24 September 2006

Well Hello Dolly! - UPDATED

| punk in drublic
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The popular food van Dollys near the ANU has been sold for more then a song…

Dollys food van went under the digital hammer last night at 8pm.

It ended up being sold for over $40,000 dollars, well just over.

http://www.dola.com.au/onlineauction/auction/APViewItem.asp?ID=31088

UPDATE: A big hello to the Canberra Times’ Claire Low who’s picked up the story and spoken to the new owner Harry Nguyen, 26. Harry’s promising to bring back the glory days of Dolly’s with a return of the hot dog and some healthier choices (because when I’ve spent the night poisoning myself with liquor and second hand smoke I’m after a healthy bite to throw up minutes later?).

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Big Al said :

I believe “Dolly” was the nickname of the original owner of the business Graeme Dwyer. They were probably the goldern years of the establishment – it was a regular hang out for the plods who would gather around the back to drink Graeme’s scotch when they should have been patrolling Civic, and in the quite times you could just wander in the back door and make yourself a burger…

$40K wouldn’t be more then the cost of the second hand equipment in the van – the espresso machine was probably worth half of that.

2nd hand espresso machine worth 20 grand? What do you base that on?

Tetranitrate said :

Jivrashia said :

I’m after a healthy bite to throw up minutes later?

Can I part some wisdom here?

If you had a huge night and you know you are going to throw up afterwards, have a Tim-Tams!
It will curtail the foul taste of the vomit. In fact, your vomit will taste like Tim-Tams!!

Oh god, that’s so disgusting – yet nevertheless well worth knowing.

On a thinly-related note … I once read an article about a fighter pilot who did occasional passenger entertainment/stunt/demo flights. The journo asked for a breakfast recommendation since it was considered normal on these rides to toss your cookies. Pilot responded, “bananas … they taste the some coming up as going down.”

Tetranitrate2:59 pm 24 Jan 13

Jivrashia said :

I’m after a healthy bite to throw up minutes later?

Can I part some wisdom here?

If you had a huge night and you know you are going to throw up afterwards, have a Tim-Tams!
It will curtail the foul taste of the vomit. In fact, your vomit will taste like Tim-Tams!!

Oh god, that’s so disgusting – yet nevertheless well worth knowing.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd1:28 pm 24 Jan 13

speaking of vans, what hapnened to martys? He was king of the hot dog imo.

as far as i know we only have rj’s (inferior to martys and dollys) and g spot(never been).

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd1:27 pm 24 Jan 13

frontrow said :

It was set up in the carpark at Southlands, Mawson a few years ago. I haven’t been there recently to see if it still there.

Nope, waa there for a short time, went to grab a late not hot dog and was gone already.

I’m after a healthy bite to throw up minutes later?

Can I part some wisdom here?

If you had a huge night and you know you are going to throw up afterwards, have a Tim-Tams!
It will curtail the foul taste of the vomit. In fact, your vomit will taste like Tim-Tams!!

It was set up in the carpark at Southlands, Mawson a few years ago. I haven’t been there recently to see if it still there.

Ahhh the glory days of the early 1990s. Canberra Workers club, Early Mooseheads with the see through dance floor, The Private Bin, Pandoras and some great gigs at ANU Bar.

Dollys would have made plenty of coin in its day and I would have considered 40k cheap.

ainsliebraddon12:00 pm 24 Jan 13

Did anything ever come of Harry Nguyen’s purchase? I wonder what happened to the Dolly’s van?

I am sure the new owner will try to make some improvements to Dolly’s.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what sort of food they would like to see at Dolly’s?

I now live in syd but use to visit Dolly’s as a young girl on late night walks with my sis and dad. my dad was good mates with the guys who first owned it and hopefully the food will be just as good as it use to be. i will surely be visiting it on one of my many trips back to the ACT.

I ate at the yellow bus once and got sick. Graeme Dwyer used to pride himself on the fact that health inspectors would come by and get a burger when they were out on the town. His philosophy was – dont try selling food you wouldn’t be prepared to eat yourself.

Used to patronise Dollys a lot, especially after they chucked us out of the Workies, or the ANU bar. It was always so much more upmarket than that terrible Mandalay yellow bus.

Did I not post where willit be placed once they start to develop the car park it is situated on?

I believe “Dolly” was the nickname of the original owner of the business Graeme Dwyer. They were probably the goldern years of the establishment – it was a regular hang out for the plods who would gather around the back to drink Graeme’s scotch when they should have been patrolling Civic, and in the quite times you could just wander in the back door and make yourself a burger…

$40K wouldn’t be more then the cost of the second hand equipment in the van – the espresso machine was probably worth half of that.

punk in drublic4:01 pm 21 Sep 06

I found out about it randomly during a browse of dola

I would love to see it become the Canberra version of Harry’s Cafe De Wheels. From what I have heard it does well with the late night clubbing, uni and security crowd.

I hope this doesn’t mean the food quality will go downhill…

Seriously, will this mean any change to this upstanding institution of Canberra fine dining? They should have more vegetarian stuff imho. Also, how did you find out about this?!

Absent Diane12:38 pm 21 Sep 06

Thus passes the glory of the world

quickly through the bowels of business? much like their hotdogs!!

Trivia question for you all.

How did it originally get the name “Dolly’s”

I cna’t believe that thing is/was still there!

Thus passes the glory of the world

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