If you ask Google, Ssong's Hotdog's sole Vancouver franchise is "temporarily closed."
The West End restaurant, which opened at the end of 2022 at 795 Jervis St, has papered windows, though the South Korean hot dog-on-a-stick chain's cheery signage is still up.
A quick check of Ssong's Hotdog's Vancouver's online presence shows a live website, Facebook, and Instagram - but the social channels have not been updated in several months.
A business license is listed as "pending" in 2024 for the operation.
If you ask Ssong's Hotdog (via the contact email they list online) you won't get much further; inquiries sent by V.I.A. about the status of the business did not receive a response.
The commercial space at 795 Jervis St is not listed as being for lease and the business itself does not appear to be for sale.
The address has been home to several concepts in recent years, including Koyuki Sapporo Ramen, Argan Bistro, and Le Bretagne Creperie.
Ssong's Hotdog opened in December 2022 and was the first Canadian franchise of the global chain that specializes in Korean-style hot dogs - or, as the brand presents it, "hotdogs."
"Our hotdogs are not just ordinary hot dogs or corndogs that you see," describes Ssong's Hotdogs online.
"They come in different sizes, shapes, and flavors and use regular, premium, and spicy sausages with a long list of other food items like string cheese, mozzarella cheese, and many others. You could enjoy sugar, ketchups, mustard, spicy sauces, parmesan cheese, and many other sauces to highlight eye-opening and addictive taste in these hand-made and freshly fried hotdogs."
Ssong's dips the cheese sticks or sausage in batter and deep-fries the treats to order. Customers can add on the toppings and sauces of their choosing.
Also on the menu is toppoki, a dish of rice sticks tossed in sauce.
The brand began in South Korea in 2013 and has locations around the world, including in Japan, Vietnam, and the United States.
Fans of Korean hot dogs can head to nearby Chung Chun for a similar product (1795 Robson St). However, hot dog fans in the area have recently lost Juicy & 88 (1725 Robson St) and the plant-based spot Good Dogs will wrap up at its brick-and-mortar (1131 Robson St) on March 30.
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