The popular East Lansing-based restaurant What Up Dawg? has invested in a new location downtown Lansing, but owners said issues with liquor licensing have postponed its opening indefinitely.
What Up Dawg? first opened its doors at 317 M.A.C. Ave. in 2011. Since its inception, the late-night restaurant specializing in hot dogs, fries, beers and Faygo sodas has become a popular destination for students and residents.
Co-owner Seth Tompkins said the interest in expanding the business to Lansing started after a local bar complex noticed the What Up Dawg? hot dog cart in Michigan’s capital and wanted a larger operation.
The Lansing location, What Up Dawg? Express, is set to be a small storefront in a bar area featuring a limited menu and kitchen open in conjunction with the bar and available for select events.
The new location has been operating under a soft opening at 414 E. Michigan Ave., since Aug. 1, but closed Sept. 4 after a member of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission said the business couldn’t operate until the Lansing What Up Dawg? location was approved to sell liquor, co-owner Bill Schramm said.
The new location originally had been scheduled for a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday.
Commission spokeswoman Andrea Miller confirmed the encounter in an email and said the commission member “advised that the business could not operate until the request is considered and approved by the commission.”
What Up Dawg? is leasing the storefront property from 414 Entertainment LLC, which owns the building in Lansing’s Stadium District.
The building already has a liquor license, but to sell alcohol on the premises What Up Dawg? needed to receive approval from the commission by submitting a participation agreement application.
Both Schramm and Tompkins said the building owner’s attorney informed them their application was on the docket for approval in late July.
Tompkins, an attorney who often works on liquor licenses, assumed the application had been approved.
Instead, it had been removed from the docket, Tompkins said.
“It does not make sense to me,” Tompkins said. “We applied under the name The Michigan Hot Dog Experiment LLC, which is already licensed. … It’s really just the slow cog of the wheel of government moving at its own pace.”
Environmental biology-zoology senior Colin Bright said having a What Up Dawg? express location in Lansing would be a positive addition for the business and both communities.
“It’s good for both [East Lansing and Lansing],” Bright said. “The food’s good, I love it actually.”
Miller said the MLCC has a participation agreement pending, but still is under review and has not received approval.
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