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Pay It Forward at Abe’s Hot Dogs

WRIGHT TOWNSHIP — A restaurant in Luzerne County is paying it forward with free hot dogs. Abe’s Hot Dogs in Mountain Top started a “pay it for...
hot dogs

WRIGHT TOWNSHIP -- A restaurant in Luzerne County is paying it forward with free hot dogs. Abe's Hot Dogs in Mountain Top started a "pay it forward" campaign, allowing customers can buy a hot dog for someone who may be in need.

"About six months ago, a patron came in and she said she saw in Philadelphia that they had a pay it forward wall at a pizza parlor and she said why don't we start something here at Abe's. So she bought a free hot dog and a free cup of coffee," said Sandy Weitoish.

Weitoish is the manager at Abe's Hot Dogs on South Mountain Boulevard. She tells us customers come in, pay $1.25 for a hot dog, and a post-it note goes on the wall. Then, someone in need can come in and get the free meal.

"A contractor came in -- he was having a bad day -- and he said, "Can I have two of those hot dogs?'" and I said, 'Sure, why not?' Then he came back and put four of them back to replace them and he said, 'You just made my day that day.'"

Regular customer Francis Janosov calls the idea a great way to bring the community together.

"Every time I come in there is more, and more, and more. They are going to have to build a bigger wall."

People at Abe's Hot Dogs tell us giving back to the "pay it forward" campaign is just as simple as paying it forward. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to buy one of the free hot dogs for someone. They think paying it forward can be as simple as saying hello to someone.

Eddie Moore from East Stroudsburg is a first timer at Abe's Hot Dogs. The wall of post-it notes was the first thing he noticed.

"It's not a normal thing," said Moore. "Where I live, people don't do this, so it's kind of cool."

Owners plan to continue the "pay it forward" campaign for as long as they can and hope the idea catches on in other places.

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