Frankie Frankk’s: Big City Flavor, Small Town Soul
If you've walked down Main Street in Holly Springs around lunchtime, you might have caught the smell of grilled onions in the air. Maybe you heard the friendly voice calling out orders or saw a small crowd gathered around a shiny hot dog cart. That’s Frank, the man behind Frankie Frankk’s Hot Dog Cart.
Meet Frank: The Man Behind the Cart
If you've walked down Main Street in Holly Springs around lunchtime, you might have caught the smell of grilled onions in the air. Maybe you heard the friendly voice calling out orders or saw a crowd gathered around a shiny hot dog cart. That’s Frank McGoldrick, the man behind Frankie Frankk’s Hot Dog Cart.
Frank is more than a vendor. He’s a part of the rhythm of downtown. With a steady hand on the grill and a quick smile for every customer, he’s created something that feels personal in a way fast food rarely does. He doesn’t just remember orders. He remembers people.
A Slice of the City in the Heart of Holly Springs
Originally from New York, Frank brought with him the street cart spirit you’d expect to find in New York City. What started as a passion for real, quality hot dogs turned into a business that feels right at home here. He’s not just passing through. Frank lives here, shops here, and shows up for this town every week.
There’s no franchise behind him, no corporate marketing. Just a man, a cart, and a dedication to getting the little things right. His setup might be simple, but the experience speaks for itself. When you stop by, you’re not just getting a hot dog. You’re getting a piece of local character, served with a side of good conversation.
Rooted in the Community
Frankie Frankk’s Hot Dog Cart isn’t just about quick bites and classic street food. It’s become part of the rhythm of Holly Springs—showing up at celebrations, milestones, and small business moments that make this town feel like home.
Take Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce’s SpringsFest, for example. It was more than just a busy day for the cart. It was the site of the First Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest, an event that brought out the laughs, the crowds, and the appetite. Frank didn’t just provide the hot dogs for the contest—his family got involved too. You can frequently find his family working the cart with him - especially at events - and his brother, the owner of Lucky 31 Studios, designed and hand-crafted the hot dog–themed trophy awarded at SpringsFest.
You’ll also find Frankie supporting fellow local businesses - showing up at grand openings and anniversaries. Helping them celebrate with his signature food and friendly energy. Events like these don’t just draw a crowd. They show the kind of mutual support that helps small businesses thrive together.
Whether he’s parked on Main Street for weekday lunches or popping up at neighborhood events, Frank isn’t just running a business—he’s building connections. His cart might roll in and out, but his presence leaves a lasting impression.
The Holly Springs 2025 SpringsFest Hot Dog Eating Contest trophy created by Lucky 31 Studios.
When, Where & How to Catch Him
If you made it this far - you probably could use a Lou Dog.
You can usually find Frankie Frankk’s Hot Dog Cart set up at 109 N Main Street in downtown Holly Springs. He’s there during the lunch hours (11:00AM - 3:00PM [or until he sells out]), serving up hot dogs and conversation three days a week.
And you can always find him on Instagram as @frankiefrankks, on Facebook, and at their website: https://www.frankks.com/.
Frankie Frankk’s is also available for private events, festivals, and catering, so don’t be surprised if you see the cart at a birthday party, community celebration, or local business grand opening. If you’ve got an event and want to bring some fun (and really good hot dogs) to the table, Frank’s your guy.
Aaron Wenzel - #Rucking4Dad
After the tragic death of his own father, a Vietnam veteran, Aaron has channeled his personal commitment to this issue into a project that goes beyond just raising money and awareness, but also helping others in their own struggles with mental health and PTSD.
If you’ve been driving around Holly Springs in May, there is a good chance you have seen Aaron Wenzel rucking with a Mission 22 flag and a group of supporters. What you might not know is that Aaron is raising funds for Stop Soldier Suicide to help combat veteran suicide which occurs at a rate of 22 individuals per day.
After the tragic death of his own father, a Vietnam veteran, Aaron has channeled his personal commitment to this issue into a project that goes beyond just raising money and awareness, but also helping others in their own struggles with mental health and PTSD.
If you would like to support Aaron either through a donation of money or time, you can find more at these locations:
Donate at The 70.4 Mile Ruck Challenge Page (Facebook)
Join The Rucking Schedule (Facebook)
Follow #rucking4dad (Facebook)
Other organizations working to end soldier suicide and support veterans with their mental health and other issues include:
Stop Soldier Suicide (https://stopsoldiersuicide.org)
Mission 22 (https://mission22.com)
The Travis Manion Foundation (https://www.travismanion.org/)
SpringsFest 2025
SpringsFest is an annual celebration of Holly Springs sponsored by the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce and featuring live music, local businesses and organizations, a car show, hot dog eating contest, the new social district, and more!
SpringsFest is an annual celebration of Holly Springs sponsored by the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce and featuring live music, local businesses and organizations, a car show, hot dog eating contest, the new social district, and more!
The day began with performances by some of the talented musicians from School of Rock in Holly Springs. One musician channeled his Inner Jimi Hendrix and performed The National Anthem followed by several songs with the entire band.
Frankie Frankk’s Hot Dog Cart held the SpringsFest Hot Dog Contest.
For me this was the highlight of the day. The cars are cool, the music was great … but watching 4 folks battle it out in America’s real past time - grilling dogs - was the main event.
The contestants lined up at noon - it was clear they were prepared.
As it began, I’m not sure they all knew what they were getting into.
There were a few moments of concern
Eventually the 5-minute timer ran down and the winner was clear!
It wasn’t just hot dogs and rock-n-roll, though. In true Holly Springs fashion, there was also plenty of beer with Bombshell, Carolina Brewing Company, and Local Time all pouring quality brews for the locals enjoying the new social district.
If hot dogs aren’t your thing, there was a food truck rodeo with plenty of options from around the Triangle.
The main event, though, was the vendors. Local businesses and organizations were setup throughout downtown showcasing their services and connecting with locals. As a long-time resident of Holly Springs I am constantly surprised by the wide variety of talented people we have who serve the community. Everything was represented from humans to pets, health and wellness to home improvement, vinyl windows to vinyl records - these small businesses are the lifeblood of Holly Springs and the surrounding area, and it was great to be able to talk with and photograph many of them!
Pro Tip: if you’re a small business and want to be featured on HS150, click on that “Help Needed!” link above!
The car show was definitely a fan favorite. With everything from classic to modern, mini to massive - who doesn’t love appreciating the beauty of clean lines and vintage design?
See you at SpringsFest 2026!
Local Flavor, Global Impact: Remedy's Recipe
Remedy Cocktail Company was started in the Fall of 2021 by the “Mad Scientist of Flavor,” Ariana Nester, and her husband Rob. Over the last three years they have shown a commitment and passion for great flavor, bringing over 30 different flavors of cocktail bitters to market.
Remedy Cocktail Company was started in the Fall of 2021 by the “Mad Scientist of Flavor,” Ariana Nester, and her husband Rob. Over the last three years they have shown a commitment and passion for great flavor, bringing over 30 different flavors of cocktail bitters to market. You can find them bi-weekly at the Holly Springs Farmers market selling their products and catching up with customers and community, as well as throughout the Triangle at various vendor fairs.
All of Remedy’s products are handcrafted with high quality ingredients in small batches. As a “Got To Be NC” certified company Remedy Cocktail Company prides itself on sourcing as much of its raw ingredients locally as possible.
Remedy Cocktail Company is active in the community, often raising money for the HS Food Cupboard and collaborating with other North Carolina brands. As a second generation Ukrainian American, Ariana has also developed Ukrainian inspired flavors, for which proceeds are donated to World Central Kitchen to help with humanitarian aid.
Ariana is also a board member of We Power Food, a group dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs in the food industry. She is also a proud member of the Pink Boots Society — which aims to assist, inspire, and encourage women and individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry.
Remedy Cocktail Company won Indy Week’s Best of the Triangle, — “Best New Business” in 2022 and in 2024 won a Bizzy Award from Wake Tech and a “Best in Taste” award from the North Carolina Specialty Food Association.
“Mad Scientist of Flavor,” Ariana Nester
Set Your Clock to Local Time
Founded in 2022 by Chris and Kelly Gallagher, in conjunction with Master Brewer Devin Singley, Local Time’s relaxed, welcoming, environment combined with award winning beers, has made it a cornerstone of the Holly Springs downtown.
My original plan for featuring Local Time was to create a J. Peterman Catalog-style post that told a fantastical story behind each of photos.
Stories of Devin climbing over bags of grain to close a valve before the catastrophic loss of glorious ales. Or Chris exploring the world looking for the next great inspiration. Walking through the Saharan desert finding the perfect spices or the slashing his way through the jungles of Thailand to find the original recipe for the Phuket Sunset Thai Rice Lager.
Because when I think of Local Time Brewing, that’s what I think of: excellent craft beer created through a love of history. Each beer’s name shares a hint of the story behind it and gives some insight into how the ingredients were chosen and what processes were used.
That is something unique about Local Time that goes beyond the beer and the taproom - it speaks to the passion and vision of everyone involved and gets me excited about coming back over and over.
Founded in 2022 by Chris and Kelly Gallagher, in conjunction with Master Brewer Devin Singley, Local Time Brewing’s relaxed, welcoming, environment combined with award winning beers, has quickly made it a cornerstone of the Holly Springs downtown.
Local Time is an active member of the Holly Springs community and beyond. They have served as a drop-off site for the Holly Springs Food Cupboard, participated in charitable events such as Hops for Hope, and organized a large supply drop for WNC after Hurricane Helene.
Master Brewer Devin Singley preparing a batch of their West Coast IPA
Local Time Brewing was the NC Craft Brewer’s Guild New Brewery of the Year (2023) and Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year (2024).
They Run This Town
The Holly Springs running community, anchored by the Holly Springs Run Club, is everything that is great about Holly Springs. Welcoming, supportive, encouraging, charitable, and, for some reason, really dedicated to running even when it’s too cold, too wet, or too early.
This HS150 theme is not about running.
Rather, it’s about the people and the events that make up one of the largest formal-but-informal groups in the town. This community, anchored by the Holly Springs Run Club, is everything that is great about Holly Springs. Welcoming, supportive, encouraging, charitable, and, for some reason, really dedicated to running even when it’s too cold, too wet, or too early.
I struggled a little with what to feature. Do I share group runs? Highlight organizers? Maybe the local running store? (I hope that will be a future post). Organized races? Community 5Ks? There’s such an active community I didn’t really know where to start. So I decided to keep it simple and focus on two of the premiere running events in Holly Springs - the Holly Springs Half Marathon and the Race Against The Sun (RATS). These events are, in my opinion, what everything else builds up to. The daily group runs, the walking clubs (ok, they get a nod as well), the 5K’s and Turkey Trots … they are all individually awesome events but, for many, they are the preparation for the main events.
Race Against The Sun (RATS) Endurance Run
The Race Against the Sun Endurance Run is a 12 or 24 hour run held annually (second) at Sugg Farm and Bass Lake. Running from sunrise to sunrise, the run challenges people against themselves in the friendliest gathering of cold, tired, hungry, and sore people I’ve ever seen.
The race might begin at sunrise, but the day begins much earlier. Campsites were setup, support teams gathered, safety briefings were held. The morning was filled with activity as runners caught up with old friends, met new ones, and expended some nervous energy warming up in the cold.
Our Daily Tread
Pretty much any morning and evening, every day of the week, you will be able to find a coordinated group run or walk. Starting at local breweries, bottle shops, the Pace Yourself Run Company, and some in random parking lots before the sun rises, there is a group that matches any level of fitness and experience.
The Wednesday Walk Club leaves out of Local Time Brewery every week
Holly Springs Half Marathon
“Our goal is to help promote the health and wellness of Holly Springs by supporting the Holly Springs Parks & Recreation department, our local service organizations, providing racing chairs to disabled athletes, and supporting our local high school track & field athletes”
The Holly Springs Half Marathon has raised more than $166,000 which has been brought back to the Holly Springs community.
If I had to pick only a single word to describe the HSHM runners it would be “joyful”. Seriously - I can’t believe how excited and happy people were at mile 5 on the course.
I’m not sure if they were as happy at mile 10 but I’m here to focus on the positive!
The celebration of our running community, just like the Holly Springs Half, will end with the sweepers.
Little Free Libraries In Our Community
The town of Holly Springs has more than 30 Little Free Libraries. Each library serves as a unique expression of how the residents of Holly Springs care for their neighbors and their community.
As a child I was an avid reader. I would save my money for Scholastic book orders. I could have lived off pizza from the Book It! program. And at any given moment I probably owed the public library a fine for an overdue book.
So when I first hear about the Little Free Library program, I was immediately enamored with not only the concept of the little birdhouse-like structures being installed throughout the town, but I loved how it made me feel when I saw one. To me they are a symbol of how a small action - leaving or taking a book - can positively impact the entire community.
If you aren’t yet familiar, the Little Free Library project is an international program that promotes reading through their “take a book, share a book” approach. Throughout Holly Springs we have more than 30 of these libraries installed at parks, schools, and neighborhoods.
The community effort of providing neighborhood-level access to books promotes literacy, builds community, and fosters the joy of reading at every age.
The following images are of libraries that are installed throughout Holly Springs.
If you believe I have missed a library, please let me know and I will add it ASAP!
A sincere thanks to the following community members who helped me identify the location of as many of these as possible. This could not have been completed without them!
Donna Silver Martinez, Ann Carter Hamilton, Rebecca Graves, Cynthia Helms, Pat Hoffman, Lindsay Steidl Beadon, Therese Lindberg, Nikki Doering, Cariann Colman, Carol Parker, Soraya DaCosta, KVan Garmon, Vivian Calvert, Sarah Shay, Annie Drees, Tina Schneider, Melissa Wooten McGahey, Mark Mazanek, Nicole Marie, Laura Schmitt Stehle, Hank Dickson, Betsey Anderson, Karen Winston, Anne Beavers, Genna Musslewhite, Martha Waltz Wewer, Alexandra Fuentes, Alison Bendersky Piermont, Bethany Keyes, Terri O'Laughlin, Stacy Lundblad, Kevin Gauger, Katie Hoggard, Donna Greene Mullen, Anwesha M Pautsch, Denise Collins, Angela Keller Trogdon, Ashly Amador, Sarah Crissman, Laurean Leigh, Paige Wright, Debbie Jackson Kahn, Rachel Hedgpeth, Rebecca Tomas, Melissa Danielle Prescott, Douglas LeRoy, Lavina Romero, Noél Bretón, XTine Parrish, Kandi Nash