Ann’s, Home of the Chili Footlong: In the year 1951 Ann and Ray Hines opened their red, white and blue eatery on what was then a quiet stretch of Ritchie Highway and Anns Dari-Creme was born. Ann’s soon became a popular hot dog and ice cream joint and there have been exactly two changes to the menu over the years. French fries in 1976 and turkey subs in 1991 was added but seldom ordered. For decades, people have come to Anns for foot-longs with everything (mustard, onions and chili), and cheese steaks, burgers, soft ice cream and milkshakes. On a typical day, Anns can go through 1,000 hot dogs and averages dispensing 365,000 hot dogs a year. Ann’s can be considered one of the last outposts of “Americana.” I for one will never understand just how do they get orders right without ever writing anything down. Ann’s has survived the Marley Station Mall, Interstate 97 that was built to divert traffic from Ritchie Highway and countless hamburger franchises that have come and gone. Ann’s has a successful business formula, simple menu and everything you like. You can give one girl five orders and she never gets them wrong and youre in and out. After 25 years of developing a solid customer base Ann and Ray Hines decided to sell the business to Howard Pinskey in 1976. And just who is the customer base? They come in Cadillac’s, Lincolns and pickup trucks and they wear suits, ties and blue jeans. Ann’s still has eight, red vinyl-covered counter stools and looks much the same as it did in 1951 when Ann and Ray Hines opened Ann’s in semi-rural Glen Burnie. Howard Pinskey a 1962 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy was part-owner of Hardees in Maryland and Delaware when he heard (through the fast-food grapevine) that Anns was for sale. He had never eaten there, but after visiting and seeing the line of cars illegally parked on Ritchie Highway he decided right on the spot to buy Ann’s. In 1986 Marley Station Mall came knocking wanted to buy Ann’s and tear it but Pinksey held strong. Anns and mall officials worked a land swap allowing a second entrance and Anns enlarged its parking lot from 16 to 80 spaces. Today it seems as if Pinksey made the right move. Anns best-seller is and always has been the foot-long topped with mustard, onions and chili and cheese. Ann’s has changed the buns but for the most part Anns hasn’t change since 1951.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 17:04:52 +0000
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