By Crystal McGough, Editor
CLAY – Paul’s Hot Dogs and Grill has been a beloved staple of Trussville, Clay and surrounding communities since 1993, when founder Martin “Paul” LaRussa opened the restaurant, which at the time was Trussville’s 11th food establishment.
On Monday, Aug, 21, 2023, Paul’s grandchildren, who are the current owners of the company, announced on Facebook that the 30-year-old business would be closing its doors.
“We have decided to sell our restaurant, if anyone is interested please message us or give us a call at 205-684-6943!” the post read. The comments on the post immediately began filling up with patrons sharing their sadness at the news, as well as fond memories of Paul’s Hot Dogs.
According to Abby LaRussa, wife of current owner Luke LaRussa, there may be some good news coming soon for fans of the beloved hotdog establishment, as the closing of the storefront may not be the end of Paul’s Hot Dogs and Grill.
“We’re really just trying to sell all of the stuff inside,” Abby said. “We are considering doing a food truck, so honestly, I’d like to not sell the name if possible. We’re just really trying to clear out the restaurant.”
While the LaRussa’s do not own the building, they own everything inside the building, from the light fixtures and toilets to grills, equipment and booths, Abby said.
The reason behind this liquidation stems from a combination of the 2020 pandemic and the sudden and tragic loss of both Martin “Paul” LaRussa and his wife, Sandra.
In October 2020, Paul’s wife became sick and was hospitalized for four months. With the world in the middle of a pandemic, business was also slow and Paul made the decision at that time to move the restaurant from its original location in Trussville to the Clay Marketplace at 5180 Old Springville Road, hoping it would be better for the business.
“Paul was by (his wife’s) side every single day, as well as managing the store,” Paul’s granddaughter Laurel LaRussa Ard wrote on a GoFundMe titled “Help Paul’s Hot Dogs stay open.”
“… A month later, his wife Sandra passed,” Laurel continued. “Paul was left with nothing but a broken heart, but he was still trying to keep the store going in its new location. Unfortunately, with all of these things, bills started to fall behind.”
Four months later, Paul, himself, was hospitalized with COVID pneumonia and unexpectedly passed away. At that time, his grandson Luke took over as owner of the restaurant. Along with the business, however, came all the post-COVID bills and debt.
According to the GoFundMe, Luke started working at Paul’s Hog Dogs with his grandfather when he was 16 years old, already preparing for the day he would take over the business. Paul diligently taught Luke all the special recipes and everything he would need to know to one day run the restaurant.
“The store wasn’t just a job to (Paul), but a passion,” Laurel said on the GoFundMe. “He loved being there, serving people, and most of all he loved his customers. It was always in his plans to give the store over to his grandson Luke LaRussa when he retired.
“Luke loves the store just as much as his grandfather did, and so he knew he had a job to do and took everything head on to keep his grandfather’s legacy alive just as they had always planned on doing. Due to the debt of the store, Luke has never been able to get quite on his feet just right so he has been keeping the store open even without being able to pay himself. It’s all been from nothing but love, and we desperately want to continue our grandfather’s legacy and not let the community that loves Paul’s Hot Dogs and Grill down.”
In order to continue Paul’s legacy and keep serving their patrons, however, Laurel said they are going to need some help. That is where the food truck and GoFundMe comes in.
“People are able to donate (to GoFundMe), and we would like to put that towards purchasing a food truck and getting that up and running,” Abby said.
Anyone who would like to see the 30-year legacy of Paul’s Hot Dogs and Grill continue, and would like to be a part of making that a reality, is invited to visit https://gofund.me/a9f605b2 and make a donation. At this time, “Help Paul’s Hot Dogs stay open” has raised $990 of its $15,000 goal.
Anyone interested in purchasing the contents of the store can contact Luke LaRussa at (205) 761-3517 or Abby LaRussa at (205) 684-6943.