He said he expected What Up, Dawg? to be ready for public business sometime next week.

Lawton said the restaurant’s menu would stay simple, selling hot dogs, sausages, fries, soda, soy dogs for the vegetarian set and a selection of beers.

“It’s going to be a fun environment — fun food, fresh food,” he said.

East Lansing’s Community Development Analyst Heather Pope said in an e-mail that the city first was notified of What Up, Dawg?’s interest in opening a restaurant in spring 2010.

She said the East Lansing City Council approved the restaurant for a tavern license, which allows the establishment to sell beer until midnight, at its June 15, 2010, meeting.

Lawton said What Up, Dawg? also is required to have a security camera pointed toward St. John Catholic Student Center, 327 M.A.C. Ave., as part of the agreement with the city for safety reasons. He said the establishment would be open for a few hours on Sunday as well to accommodate the churchgoing crowd.

Pope said the eatery likely would benefit the community by adding more options for students and residents.

“The restaurant will add to the variety of dining options in our downtown,” Pope said.

Gina Caponi, an advertising senior, said she thought a restaurant like What Up, Dawg? would be a real draw for college students because of the menu it offers.

“Beer and hot dogs to a college kid? That’s great,” Caponi said. “I think it’s a great idea.”

Caponi said she likely would go to the restaurant once it opened.
Peter Arabo, manager of What Up, Dawg?, said one major goal of the restaurant was to use local, fresh products in the food served and to be as environmentally conscious as possible. He said all of What Up, Dawg?’s cups will be biodegradeable, and most of the ingredients, buns and toppings for the hot dogs will be purchased from local farmer’s markets.

The restaurant’s attempts to go green with biodegradeable cups and purchase fresh products local to the Michigan area also likely would be a draw for customers, elementary education senior Sarah Rybicki said.

“For me, I’d be more likely to go there (because of What Up, Dawg?’s efforts),” Rybicki said.

“Going green and buying local can never be seen as a bad thing.”

Lawton said he was excited to return to East Lansing as co-owner of What Up, Dawg? and expected the business to do well in the area.

“I graduated from here, and now I’m back ­— I love East Lansing,” Lawton said. “I think (What Up, Dawg?) will be the perfect fit.”