ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Lamy launched what would become Pip's Dock Street Dogs with a simple cart and a name inspired by someone close to him.
"I started out with a hotdog cart 19 years ago, and I was trying to think of a catchy name for it, something that people would remember, and I was like, I'm going to call it pips," Lamy said.
The name Pip belongs to his daughter, a nickname given to her by her grandmother. After several years operating the hot dog stand, Lamy got the opportunity to open a brick-and-mortar location along the City Dock in Annapolis, where Pip's Dock Street Dogs has been ever since.
Pip's Dock Street Dogs owner reflects on 17 years of hot dogs, floods, and family in Annapolis
The road has not always been smooth.
"It hasn't been easy; it's a grind. You have to put, as an owner, you have to put everything into it. Everything here, here, and here, you know, there was a number of times after floods and the early years where we had to sit down as a family and ask whether we are going to keep plugging away at this and try to make this thing work," Lamy said.
Several floods, including one of the worst Annapolis had ever seen in 2024, nearly ended the family business.
"We lost everything, everything except that grill, everything else in here was done, shot," Lamy said.
With relief funds from the state and support from other local restaurants, Pip's was able to recover and keep its doors open — something Lamy says he is always grateful for.
"We have made it 17 years, and that is tough when 90 percent of businesses close within the first year," Lamy said.
Looking ahead, Lamy says he is excited to see how Dock Street will transform once renovations are complete and hopes even more people will make Pip's a regular stop — not just a one-time visit.
"It's so important, no matter where you live in the county, in the city, wherever, if you know, if you have got family, friends, or you know Joe on the corner with a shop, frequent it, it's so important. I mean, if you can just go and get a coffee or a sandwich two or three times a year, it makes a difference," Lamy said.
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