Walter’s, the iconic hotdog stand sitting directly across from Mamaroneck High School on Palmer Avenue, has become a large part of the Mamaroneck community in the 105 years that it has been there. From opening a second location in White Plains to having their food trucks drive around town to different parties and events, Walter’s has made more of a name for itself in our community than the founder, Walter Warrington, ever expected.
Walter’s was founded in 1919, but established their first location in 1928, making it one of the oldest businesses in Mamaroneck. Later, in 2015, they announced and launched their first of five mobile food trucks, and in 2018 they expanded the business and opened a second location in White Plains. They have since also expanded to selling multiple Walter’s products in retail stores around Westchester and shipping those products all over the U.S.. It is a third and fourth-generation family-owned and operated business that still uses the same signature recipe and cooking style it did when the stand opened 105 years ago.
Many students at Mamaroneck High School frequent Walter’s as a lunch spot to get food and hang out with friends on their 40-minute break during the school day. Students usually stand in the 15-minute line daily to order and get their food while their friends scramble for a table down “Hotdog Hill” beside the establishment. MHS student Ava Chow (’26) likes Walter’s because of the great efficiency of the establishment. She goes there during lunch for a “quick bite.” For many, it has become a praised part of their daily routine at school. This isn’t just because Walters produce good food, it is because they have become essential to the MHS students. That is something that Walter’s has prided themselves on since they opened. The unique ability they have to bring people together to create, according to one of the current owners Gene Christian Baca, “fantastic memories.”
Charlotte Patnode (’26) says that the role Walter’s plays in her life at school is a “fun lunch spot” that all students at MHS are welcome to and can enjoy. Baca’s grandfather, who owned the business for almost 70 years, wanted Walter’s to have a large role in MHS student’s lives. He was well known in the MHS community for employing many students at MHS for their first job giving them a flexible schedule, somewhere to learn real world restaurant and business knowledge, and a place to make money. That principle and idea is something that Baca still tries to employ to keep that role in the MHS community Walter’s has built.
In an interview with Baca, he shared that it hasn’t always been easy though. Walter’s has survived the “Great Depression, World Wars, economic and natural disasters such as hurricanes and flooding, as well as the 2020 global pandemic.” Even through all of that, Walter’s has survived and their goal still remains the same, to be “the place” for MHS students and Mamaroneck residents whether it’s after school or after work.
When you go to Walter’s you buy into an experience as well as their food and that is where Baca believes the success of the business stems from.
Walter’s can draw people in due to its Chinese-style architecture and copper roof which adds to the identity of the brand and its distinction. That’s one reason people choose Walter’s over other establishments in Mamaroneck. Patnode (’26) told The Globe that she chooses Walter’s because of its “great milkshakes” and the convenience of it being on the “Palmer side of the building.” Walter’s loyal customer base also comes partly from “consistency…customer service and experience” Baca explains.
In the last 105 years Walter’s has been able to become a large part of our community.
The world has changed countless times in countless ways but, as Baca put it, “Walter’s has been open, Walter’s has still been there.” Walter’s patrons have had loyalty to them, some sending postcards from places as far as Nepal, South Korea and Vietnam.
The Walter’s family has been able to build a relationship with their customers and Baca believes that is a real reason the business has been so successful.
