These Days He Responds to Appetite Alarms

A retired captain for the Trenton Fire Department opens up a hot dog joint.

Posted July 11, 2011 by Chris Illuminati

Photo by Chris Illuminiati.

After 26 years of putting out fires with the Trenton Fire Department, retired captain Paul Tweedly is turning up the heat with an eatery that gives a nod to his former colleagues. Captain Paul’s Firehouse Dogs in Lawrenceville is little bigger than a walk-in closet, albeit a generous one. The four-seat counter is always full and the 35-plus outdoor seats jammed with teens from Notre Dame and Lawrence High Schools and their families celebrating recreational-league baseball or soccer wins—or sometimes drowning losses in a bucket of ice cream.

In 2008, Tweedly, 51, started pitching in for a friend who owned a gelato shop at the location. After a year, he and his wife, Janice, bought the place, expanding the menu and the mission. “Our vision was to honor those who serve this country,” Tweedly says. “The cops, firefighters, EMTs and military who put it on the line every day.” The badges and patches of those who serve hang on the walls.

The menu features sandwiches and hot dogs with names like the Trooper (a fried dog with potatoes, peppers and mustard on a torpedo roll) and Third Alarm (chili dog, mustard and onion). The homemade Italian ice, along with smoothies and ice cream, also draws a crowd.

When he isn’t working the grill, Tweedly is out shaking hands, talking to kids about fire safety or organizing community fundraisers with the help of the local fire and police departments. His eatery and its adjacent parking area host large and small fundraisers throughout the summer.

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