$3,130 raised
·39 donations
Keeping the Dream Alive- Big Jon's Dogs N' More!
Donation protected
Do you remember taking your kids to the Wienie Wagon in downtown Belvidere? Do you remember the first bite of a summer hotdog and gulp of cold soda, the days moving a little slower and the sun shining a little brighter? This business officially closed in 2018 and since then we feel a great loss in the community.
There is hope! Original owners, Gary and Sherry Simon's son-in-law Jonathan Jones-Tobin is looking to carry on the family business in 2021 in a way all his own, while still paying homage to the traditions Belvidere and surrounding communities knew and loved.
In 2020 our family suffered a momentous loss. In June, Sherry passed away from Alzheimer's disease. This was a terrible blow to her husband Gary, whom she had owned both the Wienie Wagon and The Brick Cafe & Gallery with, two downtown Belvidere businesses. All Gary and Sherry dreamed of was making their town better, more beautiful, and providing good food to good people. On these tenants, Jon is looking to build his own food empire.
Jon has always loved working in and learning about the food industry. He has wanted to start up his own operation for years, but family has always come first, and Jon has spent the past 15 years working at UPS to take care of them. 2021 is a year full of hope and growth and seems to be the perfect opportunity for Jon to take on this new venture. This is what Sherry would have wanted. She always had a special place in her heart for Jon and thought he was very talented!
Jon has loved food from the start. As a teenager he worked at both the Brick and the Wienie Wagon, quickly learning the ropes and becoming Food Service certified. He spent time in the Texas Roadhouse commercial kitchen and also worked in the kitchen for a period of time at Casey's General Store. He has experience in many atmospheres and has taken notes the entire way. This prepared him to co-manage the Brick and Wienie Wagon in the later years of both businesses, as Gary took more time to take care of Sherry. Before he knew it, his daughter Emerson was born and became the love of his life. Don't worry, she was able to join daddy at work most days and socialize with the customers.
After both businesses closed, Jon couldn't get the idea of keeping a hotdog establishment open in Belvidere out of his head. The businesses were so full of life and it was a shame to see them fade away. He had made great friends in the community and not seeing them regularly was hard to get used to.
Jon knows it takes money to make money and that's why we are asking for your support to fund Jon to open Big Jon's Dogs N' More in 2021! What items will you find at this mobile food cart? Jon will supply the traditional Vienna Style 6 to 1 hotdogs, Polish sausage and Italian Beef that Wienie Wagon fans know and love, as well as daily specials that will include brats, Sherry's own BBQ Beef Sandwiches (YES we are bringing them BACK!), and also adding some new menu items with his own spin, including many types of specialty and themed hotdogs!
Jon intends to start up this business in late spring of 2021. That means he needs all the support he can get before that time! Jon hopes to benefit the entire community with his affordable, delicious, comforting food! He is committed to bringing you fast service, a great product, and promises to be an outstanding and honest business man, in addition to remaining a hardworking, blue-collar, family man! Those of you who know Jon know that he is dedicated to every project he undertakes and stops at nothing to reach his goals. He looks forward to serving you and your family some DELICIOUS food in 2021 and putting a smile on your face!
Jon intends to use the funds raised on this site to buy his dream mobile food cart, kitchen equipment, licensure, and do marketing for the business. The restaurant business comes with a lot of hidden costs, so it's easy to see why every dollar you donate will help us immensely!
To thank you for your generosity and donations, Jon is offering the following incentives for donations and investment in preserving small, family-owned businesses in downtown Belvidere:
1. $10- a free meal during opening week (hotdog or Polish, chips, & a sodie)
2. $50- a branded t-shirt and a free meal during opening week
3. $100- an invitation to the opening party, a branded t-shirt and a free meal during opening week
4. $1000- A PERMANENT MENU ITEM NAMED AFTER YOU. SERIOUSLY, HOW COOL IS THAT?!? (plus all that stuff above!)
5. $5000- Free meals once a week from the cart for a year! (one sandwich of your choice, chips & a sodie)
Starting this business will help Jon live out his dream to begin the steps to owning his own business and restaurant, support his family, and give back to the community he was raised in. He is grateful for any amount you can contribute and believes in paying it forward. We hope to see you all in 2021 and look forward to getting back out into the community! Our family is still healing, but here's to NEW OPPORTUNITIES!
"Be more kind, my friends. Try to be more kind." - Frank Turner
There is hope! Original owners, Gary and Sherry Simon's son-in-law Jonathan Jones-Tobin is looking to carry on the family business in 2021 in a way all his own, while still paying homage to the traditions Belvidere and surrounding communities knew and loved.
In 2020 our family suffered a momentous loss. In June, Sherry passed away from Alzheimer's disease. This was a terrible blow to her husband Gary, whom she had owned both the Wienie Wagon and The Brick Cafe & Gallery with, two downtown Belvidere businesses. All Gary and Sherry dreamed of was making their town better, more beautiful, and providing good food to good people. On these tenants, Jon is looking to build his own food empire.
Jon has always loved working in and learning about the food industry. He has wanted to start up his own operation for years, but family has always come first, and Jon has spent the past 15 years working at UPS to take care of them. 2021 is a year full of hope and growth and seems to be the perfect opportunity for Jon to take on this new venture. This is what Sherry would have wanted. She always had a special place in her heart for Jon and thought he was very talented!
Jon has loved food from the start. As a teenager he worked at both the Brick and the Wienie Wagon, quickly learning the ropes and becoming Food Service certified. He spent time in the Texas Roadhouse commercial kitchen and also worked in the kitchen for a period of time at Casey's General Store. He has experience in many atmospheres and has taken notes the entire way. This prepared him to co-manage the Brick and Wienie Wagon in the later years of both businesses, as Gary took more time to take care of Sherry. Before he knew it, his daughter Emerson was born and became the love of his life. Don't worry, she was able to join daddy at work most days and socialize with the customers.
After both businesses closed, Jon couldn't get the idea of keeping a hotdog establishment open in Belvidere out of his head. The businesses were so full of life and it was a shame to see them fade away. He had made great friends in the community and not seeing them regularly was hard to get used to.
Jon knows it takes money to make money and that's why we are asking for your support to fund Jon to open Big Jon's Dogs N' More in 2021! What items will you find at this mobile food cart? Jon will supply the traditional Vienna Style 6 to 1 hotdogs, Polish sausage and Italian Beef that Wienie Wagon fans know and love, as well as daily specials that will include brats, Sherry's own BBQ Beef Sandwiches (YES we are bringing them BACK!), and also adding some new menu items with his own spin, including many types of specialty and themed hotdogs!
Jon intends to start up this business in late spring of 2021. That means he needs all the support he can get before that time! Jon hopes to benefit the entire community with his affordable, delicious, comforting food! He is committed to bringing you fast service, a great product, and promises to be an outstanding and honest business man, in addition to remaining a hardworking, blue-collar, family man! Those of you who know Jon know that he is dedicated to every project he undertakes and stops at nothing to reach his goals. He looks forward to serving you and your family some DELICIOUS food in 2021 and putting a smile on your face!
Jon intends to use the funds raised on this site to buy his dream mobile food cart, kitchen equipment, licensure, and do marketing for the business. The restaurant business comes with a lot of hidden costs, so it's easy to see why every dollar you donate will help us immensely!
To thank you for your generosity and donations, Jon is offering the following incentives for donations and investment in preserving small, family-owned businesses in downtown Belvidere:
1. $10- a free meal during opening week (hotdog or Polish, chips, & a sodie)
2. $50- a branded t-shirt and a free meal during opening week
3. $100- an invitation to the opening party, a branded t-shirt and a free meal during opening week
4. $1000- A PERMANENT MENU ITEM NAMED AFTER YOU. SERIOUSLY, HOW COOL IS THAT?!? (plus all that stuff above!)
5. $5000- Free meals once a week from the cart for a year! (one sandwich of your choice, chips & a sodie)
Starting this business will help Jon live out his dream to begin the steps to owning his own business and restaurant, support his family, and give back to the community he was raised in. He is grateful for any amount you can contribute and believes in paying it forward. We hope to see you all in 2021 and look forward to getting back out into the community! Our family is still healing, but here's to NEW OPPORTUNITIES!
"Be more kind, my friends. Try to be more kind." - Frank Turner
Donations
Organizer
Cooper Hayes
Organizer
Belvidere, IL