Sweet Corn Stand Opens At Hey! Hot Dog, Black Road Location: Here's What Else You'll Find

JOLIET, IL — Hey! Hot Dog has been on Ruby Street in Joliet since 1978, but every July, there's a huge uptick in business and it has nothing to do with the famous homemade root beer, hotdogs or Polish sausage. This is when Hey! Hot Dog owner and Shorewood area farmer B.J. Uedelhofen begins to sell his home-grown produce. The sweet corn stand is always a huge customer favorite.

This year, Hey! Hot Dog is selling its sweet corn at $6 for a half dozen ears or $10 for a dozen. Uedelhofen said he raised his prices by $1 this year "due to rent and fertilizer" cost increases.

"Everything is going up," he lamented.

While many people flocked to his Hey! Hot Dog parking lot on Ruby Street, Uedelhofen urged people to visit his Black Road sweet corn stand just east of River Road.

In addition, Hey! Hot Dog employee Lauren Turk will also sell the sweet corn at her Plainfield farmer's market stand that she operates six days a week., Monday through Saturday, at the Eaton Preserve off 135th Street.

"The sweet corn's been great so far," Uedelhofen said of this summer's crop. "Most everything else is still in the works, tomatoes, watermelons and cantaloupes are going to be later in the season, probably mid-August."

Hopefully next week, Uedelhofen said, he will be able to offer zucchini, onions and cucumber.

As for the sweet corn, "it's just been fantastic. We're growing four different varieties, three summer varieties and one spring variety. They are all really, really good."

By the end of August, Uedenlhofen said he plans to have homegrown potatoes available for purchase.

"And if we don't have it here, we will have it in Shorewood," he explained.

If customers have any questions about his produce stands, Uedelhofen urged them to call him at Hey! Hot Dog, 815-723-5487. The Hey! Hot Dog sweet corn and produce stand is now available during Hey! Hot Dog's normal business hours, Monday through Saturday — until supplies run out. Hey! Hot Dog opens at 11 a.m.

"And new this year, we will be open on Sunday in Shorewood. Shorewood will be seven days a week, usually starting at 10:30 a.m. until it's gone," he remarked.