I know what you’re thinking. Go a long way for that?
While I can vouch for the supremely good taste of a Nu-Way dog, topped with chili and slaw, I’m hardly the ideal interpreter of the iconic chain, which predates my arrival in Macon by 109 years. But since I failed to secure an interview with legendary Macon journalist Ed Grisamore, author of There is More Than One Way to Spell Wiener: The Story of Nu-Way, here’s what you need to know before donning your new hat:
- Like most legendary hot dog stands across the South, Nu-Way was founded by a Greek immigrant. Jim Malliotis decided to get into the wiener business after noticing Macon’s streets weren’t swarming with the hot dog carts he’d seen all over New York City.
- According to Nu-Way lore, a neon sign maker hired by the stand in 1937 transposed a pair of vowels in “wiener,” and the company’s spelled it that way since.
- In addition to chili dogs, Nu-Way is known for flaky ice, introduced to the company by a Coca-Cola rep in 1964.
- Nu-Way’s original slogan, devised in the 1970s, was “I’d Walk a Mile for a Nu-Way.” R.J. Reynolds sued, and the restaurant relented.
- Nu-Way owner Spyros Dermatas told an oral historian that “what makes the Nu-Way Weiner ‘Southern’ is creamy coleslaw. You can get chili sauce in New York City or Texas.” Owner John Cacavias devised the cabbage slaw in the 1980s.
- Even at Nu-Way, things change. Dermatas said, “When I was a kid, probably 90 percent of the dogs were ordered all the way. Today it’s not even half. A lot of people don’t want the onions.”
- But the essentials remain the same. He continued, “What makes the Nu-Way weiner special is that it’s grilled beef-and-pork [in] a hot dog bun steamed with natural gas. Sometimes when we’re really busy, the bun might not be steamed enough, but it’s supposed to be steamed so that it’s almost a little wet feeling. And don’t forget about our homemade chili sauce.”
Wear your hat with pride!
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