Michigan's Home Depot Stores Ban Hot Dog Vendors

July might be National Hot Dog Month, but at Home Depot’s HD stores in Michigan it has become Shut Down the Hot Dog Carts Month.

No Sale: According to ClickOnDetroit.com, the hot dog carts located in the stores were initially closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. But even as the pandemic receded and eateries across Michigan reopened, Home Depot never gave the green light for the hot dog vendors to return.

On Sunday, Hot Diggity Dog, one of the main hot dog vendors in the Michigan Home Depot stores, announced on its Facebook page that it will no longer be located at the retailer, adding, “Home Depot has requested all hot dog stands in Michigan to close.”

Home Depot issued a statement confirming Hot Diggity Dog’s news.

“In March 2020, our in-store food vendors were asked to close for the safety of customers and associates, and the decision has been made to suspend food vendor operations in Michigan so we can focus on serving customers with their home improvement needs,” said the statement.

“This news was shared with vendors a couple weeks ago, and we appreciate the years and partnership and wish them well in their future business.”

Michigan appears to be the only state where hot dog vendors are being banned from Home Depot stores. Home Depot stores in St. Louis and Fort Collins, Colorado, recently gave their approval for the carts to start selling again after more than a year without food sales.

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Hot Dogs, Kanye-Style: While Home Depot took hot dogs off shoppers' menus, Kanye West served up some expensive hot dogs Thursday at Atlanta’s 71,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the sold-out listening party for his new album-in-progress “Donda.”

According to a report in The Takeout, the concession stands at the stadium were charging $40 per hot dog. The stadium usually charges $1.50 per hot dog for its other events.

Still, the hot dogs were relatively cheap: the menu also included a $50 basket of crispy chicken tenders, a $65 basket consisting of chips, beef jerky and unspecified “bars,” and a $45 plate of cookies and brownies.

West added to the fun by dressing up as a giant Perrier bottle while performing selections from his latest work. However, there didn’t appear to be any rule preventing West’s fans from buying their hot dogs from a Home Depot-based vendor and bringing them to his show.

Image: Muhammad Ribkhan/Pixabay.