaurant, which specialized in deluxe hot dogs, became a popular place for students at MSU to pop in for a quick bite to eat throughout the years and grab a drink with friends. Many of these students took to social media Monday and Tuesday to express their feelings toward What Up Dawg?'s closure.
:( Goodbye, What Up Dawg? #GoodnightSweetPrince
— Psquaaaaa (@ItzPstein) May 12, 2015
If you didn't like What Up Dawg then I don't like you
— Rob Maxey (@rtmaxey319) May 12, 2015
WHAT UP DAWG IS CLOSING !!!!!!????? Worst day of my life.
— CMT (@courtononi) May 11, 2015
Just before close at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, nearly 20 people were packed in the restaurant to get one last dog. Unfortunately, most of the deluxe hot dogs were sold out and patrons had to settle for a standard dog.
But most spirits were up.
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Political science junior Michael Jank said he frequented the restaurant mainly during the summer, when the warm days provoked a hankering for hot dogs.
Jank said a hot dog like the "Meister Dawg" — a bratwurst outfitted with sauerkraut, grilled onions and hot mustard — are hard to come by in the East Lansing area.
Along with a range of cheap and craft beer, What Up Dawg? featured a comfortable, easy-going atmosphere with a smaller crowd that Jank said he'll miss.
"It's a social environment but not to the point of it being a ratchet social environment," he said.
Meghan Charters, girlfriend of the manager and sociology graduate student, said water pong Thursdays at What Up Dawg? were responsible for the formation of a close-knit friend group.
Being older than the average undergraduate, Charters said What Up Dawg?, being a relaxed place to drink, eat good food, have conversation and hangout, presented a better option than many other bars in East Lansing.
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"We don't really want to be at the Riv, Rick's, any of those places," she said. "I think what was nice about being here, at What Up Dawg?, is the really laid-back feeling — you can be standing up, you can be walking around."
