A different kind of hot dog restaurant opens in downtown Fall River
FALL RIVER — When it comes to dining, the city has a few buns in the oven.
The latest restaurant to open in downtown Fall River is Bun Buds, which combines an American classic with Asian-inspired cuisine.
Bun Buds opened Friday, June 28, at its 10 Purchase St. location, where owner Jacob Weiss and his team are serving “elevated” patties and foot-long gourmet hot dogs with creative toppings to a local crowd hungry for something a little different.
“Everything is going really well,” said Weiss, an East Providence resident and recent Johnson and Wales University graduate. “We’re excited. Things are starting to get real.”
While Fall River certainly has no shortage of hot dog restaurants, Bun Buds strives to be in a class of its own.
According to Weiss, they’re not looking to compete with the city’s decades-old Coney Island or Chinese restaurants — in fact, you won’t even find Coney Island on the menu — but rather to bring their unique flavor to some typical takeout dishes.
“I really tried to play on a lot of things that are familiar to me, but maybe just in a new context,” Weiss said.
Korean barbecue pork short ribs served on steamed bao buns and foot-long hot dogs or dumplings covered in crazy toppings like kimchi, crispy onions and sesame glaze or spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce are just a few of the mouthwatering menu items that turn heads.
“I tried to create a brand that was fun, approachable and a little more than the average hot dog cart you might find,” Weiss said.
Bun Buds’ journey from food truck to restaurant
It’s been an eventful year for Bun Buds, which went from humble beginnings in a food truck to its first physical home shortly after the 22-year-old culinary student graduated.
Weiss admits he “never imagined doing something like this” with takeout, having received classical training in French haute cuisine, but one by one, the pieces fell into place for this fun and unique hot dog adventure.
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The Bun Buds’ journey began with the encouragement of JWU professor William Lendway, who had his own food cart and wanted to bring in a few students, including Weiss, to help start theirs.
Weiss and Lendway eventually built a pop-up trailer for the catering, and Bun Buds began making a name for itself at various parks and breweries in the Providence area last summer. They even made an appearance at 3rd Fridays at the Gates in Fall River.
Bun Buds made its way to its more permanent home in Fall River after the business caught the eye of its current owner, Joseph Holdiman, owner of Thyme Blossom Coffee, located in the same building on Purchase Street.
Holidman discovered Bun Buds on TikTok and visited Weiss at India Point Park in Providence to invite him to open a shop in his building, which serves as an incubator space for other promising small businesses that Holdiman mentors. He also took Weiss under his wing.
Right after graduating, Weiss dove headfirst into his Bun Buds project, and a month and a half later, they opened their doors.
“I owe it all to them,” Weiss said of Lendway and Holdiman. “You need those people to walk you through the paperwork, to know where to get your supplies, to figure out how to manage all of this, to figure out how to deal with people. It’s a learning curve.”
“It’s been a crazy year. … Things have been growing steadily and the whole team is very excited about what the year has in store,” said Weiss, who still runs the Bun Buds food truck with Lendway, most recently at the city’s Fourth of July festivities at Norton City Pier.
Currently, a JWU alumnus has taken over the daily operations of the food truck while Weiss turns his attention to the new restaurant.
Why dogs and meatballs?
When he launched the hot dog stand, Weiss learned that the food could only be cooked in water or steam. Thinking about other similarly prepared dishes to incorporate into the menu to make it even more special, Weiss, a longtime fan of Asian cuisine, and his team settled on dumplings, which have outsold hot dogs since their launch.
“I wanted to create a menu that brought together all the flavors that I’ve always loved and that I know are accessible to people who aren’t familiar with these kinds of things, and that are still memorable,” said Weiss, who grew up in a Philadelphia suburb.
What is on the menu?
Bun Buds’ premium takeout menu includes “pure” dumplings and spicy vegetable or pork dumplings, the latter of which are among their best sellers.
Other highlights include the Kimchi Killa Hot Dog, Weiss’s ode to the flavors of his favorite Korean dishes, topped with kimchi, gochujang (Korean pepper sauce), sesame glaze and crispy onions.
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“All of those elements come together so well, it’s so balanced,” Weiss said. “It’s sweet, it’s salty, it’s crunchy, it’s spicy, it’s tangy… it’s got so many qualities and people really like it.”
As for their bao selection, Weiss predicts their Korean BBQ Short Rib Bao will be a must-try “without a doubt.”
If you’re looking for a more classic hot dog, with a little flair, try their BBQ Bacon Cheddar Hot Dog (BBC dog). They also offer a classic foot-long hot dog and a plant-based vegan hot dog.
You can make your own Bun Bud creations by first choosing your base—regular or vegan hot dog or pork, veggie or linguica patty—and then choosing your style: Kimchi Killa, Pho (pho sauce, cilantro basil, crispy rice noodles), Tokyo Drift (spicy mayo, eel sauce, bonito flakes, green onions), or Firebreather (sriracha, spicy mayo, spicy pickles, crispy onions).
They also offer boxes containing your choice of protein — Korean barbecue short ribs, char siu pork or chili-glazed shrimp — served over white rice with a side salad, house pickles and a ramen egg.
According to Weiss, Bun Buds’ dumplings are made in-house using their own Chinese dumpling machine, and their hot dogs come from Massachusetts-based Kayem, which makes hot dogs for many stadiums in New England.
The recipes were developed by Weiss and Bun Buds chef Bret Whartenby, a graduate of JWU’s Food Service and Management program. A graduate of JWU’s Entrepreneurship program, Weiss focuses more on branding, marketing, customer experience and the dining room.
What sets it apart from other fast-casual establishments in Fall River?
“It’s young, it’s refreshing, it’s fun,” Weiss said.
“There’s also a lot of passion in the creative process,” noted Weiss, who was classically trained in French haute cuisine.
“Even the simplest items on the menu require a lot of thought, down to how I cut my green onions,” he said.
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Although they’ve only been up for about three weeks, Weiss said they’ve received a lot of positive feedback from customers.
“What really meant a lot to me was all the kind words about customer service and the experience because I went out of my way to create a fun and vibrant space, something I didn’t expect to see in Fall River, and people are receptive to that,” Weiss said.
Bun Buds is primarily a takeaway restaurant, with a few stools near the window for those who want to dine in.
However, there is outdoor seating located just outside the building that customers of businesses at 10 Purchase St. can use during warm weather.
When can I visit?
Bun Buds is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 8pm. For updates on hours and deals, visit their Facebook or Instagram page.
Weiss said his goal is to expand Bun Buds to multiple locations in the future. He would also like to explore other restaurant concepts.
“I love Bun Buds, it’s my baby,” he said. “I want a company that’s successful in this day and age, and these things are temporary, they come and go, so keep an eye out for what’s next.”
