ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 26, 1997 TAG: 9702260034
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES FOOD EDITOR
IF DOMINIC'S OF NEW YORK were an animated cartoon, a visible vapor of smell would waft out its doors, across Towne Square Shopping Center, Crossroads Mall, and, given the right wind conditions, maybe even Hershberger and Williamson roads. The vapor would end in a little finger that would mischievously tickle the noses of innocent passersby, beckoning them helplessly and hungrily in its fragrant grasp.
Well, you can't actually see the aroma floating from the 12-foot-by-14-foot trailer in front of Lowe's of Roanoke. But on a recent sunny morning, Dominic's manager Bill Schrader tossed freshly sliced, crisp, sweet onions onto the grill, topped them with a mess of green and red peppers, stirred them around and, before you could say, "Buon appetito" - Italian for good appetite - people lined up to buy the savory mix atop the Italian sausages, all-beef hot dogs, rib eye steaks and boneless chicken breasts.
"The smell drives 'em nuts," Schrader chuckled. "I probably throw away 20 to 30 pounds of onions a day because I always keep some cooking, but I don't let them get soggy or overcooked" and still serve them.
It's not just the smell that attracts patrons to this site, whose concept originated in New York City Italian street festivals.
"They're real friendly," customer Daryl Smythers said of Schrader and assistant Trudy Crowe.
It was 10:45 a.m. and Smythers was buying two sausages with everything, a couple of soft drinks and potato chips for him and his wife. He admitted that the $11.27 sale was prompted by the fact that while he was shopping, he could smell the vegetables cooking all the way to the far end of Lowe's.
Vanessa Wheeler could relate to that. The Lowe's cashier said that she spends her workdays sniffing Dominic's odoriferous inventory. She was just in the line for coffee this trip, but she said that at least once a week she succumbs to the call of the trailer's teriyaki chicken, which she described as "the best."
Dominic's cleanliness also pulls in patrons. Schrader intentionally smudged a portion of the wall, then whipped out a clean cloth to demonstrate how Lowe's product Dirtex, with just a spray and wipe, keeps the trailer's mostly silver-colored aluminum interior spotless and streak-free.
"People also appreciate you wearing gloves when you make their sandwiches," Schrader said, noting that he and his assistants always wear them.
"And not handling their food and money at the same time," Crowe added.
Schrader said that his trailer, which opened in December '95, is one of 33 Dominic's units located throughout Virginia. Most are in front of Lowe's stores, with which the privately held Sandston-based parent company, Foodnet Inc., has a contract.
Schrader joined Dominic's in March, when the Virginia Employment Commission sent him to interview, and his background, including stints with Burger King, Hardee's and Long John Silver's, won him the assistant manager's job. Since that time, the man who hired him, executive chef Frank Monty, has moved up from trailer manager to area supervisor for this district, which includes Staunton, Lynchburg, Christiansburg, Princeton, Bristol, Wise and Roanoke.
"The company gives you training, help with promotion, every opportunity to make money," Schrader said, noting that nearby companies, which place a lot of phone-in orders, can easily spend $30 to $40 per multiple lunch order. To encourage such business, Schrader said he offers businesses one free sandwich for every five purchased.
"The first day I worked here, we made $1,951," Schrader said. Valentine's Day weekend saw earnings of more than $1,000. Managers get 22 percent of their trailer's pretax earnings, from which they then pay their employees. Schrader has one full-time and two part-time assistants.
Full-time assistant Crowe smiled warmly and greeted passersby. If they came close enough, she and Schrader offered them a sample of Dominic's exclusive Parmesan cheese and parsley Italian sausage. Most bit - either the sausage or one of the other offerings from the trailer's 19-item menu.
Prices range from $1.99 for a 1/4-pound all beef Oscar Mayer hot dog to $6.99 for a large meat sandwich on a 10-inch roll. Meal combos that include a soft drink and chips also are available. The trailer is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
The sandwiches' buyers are as diverse as the shops and businesses surrounding the trailer. Philadelphia cheese steaks and 1/4-pound hot dogs are the best sellers.
Customer Terry Smith, in a hurry to get home and install a stove, stopped long enough to grab a cheese steak. Duane McIntyre, who'd eaten at the Dominic's in Christiansburg, decided to try a steak and mozzarella from the Roanoke location after getting a whiff while coming out of the Kroger supermarket next door to Lowe's.
Matt Powers, who said his dad often eats at Dominic's, opted for a hot dog, as did Sharon Kasey, who'd trekked all the way across town for one.
"I usually get the combo, but I'm just getting one hot dog today. I'm cutting back, getting ready for summer," the petite Kasey said.
"We get a lot of construction guys, business people, husbands bring their wives; we get traffic from the airport," Crowe said.
And she laughed about the comments she hears about Dominic's food: ``Everything from `It ought to be against the law to smell so good' to `How much will you charge me to just stand here and smell it?'''
``We tell them there's no charge for that - it's free,'' Schrader said, tossing a few more peppers and onions onto the grill.
LENGTH: Long : 101 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY STAFF. Savory steam nearly obscures Dominic'sby CNBmanager Bill Schrader as he tosses sausages and fresh vegetables on
the grill in the portable kitchen 2. Patrons line up for Dominic's
fare, which includes simple doings such as hot dogs, and the
specialty, Parmesan cheese and parsley Italian sausage. color.