March 02, 2008
Ronnie Arbetter R.I.P.
For about the last 10 years I've made a habit of stopping by Arbetter Hot Dogs on Bird Road and 87th Avenue on the weekends. The place has been there much longer than that however (since 1972) and traces its roots back to the original Arbetter Hot Dog stand from 1960.
Today my wife and I packed the kids into the car and headed off to have some of their famous Chili Cheese dogs and were confronted with a closed store and a banner saying that today's closure was in honor of Ronnie Arbetter (1955-2008).
I was shocked and saddened. I hadn't seen Ronnie around the hot dog stand in months but I had no idea he was sick. The Herald obit says it was pancreatic cancer. My heart goes out to Ronnie's family. Ronnie's dad Bob, the founder of Arbetter Hot Dogs, passed away in 2003.
As the Herald obit explains, Ronnie was the kind of guy who had tons of friends and no enemies. He always greeted you by name if he knew it and would ask about whatever you were interested in. For me it was always the Miami Heat and the Florida Gators.
Ronnie had a great sense of humor as evidenced by the many funny signs around the hot dog stand. One said "bus drivers must have exact change" another promised free drink refills if you proclaimed your love for Larry Bird or Bob Cousy. But perhaps the most famous sign that adorned the place was the one that promised "Free Boston Baked Beans the day after the Red Sox win the World Series". For years that sign was a joke.
On a couple of occasions when the Sox looked like they had a chance you'd start to see huge cans of beans pile up around the place in anticipation of the big beantown celebration. Then when the Sox would inevitably collapse Ronnie would sell the cans of beans at a discount. In 2004 when the Sox actually did win the World Series I found myself in Boston on business. After sharing in the celebrations that night, I flew back to Miami the next morning. Upon landing at about 11:00 AM I drove straight to Arbetter's and there was Ronnie cooking beans and holding court with the media that descended on the place to document the long anticipated moment of free Boston baked beans.
On Thursday, Miami lost a legend and a beloved soul. Arbetters Hot Dogs will go on I suppose, but it will never be the same.
Posted by Henry Louis Gomez at March 2, 2008 06:00 PM
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Comments
may ronnie rest in peace. i can still remember escaping from columbus to go get one of ronnie's famous dogs. i now live away from miami and one of the first things i do when i go back is stop at arbetters. god bless him and hopefully there will be someone to carry on his legacy.
Posted by: Tony V ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 2, 2008 07:17 PM
Your baby twins are already eating Chili Cheese dogs?
Posted by: delacova at March 2, 2008 08:34 PM
May he rest in peace. Anyone who grew up in Miami knew how good their hot dogs were and still are. I've been going there since the 70's and I now work within "driving" distance so many a day, I go there for lunch. He will be missed.
Posted by: ORGULLOSADESERCUBANA at March 2, 2008 09:43 PM
May he rest in Peace, I have eaten many a hot dog there.
But pancreatic cancer ? Wow I don't think I'll eat any more hotdogs.
Posted by: Peter Perez at March 2, 2008 11:51 PM
somehow i don't think it was the dogs that did him in.
Posted by: Henry "Conductor" Gomez at March 3, 2008 12:05 AM
this place like Frankie's and the Pool Room at Bird Bowl, landmarks of my youth growing up in that neighborhood.
Posted by: Cigar Mike Pancier at March 3, 2008 10:13 AM
Posted by: Peter Perez at March 3, 2008 12:29 PM
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