MAMARONECK, NY — Anybody who’s grown up in Westchester County knows Walter’s Hot Dogs stand. Their frankfurters, sliced in half and served on a perfectly toasted bun topped with homemade signature mustard, have turned the oxidized copper roof joint into a local institution.
Founded in 1919 by Walter and Rose Warrington, the stand has been run by great-grandchildren Gene Christian Baca and Katherine DeCicco since 2013.
Originally, Walter and his wife sold apples and cider from their orchard. Roadside food stands and restaurants boomed in the 1920s as cars became more and more common. The Warringtons ensured their business would be hard to miss, and its strange and wonderful look hasn’t changed 106 years later.
On a sunny April afternoon in 2025, Gene is thrilled to sit down and discuss his family’s business and how the company is innovating to cater to new customers while preserving its charm and traditional recipes. Three immaculate food trucks parked near the stand are decorated with excerpts from rave food reviews. Teenagers from the nearby Mamaroneck High School flock to the outdoor seating area for a quick, affordable, and delicious lunch.
Gene and Katharine have combined their previous professional skills to come together and take over the family business: She worked in the public relations and hospitality domain at a boutique firm in the city, and he owned a sales and marketing company with over 300 employees across three states and worked with Fortune 500 and Fortune 10 clients to handle marketing and sales campaigns.
Gene fondly remembers his grandfather Gene, the previous owner of the stand, instilling in him precious business advice: “It doesn’t cost you anything to be kind to people. Going above and beyond with our customer service to provide our customers with an escape from their average day, a feel-good moment when they’re here at Walter’s, that’s what we really strive for.”
Photo credit: Emilie Matthews
The Boston Post Road location is a registered historical landmark. The copper tiles have oxidized and turned a striking Statue-of-Liberty-esque shade of green. The shape of the roof and dragon-shaped lantern brackets evoke Chinese pagodas, while two carp, often associated with prosperity and abundance, adorn the ridge of the roof.
A blue plaque indicates the stand’s status as a national historic landmark on the sidewalk, not only because Walter’s is a local institution but also because of its iconic roadside architecture.
Photo credit: Emilie Matthews
The food stand is 106 years young and has a bright future ahead thanks the owners’ ability to strike the perfect balance between preserving tradition and innovation. New items are added to the menu to keep it creative and appeal to new clientele like vegetarians: “It took us six years to create the veggie dog. It had to taste and have that classic Walters feel and flavor to it.” The latest addition is the Big Walt hot dog, a 12-inch hot dog for those for whom a regular or double hot dog doesn’t curb that Walter’s craving. Walter’s also has food trucks to cater movie filming locations, weddings, birthday parties, and everything in between.
Walter’s Hot Dogs has catered NYU undergraduates’ first-day-of-class events and law students’ graduation events. Here’s hoping they’ll be back on campus with their frankfurters soon.
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