Name of business: Krepe Dog

Type of business: Food truck

Specialty: Gourmet hot dogs and fries

Location: 441 S. Center St.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday

Contact: (209) 648-0844

History of business:

Turlock residents Eileen and Jorge Rodriguez are bringing their popular gourmet hot dogs back to town, as the couple’s second Krepe Dog vehicle has found a spot to park in the food truck park at 441 S. Center St.

The return to Turlock is a long time coming for the Rodriguez family. They first opened their Krepe Dog truck in Turlock in May of 2018 before leaving for the Modesto Grub Hub in February of 2019. Since then, business has been booming, affording them the opportunity to buy a second food truck, which was parked in Lathrop and to cater parties. The couple has since bought a third truck to handle the catering, while the second one has found a new spot in their hometown.

“Turlock was always in the back of our heads because the feedback was always great. We did great when we were here, and then in Modesto, people were saying how they missed us and how they wanted us to come back so we can be closer to them,” Eileen said. “Lathrop was a bit too far for us, so it was bittersweet to come back here and leave our loyal customers over there.”

Since the Krepe Dog truck returned to Turlock on Friday, the couple has already seen some familiar faces at the window.

“It’s been very rewarding,” Eileen said. “That first day we came back, we didn’t really announce it so we could see if everything was working and running smoothly, and then people were showing up out of the blue, being so excited that were back. It’s been very very nice to see that people remember us and have spread the word for us.”

After the more than four years away from Turlock, customers have also remained loyal to their orders, with the Messy Dog (bacon, carne asada, onion, jalapeno, Monterey Jack cheese and house sauce), Sancho Dog (bacon, carne asada, chorizo, ketchup, house sauce, fried egg and chili flakes) and Flamin’ Elote Fries (seasoned fries with grilled corn, cotija cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, Hot Cheetos and chili powder) continuing to be their most popular menu items.

“All our items are popular and they’re all pretty messy,” Eileen said. “But like I tell people, ‘the messier you eat, the better it is.’”

Something that will be unique to the Turlock location will be actual crepes as a desert option. Eileen explained that, when they first opened their doors in 2018, they had named the business “Krepe Dog” because of the fact that they planned on making crepes, but that the idea was scratched when they introduced loaded fries.

“We promised crepes to the Turlock community back in 2018 when we first opened,” she explained. “So that will be special here. We’ve been toying around with them, so everybody is pretty excited about that.”

Community members are encouraged to follow the business on Instagram at @KrepeDog for the latest updates.