MONTGOMERY, Texas — One Montgomery teen is really making the most of his summer.
At 16 years old, Jacob Irving opened his very own gourmet hotdog truck.
“I would like to say that I own and run it," Jacob said.
But Pop Pop’s Dandy Dog is also a family legacy. Pop Pop is Jacob's grandfather.
“He had a restaurant called Dandy Dog in 1985," Jacob said. “He has been an inspiration to me since I was little.”
That inspiration led Jacob to open a food truck in honor of him.
“Basically I have taken over the mantle as the dandiest dog in town," Jacob said.
It’s been two years in the making. At just 14, Jacob drew up a business plan.
“I was working multiple jobs at a time with school," Jacob said.
By 16, he saved up enough to open, and his dad made an investment.
“So the deal was I got him the trailer, and then he did everything else. So any of his other startup costs, anything else he needed, he had to come up with," Kevin Irving said.
Jacob's menu includes a few of his grandpa’s recipes and some of his own.
“We do fries, funnel cakes, loaded fries," Jacob said.
Pop Pop even made it out to the big grand opening. Jacob knows he’s proud.
“He said it was excellent. I think he feels honored," Jacob said.
And dad is too.
“It’s going to be neat to see how this is going to go. I’m excited, the future is very bright for him," Irving said. “We’re at one of the great memory makers right now for sure.”
Jacob says he still has to figure out how this will all work when school starts in the fall. He’s hoping to hire his own employees. He says the ultimate goal is to franchise the food truck.
Pop Pop’s Dandy Dog is open in Montgomery every day except for Sunday.