EASTON, Pa. – A new location of an iconic Lehigh Valley hot dog shop is now home to another popular food brand – serving up hand-crafted sandwiches, salads and more – in Northampton County.
Downtown Easton’s Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe on Thursday moved operations from its original home at 12 N. Third St. to a new location – directly across the street – at the newly opened Jimmy’s Hot Dogs location at 9 N. Third St.
A new location of Jimmy’s Hot Dogs, at 9 N. Third St. in Easton, is now also home to Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe.
Ryan Kneller
Jimmy’s Hot Dogs and Ciao! are now sister brands, utilizing the same kitchen and dining room, co-owner Raj Muddu told 69 News on Thursday.
The brands also operate during the same hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays.
“We saw an opportunity to combine forces,” Muddu said.
“The downtown Easton location is now a co-branded location featuring Jimmy’s and Ciao!”
Muddu and his wife, Priya, purchased the iconic Jimmy’s Hot Dog business in 2024 from previous owners Frank and Polyxeni Bounoutas, who were retiring.
Jimmy’s Hot Dogs owners Raj and Priya Muddu are pictured at the hot dog shop at 2555 Nazareth Road in Palmer Township.
Ryan Kneller
The new downtown Easton location, which opened on May 15, supplements Jimmy’s longtime location in the 25th Street Shopping Center at 2555 Nazareth Road in Palmer Township.
By welcoming Ciao! to the downtown Easton location, the Muddus hope to create an even more popular foodie destination by featuring the Ciao! brand’s full menu of hot and cold sandwiches, salads, sides and more.
Ciao!, which originated in October 2020, is known for its massive, hand-crafted sandwiches such as “The Gotti” (deluxe ham, prosciutto di Parma, Genoa salami, pepperoni, capocollo, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, roasted red peppers, oil and vinegar and balsamic glaze) and “The Balboa” (breaded chicken cutlets, fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella and provolone, marinara sauce, basil and grated parmesan).
Over the years, the business has garnered several local accolades, including “best sandwich” in Lehigh Valley Style’s annual “Best of the Lehigh Valley” reader-voted contest in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe previously operated at 12 N. Third St. in downtown Easton.
Ryan Kneller
Ciao! previously operated under different ownership groups, and the Muddus recently took over operations from its most recent operator, Irene Remache, who remains on the team as a consultant, Raj said.
“Ciao! is now operating under the Jimmy’s umbrella,” Raj said. “So, we’ve bought the Ciao! brand from Irene and are excited to take over operations.”
Ciao!’s offerings are only available at the downtown Easton location of Jimmy’s and not at the Palmer location, Raj said.
Guests can choose from more than two dozen signature sandwiches, starting at $12.47, including cold options such as “The Easton Assassin” (Ovengold turkey, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, black olives, sweet peppers, Italian dressing and oregano) and “Italiano” (deluxe ham, Genoa salami, capocollo, pepperoni, aged provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, oil and vinegar and spicy red pepper relish).
Hot sandwiches include popular picks such as the “Fuhgeddaboudit” (London broil roast beef, fresh mozzarella and brown gravy on a toasted garlic butter hero), “Spartan” (grilled or breaded chicken, feta cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, black olives, tzatziki sauce, oil and vinegar and oregano on choice of bread or wrap) and “Mazel Tov” (pastrami, corned beef or Ovengold turkey, with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and 1,000 Island dressing).
A new location of Jimmy’s Hot Dogs, at 9 N. Third St. in Easton, is now also home to Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe.
Ryan Kneller
Ciao! uses Boar’s Head Meats, and customers also can create their own sandwich by choosing from a wide array of breads, cheeses, meats, toppings and spreads.
Other menu highlights include salads such as antipasto, caprese, Greek and shrimp Caesar; and munchies such as fried ravioli, mozzarella sticks, spicy garlic pizza bites and chicken nuggets and fries.
Ciao!’s recent move was announced on the business’ Facebook page.
“When two businesses unite, customers win!” the announcement reads. “The iconic Jimmy’s Hot Dogs and Ciao! Sandwich Shoppe are collaborating, bringing you old fashioned hot dogs and premium sandwiches under one roof!”
The Muddus operate Jimmy’s with their daughter, Meena, and the family saw an opportunity to expand operations by opening a second location where Jimmy’s originated more than a century ago.
“Most people may not be aware, but Jimmy’s Hot Dogs started in 1908, and it started with a push-cart in downtown Easton by the circle,” Raj told 69 News earlier this year.
“From there, it went to Phillipsburg and operated there for many years before then coming to Palmer in the 1990s. Now, it’s coming full circle and coming back to downtown Easton.”
Ryan Kneller
Jimmy’s new location in downtown Easton occupies the former site of Tandoor Grill, an Indian restaurant that the Muddus have owned and operated for eight years.
Tandoor Grill will continue in an updated format at a new Easton area location, and more details regarding that will be announced on Tandoor Grill’s Facebook page in the coming weeks, Raj said
“Just like at Jimmy’s, we have a lot of loyal customers who love our food at Tandoor Grill,” Raj added. “So, I’d like our Tandoor Grill customers to know that we are working on some alternate options, and more will come on that in the next few weeks.”
In downtown Easton, Jimmy’s offers the same menu that’s offered at its Palmer store, along with a few additions of sides including French fries, pierogies, onion rings and mozzarella sticks.
The business’ classic “everything” hot dog comes with mustard, chopped onions and a pickle spear, and customers also can enjoy chili hot dogs, pre-packaged snacks and drinks such as A-Treat soda.
Other toppings such as ketchup, kraut and relish are also available.
Ryan Kneller
Customers can place orders at a kiosk or with a staff member at the counter.
“The space downtown has a different vibe and is a much bigger space, allowing us to have indoor dining,” Raj said.
“In addition, we can offer a couple additional things on the menu, but still be true to our core product, which is hot dogs. It’s always going to be hot dogs. The way I like to call it is ‘everything and more.’”
The Palmer location of Jimmy’s operates as a to-go shop, but the larger Easton location also offers indoor dining for around 20 guests along with seasonal outdoor dining in a parklet.
Like the Palmer location, the downtown Easton location also offers delivery through Uber Eats and other third-party apps, Raj said.
The Palmer location of Jimmy’s operates 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Jimmy’s Hot Dogs operates at 2555 Nazareth Road in Palmer Township.
Ryan Kneller
Raj refers to the Palmer location of Jimmy’s as the business’ “homebase,” and he wants to assure longtime customers that “not a thing is changing there.”
The Easton location offers the same Jimmy’s hot dogs and friendly service, Raj said.
“It’ll be a slightly different experience, but it’s all about the hot dogs at the end of the day,” Raj said.
Jimmy’s traces its origins to 1908, when Jimmy Makris began operating a hot dog cart in Easton before opening Jim’s Doggie Stand in Phillipsburg in 1910.
Frank Bounoutas and the late John Apostolopoulous worked under Makris at the Phillipsburg spot, near the free bridge in Union Square, and the pair went on to open the Palmer eatery in 1991.
The partners’ relationship soured over the years, and they eventually put the business up for auction in 2016, with Bounoutas winning the bidding at $330,000.
“I’ve been a Jimmy’s customer like many others for the last decade and a half, ever since we moved from Jersey to Pennsylvania,” Raj told 69 News in 2024.
“This one, Jimmy’s, was an opportunity that was too good to resist.”