Hot Dog Pops Patrons Find Eatery's Doors Locked and Lights Out

Hot Dog Pops appears to have shut its doors, but whether it is a temporary or permanent closure is unknown.

During operating hours over the weekend, the door was locked and the lights were off inside at the eatery located at 808 N. Diamond Bar Boulevard. Some broken glass from some sort of shelving was on the ground near the entrance. No one answered phone calls.

No sign was left on the door informing customers of a a closure or on the restaurant's Facebook site, but some have commented on social media and on Yelp that they have also gone to the restaurant during opening hours and found it shuttered and dark.

Owner Danny Yoo opened Hot Dog Pops in December 2012. The South Korean native said it was his love of soda, specifically root beer, that prompted him tie the restaurant's theme to the sugary drinks.

“I love pops,” said Yoo, owner of Hot Dog Pops.  “I had my first root beer in Chicago five years ago.”

The eatery served up 150 kinds of root beer and soda, the majority of them the vintage variety in the bottle, not the can.

Woo, a U.S. Army reservist, was not at the July Diamond Bar City Council meeting when Hot Dog Pops was named business of the month.

He was called to active duty in Afghanistan. 

If it is closed, this will be one of several restaurants at that North Diamond Bar site that was once home to D'Antonio's Ristorante. New owners took over the fledgling family-owned restaurant in 2011, but closed it in 2012. 

Before Yoo opened Hot Dog Pops, he said it was briefly a Thai restaurant.

Kevin Hahm, who has been running the restaurant in Yoo's absence, said when accepting the award that he was originally hired to handle the marketing but took the helm when Yoo was called to serve.

On Facebook, Hugo J. Lopez asked if the business had closed in a Nov. 7 post.

"Did you guys close?! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! If you relocated, please tell us where to find you... I need the Olympia sandwich in my life," he wrote.

Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.

Had you tried Hot Dog Pops? Do you hope it reopens? If it has closed, what type of restaurant do you think would work at that location? Share your thoughts in comments.