# Why don't Burger King or McDonalds sell hot dogs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204 "2008-12-01T17:25:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/81 "2008-12-02T20:36:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Meant to add, “chili” is a shortening of “chile con carne,” which is a southwest United States dish with a specific origin an expectation. For the same reasons that coney island sauce isn’t “chili,” “chilis” from other parts of the world aren’t chili either. They can be other, equally good dishes. You can call them chilis, and find them on the menu as chilis, but it will always be qualified. So you can say that something is a Greek, chili like dish, but there’s no such thing as Greek chili, unless it is a modern Greek adaption of chili, in which case, it is fake because it was changed. I like (and make) a great white chili, but I have to describe it as white chili so you know that it’s not real chili. It is in fact, fake. By the same token, of course, “no-bean chili” is not real chili. The “con carne” part is optional; the beans aren’t. That doesn’t mean that you can’t make a tasty dish with ground beef, tomatoes, peppers, and other spices, but it isn’t chili without the beans. And I don’t know about who has the best dogs, but the best hot dog topping is Stadium Mustard, found only in Cleveland. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/82 "2008-12-02T20:40:30Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Actually, I prefer Texas-style chili too, and I’m not fond of Skyline on spaghetti. Are you implying that you eat chili on spaghetti? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/83 "2008-12-02T20:44:45Z")
Chili is great on spaghetti. Texas chili, Greek chili, vegetarian chili…it’s all good on pasta. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/84 "2008-12-02T21:07:12Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Are you implying that you eat chili on spaghetti? I love chili on spaghetti. Anyhoo, “If you know beans about chili, you know chili ain’t got no beans.” Or meat. Or anything really but chili. The rest is all filler to the aficionado. That’s something I’ve learned on the Dope. When chili purists get going all you have left is a simple chili pepper mole or sauce. Go ahead and put what you want in it; you’ll always find a purist who thinks you’re a heretic. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/85 "2008-12-02T21:41:51Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Are you implying that you eat chili on spaghetti? That’s called “Cincinnati chili”. It’s how Barack Obama makes it, too. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/86 "2008-12-02T21:52:26Z")
I like chili on macaroni. (I knew you were wondering) ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/87 "2008-12-03T01:26:45Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Heh, seriously. Who - in America, at least, where most of the members of this board are from - needs to have a corn dog explained to them? 😕 I find that about equivalent to explaining what a Chevrolet is, or who Babe Ruth was. Here in Japan, corn dogs are called “American dogs”. Likewise, watered-down ass-flavored coffee is called “American coffee.” They pretend to love us, but then they turn around and name all of the nastiest foods after us. That being said, I have always loved and will always love corn dogs. And Cincinnati chili. And Texas chili. In a generation or two, you just might have to explain Chevrolet. Who’s Babe Ruth? Candybar maker? ---
**Author:** ![Skylark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Skylark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skylark)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/88 "2008-12-03T01:33:25Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Hot dogs seem like they’d be harder to ‘sell up’ as well. Add a few layers of cheese, veggies and extra patties to a burger and you can give it a different name and increased price. There just isn’t that much room in a hot dog bun. When I lived in Tulsa, OK (early 90s), I knew of a McDonald’s which sold hot dogs. It was a Super Duper Neato Fantastic kind of McDonald’s, tho, with a playpen that kicked the ass out of anything anyone else ever had, so this was a Special Place. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/89 "2008-12-03T01:42:16Z")
I would like to point out that I have done my part to advance the corn dog in America. When I was pregnant, it was the one craving I had. Corn Dogs, lots and lots of corn dogs. Come to think of it, I don’t think my daughter has had one yet. I’ll get to work on that. Checker’s does indeed sell hot dogs, a deluxe chili dog in fact, with diced red onions. For 99 cents, it ain’t a bad deal. I can not even fathom how horrifying a hot dog could be from McDonalds. I am a southerner and I have never heard of a dippy dog or any variant thereof. Here in Tampa, we have a place called Mel’s Hot Dogs, neato place actually, good dogs. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/90 "2008-12-03T01:45:01Z")
I remember McD hotdogs in the early 60s. They were 10 cents and burgers were only a nickel. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/91 "2008-12-03T02:31:49Z")
Quoth **seodoa** : > [@](#): > > Who’s Babe Ruth? Candybar maker? In case this isn’t meant sarcastically, Babe Ruth (officially George Herman Ruth) was a great baseball player, one of the greatest of history. He not only held the home run record for many years (just how many years depends on how you interpret Roger Maris’ asterisk), he was also a Hall of Fame-class pitcher and first baseman, a very rare combination (the pitcher is usually by far the worst batter on the team, if he even bats at all). A Baby Ruth is a candy bar consisting mostly of chocolate-covered peanuts, and is purportedly named after the then-infant daughter of President Grover Cleveland, but was an obvious attempt to cash in on Babe Ruth’s fame. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/92 "2008-12-03T02:43:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Quoth **seodoa** :In case this isn’t meant sarcastically, Babe Ruth (officially George Herman Ruth) was a great baseball player, one of the greatest of history. He not only held the home run record for many years (just how many years depends on how you interpret Roger Maris’ asterisk), he was also a Hall of Fame-class pitcher and first baseman, a very rare combination (the pitcher is usually by far the worst batter on the team, if he even bats at all). > > A Baby Ruth is a candy bar consisting mostly of chocolate-covered peanuts, and is purportedly named after the then-infant daughter of President Grover Cleveland, but was an obvious attempt to cash in on Babe Ruth’s fame. Need to get your Interbutts sarcas-o-meter tuned, Chronos. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/93 "2008-12-03T03:08:24Z")
> [@Qwisp](#): > > Real chili does not have cinnamon in it. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/94 "2008-12-03T06:13:02Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > The non-American spy’s response to “Corn Dog.” They’re just trying to think on their feet and come up with an appropriate response, you see, but because they don’t know what a corn dog is, they choose another grain-and-animal combination rather than showing that they know it’s a food. Hence, the response of sustained gunfire, since they now know the person is a spy. sometimes, it’s just better to go to bed early…:smack::smack::smack: ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/95 "2008-12-03T14:07:48Z")
> [@seodoa](#): > > Here in Japan, corn dogs are called “American dogs”. Likewise, watered-down ass-flavored coffee is called “American coffee.” They pretend to love us, but then they turn around and name all of the nastiest foods after us. If you’re in a restaurant in Cairo and order “American drip coffee,” they bring you a French press. The first time it happened, I wanted to point out that they had gotten two-thirds of my order wrong. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/96 "2008-12-04T11:31:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > A quick check of on-line sources says they are sometimes called “dippy dogs” in parts of Australia. Can’t get much deeper South than that! Never heard them called “Dippy Dogs”, but I often see them at things like the Ekka and various other events being advertised as “Dagwood Dogs” or “Pluto Pups”. When I was growing up in NZ, a “Hot Dog” was what you guys call a Corn Dog and an “American Hot Dog” was the “traditional” hot dog in a bun with sauce etc. Confusing, eh? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/97 "2008-12-04T14:15:03Z")
I’ve had a McDonalds hot dog. They used to serve them at the SkyDome in Toronto because they had the food services contract, but you can’t have baseball without hot dogs. Here’s what wikipedia has to say in terms of McDonalds: > [@](#): > > Hot Dogs - CEO Ray Kroc famously prohibited the company from selling hot dogs, regardless of potential demand, as he regarded them as unhygienic in his 1977 autobiography; however, hot dogs were introduced in the late 1990’s at some midwestern located stores (at the option of the franchise-holder) as a summer item. UK Stores sold Hot Dogs during the late nineties on the McChoice menu (later PoundSaver). Also, at least one American restaurant offered Oscar Mayer hot dogs at some time, and McDonald’s locations at Toronto Metro Zoo and SkyDome in Toronto offered hot dogs until 1999. In Tokyo locations hot dogs were available in 2001 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/98 "2008-12-04T20:05:11Z")
> [@](#): > > When I was growing up in NZ, a “Hot Dog” was what you guys call a Corn Dog and an “American Hot Dog” was the “traditional” hot dog in a bun with sauce etc. Especially confusing when you consider that cornmeal (what the corn dog breading is made out of) is distinctly American, and much rarer in most of the world. So to make a New Zealand hot dog “American”, you remove the most American thing about it. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/99 "2008-12-04T21:49:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Especially confusing when you consider that cornmeal (what the corn dog breading is made out of) is distinctly American, and much rarer in most of the world. So to make a New Zealand hot dog “American”, you remove the most American thing about it. Well, _one of_ the most. It’s still a traditional American trait to have a stick up your ass. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204/100 "2008-12-04T21:59:28Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Well, _one of_ the most. It’s still a traditional American trait to have a stick up your ass. 🙂 Zing! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-burger-king-or-mcdonalds-sell-hot-dogs/475204.md?page=4)