Hot dog diner may open in Michigan

Source: Associated Press TOLEDO - Tony Packo may be taking his famous Hungarian hot dogs and chili sauce outside of Toledo for the first time.

The restaurant made famous by cross-dressing Cpl. Max Klinger on TV's "M*A*S*H" is working on a deal to open an outlet in Dundee.

Packo's already ships its hot dog sauce, spicy pickles and chili across the country. But for years, the family-operated business has resisted outside offers to expand. Instead, it has slowly built four restaurants in Toledo and its suburbs.

The restaurant's owners said Wednesday they hope to complete a deal within the next few weeks to build a new store in southeast Michigan near Cabela's -- an outdoors superstore that draws thousands of people on weekends.

"Cabela's customers are hunters mostly, and hunters are meat-and-potatoes kind of persons," said Robin Horvath, vice president of Tony Packo's restaurants. "That's basically what our food is -- meat and potatoes," he said.

Dundee is about 30 miles north of Toledo. Horvath said the company would rather build a full-service restaurant but may build a smaller Tony Packo's Express. The restaurant has applied for a liquor license to sell beer.

"We clearly want to have more stores and grow bigger than we are today," Horvath said.

Eighteen years since "M*A*S*H" ended its prime-time run, folks still travel to taste Packo's hot dogs. Some come because of Klinger. The character played by Toledo native Jamie Farr was a U.S. soldier in the Korean War who longed for Packo's hot dogs.

Tony Packo opened his street-corner cafe in 1932 and a few years later perfected the famous sausage-and-sauce sandwich.

The restaurant is still run by the family -- Packo's children Tony Packo Jr. and Nancy Horvath, and her son, Robin Horvath. The menu hasn't changed in years, though, offering hot dogs, chili and stuffed cabbage.
Source: Associated Press