Down for Dogs officially opened Sept. 23 and is run by Owen Sansoucie and his parents, Shane and Danielle Sansoucie. The family recently moved from Pembroke, New Hampshire, to be closer to their children, who attended BYU-Idaho.

The idea for the hot dog stand had been in Shane Sansoucie’s mind for more than a decade, and the move allowed them to make it a reality.

“Owen has always loved being around food and interacting with people, so we thought this would be a great way for him to do both,” said Shane. 

Owen, who has Down syndrome, has worked in the food industry since high school, including several years at a local Five Guys in New Hampshire.

In addition to providing affordable meals to BYUI students and the Rexburg community, Down for Dogs plans to give back to Eastern Idaho Down Syndrome Family Connect. 

The nonprofit, founded in 2015, serves 136 families in the region and works to educate the community about Down syndrome while promoting inclusion. Its mission is to build positive connections between individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the local community through education, advocacy, support and resources.

The stand plans to run special promotions to support the cause, including a punch-card program where customers can receive a free hot dog after buying 10. Owen also hopes to introduce Friday specials in the future.

“Our goal is to offer a fresh, tasty meal at a fair price while giving back to the community in a meaningful way,” Shane said.

Down for Dogs is located in Rexburg, with hours designed to accommodate students and local residents. On their Instagram, downfordogs, they post daily updates on where the stand will be located.

Owen's favorite part of the job is meeting new people.

“If you can make friends over a hot dog, even better,” said Owen.