Aces of Trades: Franks & Sammies in Newark a labor of love for Dustin Polage
NEWARK – He switched careers — to a labor of love.
“My goal, even from childhood, was to work in the field of medicine,” Dustin Polage said. “While working my way through college in the restaurant industry, however, my goals and life plans changed. Through some of life's unusual twists and turns, I was eventually led to opening my own food service business.”
Today, Polage is the owner and manager of Franks & Sammies.
“After approximately 12 years in the restaurant industry,” he said, “from serving to bartending to management, I decided it was time to venture out on my own. In 2014 I started quite small, with a hotdog cart by the name of Wild Things. Within a few short months, I opened a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Newark by the name of Wild Things Sandwich Cafe. About four years later, after developing the menu considerably and remodeling the space, I rebranded the existing business and renamed it Franks & Sammies. And a few years after that, I added a full bar (Tap That Glass) and a game room to the mix.”
“Today, I still wear many hats in the business,” he said. “I’m the sole owner and manager. And while I spend a good amount of time in the kitchen, most of my employees are cross-trained to work both in the bar and the kitchen. To say the least, I have a dedicated and hard working support staff. They’re the ones who keep the wheels turning, for sure.”
And in case you’re wondering about the name Franks & Sammies, Franks (or frankfurters) is another way of saying hotdogs, and Sammies means sandwiches. So Franks & Sammies is just a hip way of saying hotdogs and sandwiches.
“But after a quick visit to our establishment,” Polage said, “you’ll soon be thinking Rat Pack era music and drinks, with ample Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. decor along with an unmatched whiskey and bourbon selection.”
Polage, 43, grew up in Licking County, graduated from Lakewood High School in 1999, attended Ohio State University, majoring in biology/pre-med, but within two years transferred to the Central Ohio Technical College nursing program, then decided to switch over to business management.
“I give credence,” he said, “to the fact many of the concepts learned in the business management program have led me to a certain level of success in my own business today.”
Sam Smith is a bartender at Franks & Sammies/Tap That Glass.
“I’ve known and worked with Dustin for many years now,” Smith said. “There’s no one I know who’s more dedicated to serving and giving back to the community than he is. It’s one of the main reasons why I continue to work with him. He’s always changing and updating his business to adapt to the current market and customer needs, which has allowed him to persevere through past hardships that have crippled other businesses. He started from nothing and has built a sustainable and respected business. He’s the most passionate, caring and honest person I’ve ever worked for.”
“Ten years of growth and countless hours of sweat equity later,” Polage said, “it would be cliche to say that my business is a labor of love. But it’s definitely just that. It’s almost like nurturing a child and helping it mature into a respectable adult. It doesn't come without its difficulties and emotional ups and downs. Still, a good parent or business owner never gives up. With a little bit of luck and a lot of resolve, the results are usually positive.”
Franks and Sammies is located at 34 South 3rd St., Newark. For more information, visit www.franksandsammies.com.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at advocate@newarkadvocate.com.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Aces of Trades: Franks & Sammies a labor of love for Dustin Polage
