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It was sometime late in 2000 when Vince came up with the idea of selling hot dogs by the beach. He had been reading the Sunday Santa Cruz Sentinel and saw that someone had just opened up a hot dog stand down at the entrance to the Wharf. Vince hopped on his ol’ Schwinn cruiser for a ride around town, then headed for the beach to see if there was any “action” going on. He saw a hot dog stand called “Diggity Dawgs” located at the entrance to the Santa Cruz Wharf and stopped and spoke with the owner. That conversation was a bit rough, as the owner seemed to lack the necessary “people skills” needed for such an enterprise. About a year later Vince noticed someone else working the hot dog cart and stopped to inquire. The man working (Steve) said that he was the new owner and asked if he could be of assistance. Vince explained his interaction with the previous owner was told that he had purchased the business from him and was working on it to increase its popularity. Vince told him that if he ever wanted to sell, he was ready to buy. “I have about 2 or 3 people a week asking me the same question”, Steve said. He went on to say that he was going to give it a try for a while, but would keep him in mind. Over the next couple of years the two hot dog enthusiasts maintained contact and became friends. So when Steve had the opportunity to pursue a lifelong dream and opportunity in Southern California, Vince purchased the business and by process of elimination, changed the name of the stand. His multi-media artist daughter Gina (www.ginatuzzi.com) created the logo, and “Paradise Dogs” was born. While Vince and his wife, Margie, continued to work full time jobs, they put in some long hours and real hard work for the first two years. They worked “Paradise Dogs” from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend - then closed for the winter. Besides hot dogs, “Paradise Dogs” also sells chips, cookies, hot links, polish dogs as well as a complete line of soft drinks, Gatorade, and water. “Big Dog”, their most popular, is a quarter pound hot dog on a steamed bun. Vince and Margie also sell t-shirts (see photos) in all sizes and “tote” bags (like you’d use for grocery shopping - see photo). Working at Paradise Dogs, where the wharf meets the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has allowed the two of them to meet people from all walks of life. “It’s wonderful having a business at the beach” Vince says. “Please stop by and say hello. We do live in Paradise.” To view more pictures, click here.
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