As National Hot Dog Day approaches, the Vienna Inn looks forward to returning to more familiar turf.

On this third Wednesday in July, we celebrate National Hot Dog Day, which is recognized by the United Nations as a worldwide holiday.

For the second year in a row, Vienna Inn will mark the event by offering a small discount on its famous hot dogs. Customers can get a hot dog for $2 starting at 10 a.m. today, with chili dogs also available for an extra fee.

In the long-running Vienna restaurant, a hot dog typically costs between $2.45 and $2.75, depending on whether it is served with cheese, chili, onions, or any other toppings.

Customers come from all over the country to try one of our dogs, according to Vienna Inn owner Marty Volk, who says the restaurant continues to sell more than 10,000 hot dogs each month despite the hurdles posed by the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a press release.

In addition to being an annual event organized by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, a trade organization founded by the American Meat Institute, National Hot Dog Day this year has special significance for small businesses like Vienna Inn, which could use the boost after nearly a year of dealing with the flu epidemic.

As recently as this past January, the Vienna Inn could only offer a limited number of indoor seats, depending instead on contact-free curbside pickups and outside dining under a freshly built tent in the parking lot of its location on Maple Avenue East.

With a capacity of more than 60 diners, the Outside Inn tent has been outfitted with large-screen televisions in order to reproduce the sports bar atmosphere that is as much a part of the establishment's attraction as its chili dogs and wood-paneled furniture.

Volk believes that the inclusion of the outdoor tent has been important to the success of the Vienna Inn over the last year.

The tent was made feasible by an emergency law that has been in effect since June 2020 in the Town of Vienna, which allows commercial activity on sidewalks and in parking lots due to COVID-19 health concerns. The ordinance has been extended five times, the most recent extension occurring on June 7, and it is presently set to expire on December 7, 2018.

According to Volk, through email, "the previous year was a hardship." “We would not be where we are today if it weren't for the advent of the Outside Inn (our tent that allowed for outdoor dining) and the loyalty of our customers who donated money to purchase meals for first responders and hospital personnel and found any excuse to order takeout.”

A celebrity hot dog tender contest and a challenge to consumers to purchase 1,960 meals for first responders and other front-line employees were part of the celebration of Vienna Inn's 61st anniversary earlier this year. According to the restaurant's website, it exceeded its sales target by selling 2,176 dinners in a single month.

Since Virginia eliminated all capacity and social distancing limits on May 28, the Vienna Inn has reported a "significant increase" in dine-in customers, according to the establishment.

The eatery is already prepared for an influx of new customers as the Virginia State Little League Majors Little League Tournament arrives in town tomorrow. (Thursday).

Getting back to a "somewhat normal" routine has been refreshing, Volk says. « It has been wonderful to see familiar faces, sports teams, and families return to the restaurant. »