A man from Saskatchewan, who had to sell his hot dog truck ten years ago, is making a comeback in the business, all thanks to a photographer who stumbled upon the truck while driving through the province.
Kenny Chaplin purchased the Diggity Dawgs truck in 2008 from a film production crew and transformed it into a food truck. He ran the business intermittently until 2015 when he decided to sell it to spend more time with his young daughter.
Thinking the truck had moved to Manitoba, Chaplin had lost track of it until a chance encounter at the Ness Creek Music Festival this summer. His daughter identified a photo posted by Grant Miller, a photographer from rural Colorado, who had come across the truck during his travels in Saskatchewan.
Miller, recalling his unexpected discovery of the truck, described it as a well-sculpted hot dog with sesame seeds on the bun and relish, leading him to take several photos of it. Chaplin, after reconnecting with Miller through the photo, was able to locate the truck’s whereabouts with Miller’s help using Google Maps.
Chaplin, overwhelmed by the reunion with his beloved truck, embarked on a road trip with his daughter to retrieve it. He successfully repurchased the truck, which miraculously started up after years of neglect. Chaplin is now dedicated to refurbishing and repainting the truck, which had been in a rundown state.
With plans to set up his food truck business in Chamberlain, Sask., at a strategic location near the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 11, Chaplin is excited to serve hot dogs to passing drivers. He envisions bringing smiles to customers’ faces with the novelty of the giant hot dog atop his truck.
The heartwarming reunion with his hot dog truck has come at a perfect time for Chaplin, who is grateful for the opportunity to revive his business and create new memories with his daughter.
