Attending a stadium or arena for a sporting event is always a great time. The food is usually a treat. Back in the day, it only featured traditional fare such as popcorn, roasted peanuts, Cracker Jacks, jumbo pretzels, soft drinks, beer, and hot dogs.
Nowadays, fans can order shrimp and grits, bacon macaroni foot longs, Philly cheesesteaks, Carne Asada loaded nachos, chicken quesadillas, chicken wings, pitas, mixed drinks in souvenir mason jars, churros, frozen slushies, and fried pickles.
But who doesn’t enjoy a hot dog basket with French fries and a meaty dog nestled in a warm bun? This is where condiments come into play. Some ketchup for dipping the fries is traditional, but dressing out the hot dog is a completely different venture. And a matter of preference.
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As a child, it was usually ketchup only, with perhaps a bit of pickle relish. As the taste palette changed, mustard is either added to the dog or completely replaces the ketchup, along with the addition of onions. Sauerkraut is a popular topping along with other additives such as jalapenos, chili, grated cheese, and maybe some coleslaw.
How a hot dog is built may depend on where you grew up.
If that happens to be in Northeast Ohio, you know folks use brown mustard. Stores may offer the yellow stuff for sale, but for Clevelanders and Cleveland Browns fans, it is either Stadium Mustard or Bertman’s Mustard. It’s not officially a hot dog until the mustard is added.
In Chicago, their hot dogs feature a poppy seed bun, an all-beef dog, with seven toppings: yellow mustard, pickle relish, onions, tomato wedges, pickled sport peppers, some celery salt, and a dill pickle spear. In Austria, the bun is replaced with a hollowed-out baguette, the dog is longer and thinner, and is topped with onions and curry ketchup. In Arizona, the hot dog is called a “Sonoran” and wrapped in strips of bacon, then smothered in beans, onions, crema, salsa, cheese, and tomatoes.
In New York, it is called the “Dirty Water Dog” and served at a sidewalk cart. The dogs sit in a watery broth of seasoned spices and vinegar with traditional toppings of sauerkraut, mustard, and an onion sauce. “Red Hots” are served in Maine and North Carolina, which feature a bright red dog covered in a sauce made from onions, molasses, pickle relish, and peppers.
The “Half-Smoke” is served in Washington, DC served with mustard, onions, and chili as toppings. Then there is the “Slaw Dog,” which is a West Virginia tradition. This is built with chili, onions, and mustard, then topped entirely with coleslaw. The “Texas Tommy” is a Philadelphia favorite with melted cheese and wrapped in bacon.
And in Cleveland, it is whatever you like on a dog, but it all begins with Stadium Mustard.
The Cleveland Browns and their mustard of choice
Mustard invokes memories of grilling out on warm summer days or good times at the ballpark.
There are a zillion brands of mustard products, but all of them offer only three varieties: yellow, brown, or black.
Quality mustard is made from #1 mustard seeds. Make that, millions of tiny seeds. Ten million seeds are required to produce one bottle of mustard. Mustard plants grow very tall, with the majority of plants cultivated in the Western Provinces of Canada, Nepal, and Russia, where their fertile soils, coupled with warm, dry summers and cold, dry winters, are the ideal ecosystem.
The mustard stalks feature bright yellow flowers that bloom in July, which then turn into pods that house the seeds. The pods are harvested, then crushed to release the seeds, which are mainly white in color.
After being washed to eliminate any impurities, spices are added at this stage along with white vinegar. For yellow mustard, turmeric is added, which gives it that distinct yellow color. Water is added and mixed in a tank that spins the ingredients and blends the spices.
For over 100 years, the mixture has been ground up between two stone mills and then heated. The trick is to get all of the lumps out and produce a smooth, creamy texture.
Brown mustard, which has more spice, is also made from white mustard seeds along with brown mustard seeds cultivated from the Brassica Juncea plant. Water, salt, and vinegar are added along with other spices, depending on the recipe.
Photo courtesy of Otis Foods, LLC
As stated on their label, Stadium Mustard adds red pepper to their recipe. The brown mustard seeds, along with the peppers, give it that distinctive, mildly spicy flavor that Clevelanders have known and loved for decades.
LINK: CLEVELAND HOT DOG/MUSTARD T-SHIRTS
This simple condiment has been a staple in Cleveland since the 1920s. “Bertman’s Mustard” was the official condiment at Cleveland Indians games, while “Authentic Stadium Mustard” was available at Cleveland Municipal Stadium for Browns games. Stadium Mustard is the one specifically featured currently at Huntington Bank Field, the Browns’ home field.
“The Authentic Stadium Mustard” is a registered trademark (Registration #3608578) filed in the category of “Staple Food Products” and owned by Otis Foods, LLC, located in Hudson, Ohio.
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In 2019, Stadium Mustard celebrated their 50th anniversary and has since been inducted into the National Mustard Museum.
Several dog tales
As Americans, we generally refer to this staple as a “hot dog.” Every kid grew up eating hot dogs, whether grilled, steamed, or boiled. If you wish to keep a toddler occupied and quiet, hand them a raw hot dog straight from the pack. However, hot dogs have many monikers depending on where you live or grew up.
It’s the dedication to the dog.
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It is no surprise that one of this nation’s popular events is the hot dog eating contest each Fourth of July, sponsored annually by Nathan’s Famous in Brooklyn, New York. We all love hot dogs, and it’s fascinating to see folks down so many in one outing.
Hot dogs are titled by a lot of different names: Red Hots, frankfurters, wieners, Coney Island, Red Snappers, White Hots, franks, weenies, hot links, and bangers.
Various baseball parks have named their own variety, such as “Dodger Dogs” at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and “Fenway Franks” at Fenway Park in Boston. There are other well-known hot dog situations, such as Sabrett street carts in New York City, corn dogs, the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile, Costco’s Kirkland Brand which is ranked the #1 store-bought hot dog, and several national brands like Ballpark Franks and Hebrew National.
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The dogs are categorized as sausages because the meat used is usually a combination that is minced with seasonings and salt, then encased in a thin edible animal’s intestine (which holds the meat in place) and formed into cylindrical links.
The first hot dogs were called “frankfurters,” which originated in Frankfurt, Germany. The dogs were named for the region, similar to Vidalia onions, which are grown in Vidalia, Georgia.
The frankfurters were made from pork and only served on special occasions, including imperial coronations, such as when new royalty was placed on the throne. A butcher in Vienna, Austria, added beef to the pork and made a new dish called a “wiener” from the German word “Wien.” The term “franks” is short for frankfurters.
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The word “dog” in “hot dogs” came from the practice in Bavaria in the 19th century when butchers and sausage makers would mix dog meat into their product. In the 1904 comedic short film “Dog Factory,” people arrive at the Dog Factory with their pooches, who are then placed into a machine called a “Dog Transformator.” Using a hand crank, the animals become hot dog links complete with casings.
“Red Hots” were invented by W.A. Bean & Sons out of Bangor, Maine. A signature red food dye was added to their hot dogs in 1938 in order to make them different from other companies.
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These dogs are also referred to as “Red Snappers” because the lamb casing that’s naturally packed with collagen makes a “snap” sound when bitten into. North Carolina is also a hotbed for the bright red variety.
“White Hots” are found in Western New York and pale in color, which comes from not being cured or smoked. A lot of folks began calling hot dogs “Coney Dog” because of a cart set up at the popular amusement park in the borough of Brooklyn owned by Charles Feltman in 1871. His cart had a stove that would boil water with a warming compartment that housed the buns, and became immensely popular as hot dogs weren’t being sold anywhere else. On top was a beefy sauce of ground beef and onions with mustard added.
1930s New York City - Hot Dog Stand, West St. and North Moore. Vendor stands next to his Tellas Busy Bee cart, advertising ‘Red Hot Frankfurters and Ice Cold Lemonade’ ca. 1936 Photo by: HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
“Hot links” originated in Cajun cuisine in Louisiana with a combination of both pork and beef spiced with cayenne and red peppers, then served as a traditional hot dog or cut into rings and served in dishes such as jambalaya and gumbo. The English version of hot dogs is “bangers.” These contain pork, bread, and water, which were added in order to make more product using less meat. The name came from the stretching of the meat that would finally burst and make a “banging” sound.
The German immigrants who came to America brought their beer-making skills as well as their tradition of breads and sausages.
When Feltman, who was German, set up his hot dog cart at Coney Island, he served his frankfurters on an oblong roll for easy handling and eating. And thus, the hot dog bun became an institution. The most popular today is the top-loading bun, but there is also the side-loading bun, as well as the split top bun, which is used primarily for lobster rolls and clam sandwiches.
Interview with Bill Lockwood, owner of Authentic Stadium Mustard
It has been established that in the Northeastern portion of Ohio, a slightly spicy vinegar-based brown mustard has always been the choice for this type of condiment. Is it a Cleveland tradition? You bet.
Where this originated is somewhat murky. But one thing for certain: back in the 1920s, it was available at Cleveland Indians games when they played their home games at League Park located on the corner of Lexington Avenue and Dunham Street (later renamed East 66th Street) in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood.
Pro baseball was extremely popular, and in Cleveland, the crowds were always large. They sold a lot of hot dogs, which was a ballpark staple back then, just like it is today. The rich brown mustard became a part of Cleveland’s fabric as a sports city.
Stadium Mustard later became the only mustard available at the Cleveland Browns games at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. It was owned and marketed by David Dwoskin of the Davis Food Company.
Today, Stadium Mustard is owned by Otis Foods, LLC, out of Hudson, Ohio, just 40 minutes southeast of Cleveland.
Bill Lockwood is the owner of Otis Foods, a company he named after his beloved family dog. Lockwood grew up in Chicago but got his advanced education from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. About a year after graduation, he attended Officer Candidates School in the United States Marine Corps and served four years. He got out of the military to go to business school, but he still has fond memories of being a part of the Corps.
Bernie Kosar (left), Bill Lockwood (holding shirt), Kevin Mack (far right) Photo courtesy of Otis Foods, LLC
Lockwood’s first experience with Stadium Mustard was on a trip to his girlfriend’s (now-wife’s) parents’ house in Hudson in 1993. The mustard in their frig was brown and not in that standard yellow bottle that everyone knows.
Lockwood and his wife Betsy have a son and a daughter.
Dawgs by Nature’s Barry Shuck was able to interview Lockwood to talk about the condiment’s exceedingly long history with the Browns, how he obtained the Stadium Mustard brand, and exactly how many stadiums feature this product.
DBN: Stadium Mustard has its own flavor and a bit of spice, but it is pretty mild. What gives it that tang?
Lockwood: It’s all right there on the label, but I’d say the key addition is the red pepper. There are red peppers added, but it is not a lot. Most brown mustards are very spicy, which doesn’t work for everyone. The recipe for Stadium Mustard has a taste that everyone, including children, can enjoy.
DBN: You own Otis Foods, LLC. What food brands come under your banner?
Lockwood: Other than Stadium, Otis Foods owns Aspen Mulling Spices, a concoction of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and other spices. You add it to apple juice, tea, or wine to give the beverage the extra spiced flavor and smell – to make it a holiday treat. We also own White Cat Corn - a gourmet old-fashioned popping corn that is cooked in hot oil in a stovetop or in an air popper. All product lines were acquired in 2019.
LINK: PACK OF 12 BOTTLES OF STADIUM MUSTARD AT WALMART.COM
DBN: Did you start Otis Foods?
Lockwood: I started Otis Foods as a holding company. In 2018, I was really searching for a business and ended up starting my own little food company.
DBN: How did you get into the food industry?
Lockwood: My first job after grad school was for Quaker Oats, which was my first experience in the industry. I learned a lot of great things, but I also learned I didn’t like working for a big company.
DBN: Tell us how you acquired the Stadium Mustard brand?
Lockwood: I first introduced myself to tried to purchase Stadium Mustard from David Dwoskin beginning in 2003. He told me at the time he wasn’t interested in selling. My wife and I would regularly come to Ohio to see my mother-in-law, and on one trip, I met David for coffee. He was very nice, but just wasn’t interested in selling. Over the years, we kept in touch, and he did tell me that if the time became right or if something ever happened to him, he would let me know. I didn’t think much of it.
DBN: And you thought that was the end of it?
Lockwood: Less than a week after I purchased Aspen Mulling Spices, I came across David’s obituary. It was sad, but I felt that it wasn’t meant to be, and I didn’t want to be an ambulance chaser, although I had spent 15 years trying to buy his company. About a month later, in August of 2019, I received an email from his son, Alex Dwoskin. He discussed selling me Stadium Mustard per his father’s wishes. And that is how it came about with this almost 16-year courtship. Despite being up to my eyeballs with the other businesses, I knew I had to give it a shot. I cannot say enough positive things about Alex and his sister, Dawn. They were great to work with throughout the sale and beyond. I really consider it an honor to be the steward of this great product. We obviously are hyper-focused on growing Stadium’s brand awareness and retail footprint, but it’s equally important to me to keep David Dwoskin’s legacy alive.
Fans Enjoying Hot Dogs
DBN: How did Stadium Mustard first become a standard condiment at Cleveland Browns games?
Lockwood: This goes back to the interplay between the two brands. A lot of this history is captured by famous Cleveland sports journalist, Dan Coughlin, in his book “Let’s Have Another.” Brown mustard has always been a thing in Ohio for over 100 years. It was served at League Park and then Municipal Stadium once that was built, but at that time it was just unbranded brown mustard distributed by the stadium’s foodservice distributor - Bertman Food Products. In 1969, Dwoskin approached Bertman Food Products with the idea of making the brown mustard available for retail sale. Dwoskin entered into a contract with Bertman Food Products – I have one of the original hard copies of the contract in my office. Per the contract, Bertman would submit orders to their brown mustard supplier on Dwoskin’s behalf. The supplier would provide mustard in retail-sized bottles pre-labeled as “Stadium Mustard” - a trade name created and owned by Dwoskin. According to Mr. Coughlin, at some point in the early 1980s, Dwoskin started sourcing the mustard directly from the supplier. And subsequently, once the Browns and Indians had their own facilities in the late 1990s, Stadium Mustard became the brown mustard offering at the new Cleveland Browns Stadium, then FirstEnergy Stadium, and now Huntington Bank Field.
Browns vs Steelers - one of the fiercest & longest-standing football rivalries in existence. Tune in tonight as these two teams meet on the gridiron for the 146th time! Today seems like the perfect time to re-up this great video produced by FOX NFL earlier this season. GO… pic.twitter.com/HrqCjvhOXC
— The Authentic Stadium Mustard (@Stadium_Mustard) November 22, 2024
DBN: Stadium Mustard was featured on FOX Sports in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys last year. How did that come about?
Lockwood: They called and said they were going to be in Cleveland ahead of Week 1, which was Tom Brady’s first time in the booth doing a game. It was feature week for them. They came down on Thursday and did a couple of hours with a photo shoot for one of their pre-game shows. I made sure they had a good picture of David Dwoskin for that. It was a great experience.
DBN: “The Authentic Stadium Mustard” is a trademark registered back in 1971. Is this something you have to register and renew every so many years in order to keep the trademark?
Lockwood: Like with any trademark name, you have to demonstrate it is actively being used. Every five years, it has to be renewed. We submit screenshots of our product on Amazon or on the shelf at a retailer like Giant Eagle or Heinen’s. Attorneys take care of this.
DBN: Stadium Mustard just might be one of the most consistent things about the Browns. It has survived four ownership groups, 14 GMs, 16 head coaches, and 52 starting quarterbacks. And one brown mustard. What has been the secret?
Lockwood: The secret is very simple: the fans love it and expect it at games. That’s about it. Ohio should be very proud of its history with brown mustard. There are mass-marketed brands like the one produced in Pittsburgh, without much character. This is different. It is unique, quirky, and fun. The Browns and their fans have embraced it.
DBN: How many stadiums and arenas offer Stadium Mustard as their mustard choice?
Lockwood: We are obviously very popular in Ohio. In addition to the Browns, we are at the Akron RubberDucks, Columbus Clippers, and Ohio Stadium. Recently, we were picked up at Kent State’s baseball stadium. We are the “Official Mustard” of the Northwoods League – a 30-team summer collegiate league in the upper Great Lakes area. There are places that we sell to directly, while others get the product from distributors, so it’s tough to ever know how many we are in at any one time. Over the years, though, we have been in about 150 stadiums, ballparks, and arenas at one time or another.
DBN: How many retail stores sell Stadium Mustard, and is it available online?
Lockwood: Definitely online. Retail stores like Marc’s, Heinen’s, Giant Eagle, Harris Teeter, Target, Kroger, Acme Fresh Markets, Flavor of Ohio, and Walmart. Festival Food Stores in Wisconsin. We are pushing about 1,000 retail stores. And we love it that we are offered at local delis like Slyman’s, Al’s, Danny’s, and Hofbruhhaus. There is also a great deli called Mikey & Mel’s. They have two locations, one in Fulton, Maryland, and another in downtown Washington, D.C.
LINK: 12 OZ. STADIUM MUSTARD AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
DBN: Since the mildly spicy brown mustard began in Cleveland, it is understandable that folks in Northeast Ohio love it. But why do you think this has grown so much in popularity in other parts of the country?
Lockwood: I think people will buy what’s new and a little different – but most important, there is the fun association of being something you get at the stadium or ballpark. Also, the flavor. It’s definitely more exciting than plain old yellow mustard. But it’s not a super high-octane spicy variety that is going to tear up your sinuses if you put too much on your hot dog. So there are a lot of unique aspects to it that make it popular. Its brown color. Its flavor. Also, the retro “Stadium Mustard” font and red label definitely make it stand out. Once people do, we feel we have a customer for life.
Jacob Castro, age 4 of Orange, enjoys a hot dog at the Diamond Club at Edison Field . Jacob was thei Photo by Glenn Koenig/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
DBN: Every sports venue has the established yellow mustard. But you are selling something non-traditional. What is your pitch to an arena or stadium to accept your product?
Lockwood: I am hoping they want something extra to offer, something that is different. Anyone can have the yellow; you need something special for stadium food. It caters to the sports fan with the tailgate experience or a backyard bar-b-q.
DBN: Stadium Mustard is a big supporter of many Browns Backers chapters across the globe. Why have you reached out to these fan chapters?
Lockwood: Every August, we reach out to their chapters, and it is basically an open offer as long as they are an accredited chapter. We will send them a Stadium Mustard care package of mustard, t-shirts, and stickers – all they pay is shipping. All Browns Backers chapters sponsor a local charity, and they will raffle off Stadium or t-shirts. It’s really great for everyone involved. We bring the taste of Cleveland to these watch parties across the country (and world), and by doing so, they are raising money for their charity partners. We love supporting the Browns Backers and have met some really great people.
DBN: Name a chapter that Stadium Mustard has been involved with that is a long way away.
Lockwood: Two seasons ago, we sent a small care package to Perth, Australia. The story was picked up by WKYC Channel 3, as they are geographically the greatest distance from Cleveland. Three years ago, I was in London once for a trade show and met with the British Bulldawgs Browns Backers chapter. We’ll be in contact this year to make sure they are supplied when the Browns visit this season. The chapters do appreciate our willingness to be good partners with them. It’s about building the brand and is a win-win.
DBN: What charitable events has Stadium Mustard been a part of?
Lockwood: The Cleveland Literary Society, several charity golf events, and select charities in Northeast Ohio. Plus, the Browns Backers chapters, which are over 400 chapters worldwide.
DBN: Here’s a list: French’s Classic Yellow Mustard, French’s Dill Pickle Mustard Spread, French’s Spicy Brown Mustard, French’s Dijon Chardonnay Mustard, and French’s Honey Mustard. Your product and recipe are the same as it was when Clay Matthews, Joe Thomas, Leroy Kelly, Joel Bitonio, Eric Metcalf, Gene Hickerson, and Myles Garrett have been on the field in front of Browns fans. Do you just want to keep it the way it has always been?
Lockwood: With all the French’s flavors listed above, you are talking about the ‘billboard effect’ at the shelf where one brand gets multiple facings. A lot of these flavors come and go. Some say we are a ‘one-trick pony’ – just one flavor. To which I proudly say, “Yes . . . yes we are. There is only ONE Stadium Mustard.” We don’t need the flavor of the month or to be trendy. The flavor is the product.
Bill Lockwood with Bernie Kosar Photo courtesy of Otis Foods, LLC
DBN: Being associated with the Browns, you must have met several players. Tell us a favorite moment.
Lockwood: We were part of a celebrity golf tournament for charity in Xenia, Ohio, that sponsored a foursome. I ended up talking with Bernie Kosar, and was so impressed with how down-to-earth he was. You know, he’s Bernie Kosar! If you did a Browns Mount Rushmore, he would be one of them. He was really great to talk to. I asked if I could take a picture with him with a bottle of Stadium. Then he asked if I could text the photo to him. So, here I am texting with Bernie Kosar. Pretty cool!
DBN: What is your most gratifying connection between the Cleveland Browns and Stadium Mustard?
Lockwood: Just the longevity of the relationship over the years. I know that made David Dwoskin very proud. I feel honored to be the steward of a great brand and keep it the way it has always been. It is a product that is part of any Browns fan’s DNA. It’s at Browns games because the fans want us.
Authentic Stadium Mustard links:
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LINK: FACEBOOK PAGE
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LINK: INSTAGRAM
Cleveland-area hot dog hot spots:
Photo courtesy of Otis Foods, LLC
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