HUNTINGTON -- How about a Junk Yard Dog, an Out Wayne Dog and a franchise?

Sonny and Sharie Knight, owners and operators of Hillbilly Hotdogs shops in Lesage, Lavalette and Huntington, are looking to sell the Huntington restaurant and set up franchise locations in the Ashland area and possibly in Teays Valley, W.Va.

The Huntington shop at 1501 3rd Ave. is being advertised for $199,900 and so far has gotten a couple of nibbles, said Brenda Taylor, with McGuire Realty Co.. While those two parties seek financing, Taylor said the Knights are still looking for other people to purchase the franchise.

The Knights said it was crucial for them to screen potential owners of the Huntington location.

"The number one thing is that they have to like people," Sharie Knight said. "If they don't love people, we don't want them."

Though the Huntington location has struggled to turn a decent profit since it was set up almost four years ago, Sonny Knight said the restaurant's popularity has continued to grow since it's recent notoriety on national television shows. Hillbilly Hotdogs has been featured on CNN Headline News, VH-1, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and the Food Network's show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

Guy Fieri, the host of the Food Network program, recently featured the couple in his cookbook titled "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip with Recipes." The Knights were even flown out to California by Fieri and Page Productions, which tapes his show, to tape an episode of "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" featuring Fieri's favorite places.

Sharie Knight said she and Sonny are not rushing the process of setting up more franchises, saying "When it's right, it'll happen."

She also said that they have received interest from people in Florida, California, Nevada and as far away as China about setting up a franchise. Though the Knights plan to stay in the Tri-State, they are accepting all ideas about where to set up the next franchise. Each franchise, such as the established ones, would have a basic menu but would be customized to the surrounding community.

Sonny Knight said Hillbilly Hotdogs has a business model that he and his wife believe can succeed in any location.

"This place can fit in anywhere in the world," he said. "It's proven that it can fit in areas that people don't think we can fit into."

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Sonny and Sharie Knight, owners and operators of Hillbilly Hotdogs shops in Lesage, Lavalette and Huntington, are looking to sell the Huntington restaurant and set up franchise locations in the Ashland area and possibly in Teays Valley, W.Va.

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