Dog days gone by

  • Published
  • By M. Nazarro
  • Army and Air Force Exchange Service
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  On Sept. 30, after 69 years of serving Offutt's finest, D's Dog Stand, in Bldg. 300, closed its doors.

Since opening for business in 1941, "The Dog Stand" - as it's affectionately known - provided a quick alternative for the folks in Bldg 300.

"In its day, the Dog Stand was a happening spot," said Stratcom Café and D's Dog Stand manager, Gloria Love. An average of 900 plus customers per day frequented D's for a speedy snack or a hot-dog lunch she added.

Having been with the Offutt community for so long, D's Dog Stand has adhered to the Army and Air Force Exchange Service mission of providing quality service and creating life-long relationships between employees and their customers.

"Many of the customers who have gone to the Dog Stand have been going there for years," said Ms. Love. "They look forward to seeing familiar faces and receiving the same reliable service time and time again."

With its doors finally closed, many of The Dog Stand's customers feel as though it is the end of an era, and the hunt for new and varying lunch-time fare will have commenced. But, hungry patrons haven't had to venture too far out of their comfort zones.

Grand Fortune Express, offering a variety of Asian cuisine, has opened its doors in Bldg. 382 - right outside of Bldg. 300.

Tracy Huey, owner of Grand Fortune Express and Grand Fortune Restaurant in West Omaha, first came to the United States in July of 1985 and settled in Omaha with her family. In March, 2002, she opened Grand Fortune Restaurant in Omaha.

The same year, and in many consecutive years to follow, the Omaha World Herald named Grand Fortune as the "Best Chinese" and was placed in the "Top 10 Restaurants" in Omaha.

Huey's goal is to be the best she can be and to provide the same kind of high quality service to all of her patrons.

"I hope Grand Fortune Express will be successful on base," said Ms. Huey. "We will work very hard to make sure our customers are very satisfied." She encourages all guests to provide feedback on what they'd like to experience and how she and her team can improve.

So, while the dog days of summer have come to a close, there remain grand opportunities and experiences on the culinary horizon at Offutt.