Hot diggity! New owners take over iconic Bethlehem hot dog shop

The iconic Pete’s Hot Dog Shop in Bethlehem has a new owner, but will the famous hot dogs return? 

The eatery, which had been located at 400 Broadway since 1937, closed in March. 

The new owners of the property, Lehigh graduate Yongkang Gao and his business partner, Bill Geddes, recently purchased the once popular eatery and an adjacent three-story building that houses two residential units.  

They plan to reopen a restaurant in the Pete’s building at 400 Broadway after renovations to it are complete. They also plan to renovate the two residences, each of which has its own entrance. Geddes is a contractor and has experience in renovations. 

Gao said they had some idea of what they want to do in the Pete’s space, which is small, but haven’t made any decisions yet other than it will be a restaurant. 

Whatever they decide, Geddes said, yes, a hot dog will be on the menu “because that’s what people want,” but he expects the menu to be “a little bit of everything.”  

Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group, LLC, in Allentown, arranged the commercial financing so that the partners could purchase the restaurant and residential building which were sold together and make renovations to them. The purchase price was not disclosed. 

Gao hopes the residential units at 406 Carlton Avenue will be ready for occupancy by late summer and the restaurant at the end of August, beginning of September. “We need to do a lot of renovations,” Gao said. 

An electrical engineer, Gao, who earned his PhD at Lehigh, had eaten at the hot dog shop a few times while a student. 

Giddes, who is also known as Executive Chef Billy G, has restaurant experience — including a hot dog truck — and will oversee the renovations and opening of both. Giddes, who lives in South Jersey, is moving to Bethlehem to oversee the project. 

Jackie Vasko of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Benjamin Real Estate of Schnecksville was the listing agent and represented both buyers and sellers. 

Lori Lewis and Sonya Bieber of Lighthouse Abstract in Bethlehem assisted with the closing.