Paul Heyne’s life is rooted in a half-mile radius around the Staten Island University Hospital. He wakes up before the sun and parks the Paul’s Dogs food truck down the street at the hospital each morning at five a.m.. He takes orders out of the grey truck’s small window until five p.m., serving Philly cheesesteaks and hot dogs to neighbors and hospital staff alike. Then he cleans the truck, packs it up and goes home.

Heyne is 22 years old, and he’s been working full-time at the food truck for just over a year. He took over when his dad, also named Paul, decided that 37 years behind the hot dog grill was about enough. The two Paul’s live together in a house that’s just a block away from the hospital where Paul Jr. was born. Paul Jr.’s mom is still at home, but his three sisters have all moved out. And for the last 37 years, the two Paul’s have been feeding the patients and doctors at that hospital, Monday through Friday, rain or shine.

“We’re not soul food, but we put our soul into it,” says Paul Jr.. “We put our heart into it.”

Paul Sr. standing in front of a Paul’s Dogs food truck. Photo courtesy: Paul Heyne Jr.

When they’re not cooking at the food truck, Paul and his dad can usually be found at Lee’s Tavern, a local bar and pizza joint just a few blocks away from their house and the hospital, often with Tyler Saracena, Paul Jr.’s best friend since first grade and a recent addition to the food truck family. On a recent Saturday, the three men sat down to talk about business over rum and Cokes, fried calamari and margherita pizza.

They come to Lee’s three or four times a month, and the main topic of conversation lately has been expansion, as Paul Jr. and Tyler are itching to build a bigger brand. They imagine a future with multiple trucks, each with their own unique menu; one serving ice cream and waffles, the other serving cappuccinos and crepes. They’re trying to get more business through food festivals and private catering events, and were at Wagner College on Staten Island for a student event at the end of April. Both Paul Jr. and Tyler want to buy their own homes on the island, and they know they need to increase sales to do so. 

“They’re looking to expand,” says the older Paul, considering how things have changed. “I was just looking to exist.”

Paul Sr. got into the food business when he was in his early 20s. He was fed up with the construction work he was doing, so one day he bought a push cart, stocked it with hot dogs and buns, and walked down the street from his house to the hospital. Back then, he sold two hot dogs for $1.50. Now, $1.50 will only cover the price of one dog.

“I made more money that first day than I did working in construction,” he says. “And it was close to home, so I just kept doing it.”

Eventually, Paul Sr. saved enough money to buy a small trailer, which was later replaced by a former post office truck, which in turn was replaced by a Frito Lay’s truck. That one lasted for almost 18 years before it needed to be replaced. That’s when the older Paul re-financed his house and spent “almost a hundred grand” on a brand new food truck from a manufacturer in New Jersey. That’s the truck that Paul Jr. now runs, in the exact same location where Paul Sr. first started.

The Paul’s Dogs crew eating at Lee’s Tavern. From left to right: Tyler Saracena, Paul Jr., and Paul Sr.. Photo: Bo Hamby.

And while Paul Jr. runs the day-to-day operations of Paul’s Dogs, his dad still keeps an eye on the business. According to Paul Sr., he’s learned how to “sleep in,” which means waking up at 6 a.m.. That’s when he’ll look down the street at the truck to see if his son remembered to put the American flag on the top of the truck. If Paul Jr. forgets, he gets a call from his dad.

“No flag today?” Paul Sr. will ask. Or sometimes he’ll bring it up when he heads to the truck for his daily cup of coffee, which he still gets every weekday at 7:30 a.m..

“Still the best coffee in town,” he says.

Paul Sr. says it wasn’t difficult for him to retire from the 12-hour shift at the grill, though he still keeps an eye on the truck. He spends most of his days working on his boat, but that’s not far from the hospital either.

“I’ll be there in case they need me,” he says.

Paul Jr. smiles. “Our goal is to make him feel relaxed,” he says of his father.

But Paul Jr. and Tyler have had a pretty good run since they took over. They’ll admit it can be difficult, but they’re making adjustments to improve the truck while making it their own. They even started wearing chef’s coats two months ago, after Paul Jr. saw them on Amazon and liked the more professional look.

He and Tyler have learned to love the 12-hour work days, sweating over a grill full of hot dogs and hamburgers. Tyler is more energetic and talkative than Paul Jr.. At dinner, Tyler was quick to jump in and share his thoughts, while the younger Paul was more reserved, chipping in with a few thoughts every now and then. Their friendship translates well to a work relationship.  

“We look at each other in the middle of a chaotic shift and it’s just, like, an understanding.” says Tyler. “We love this.”

Paul Sr. says that the biggest test will come this summer, when the crowds grow by “three-fold.” For Tyler and the younger Paul, getting through summer is just the first step. The trio finishes up a second round of rum and Cokes at Lee’s Tavern that the waiter says is “on the house,” and Paul Jr. imagines a future where they have three or four food trucks at a festival. A future where he can step away from the grill and manage the business from a home on Staten Island that he owns. A future that his dad never even imagined when he first rolled that push cart outside the hospital.

“When you have the opportunity to work for your own goals,” he says. “It just makes sense.”

Bo Hamby