Rain poured down on a Wednesday in June around the corner of a Garrettsville bank, but that didn’t stop anyone from getting what they were there for.
Employees ran to patrons’ cars so they didn’t have to stand in the rain. The orders they were delivering weren’t groceries or coffee.
They were hot dogs.
Set up around the corner was the Wiener Guy, manning his food truck and cooking with a smile on his face, despite the weather.
Cory Rabatin of Ravenna became the “Wiener Guy” in September of 2020 when he decided to sell his personal truck to fund the opening of a hot dog stand.
“I just always wanted to do food,” Rabatin said. “I don’t know how hot dogs came about, but they did. I just fell upon it, honestly.”
What he fell upon wasn’t just a small business, it was a persona that would eventually become a hit.
Initially, with just a cart and a tent, Rabatin would set up around Portage County, build a mobile restaurant and then cook on his own.
“I used to beg people and ask them for locations, and they used to laugh at me,” he said.
But he kept going. As his business grew, more people came to know about him.
Kyle Fimple, a regular patron of Rabatin, said he has known Rabatin for about a year and a half.
“He’s just always in a good mood; his spirits are always up,” Fimple said. “He’s a standup guy.”
Eventually, Rabatin decided to upgrade from his cart to a food truck in April of this year.
After spending the last year and a half building his food truck from scratch, he called it a “blessing.”
With the help of his mother, his accountant, his stepdad, his mechanic and someone who handles customers, Rabatin is able to spend his days cooking, something he has always loved.
The people who used to laugh at him are now calling every day, Rabatin said. On days he isn’t booked, he sets up at a location within 20 minutes of anywhere in Portage County. Right now, his truck is booked until October.
Fimple said his workplace, which he declined to name, is one that Rabatin sets up at regularly.
“We get people here calling on the daily [to ask,] ‘when’s the Wiener Guy going to be up here?’”
Rabatin said he enjoys giving back to his community, donating his extra food to the police, fire fighters or homeless people in Ravenna.
In the next couple of years, he sees a brick-and-mortar store coming, but will always continue setting up around Portage County, as he said it’s something he really enjoys.
With all his success, Rabatin has remained incredibly humble.
When asked if there was anything he would like to add to his story, he said, “I’m just here to kill it and bring my team along.”
His location schedule for each week can be found on his Facebook page. While he is booked most days, he tries to set up at Garrettsville Huntington Bank on Wednesdays, Streetsboro City Hall on Thursdays and in Ravenna on Fridays.
