AURELIANO DOMINGUEZ, OWNER
El Caprichoso Sonoran Hot Dogs
In 1987 when I came to Phoenix from the state of Sinaloa with no relatives or money, I ended up living in an abandoned car in an alley. I came here to learn English and make some money to pay for my school and help my family back in Mexico. Even though I had some education back home, that meant nothing here…so I had to work washing dishes in restaurants, at car washes, and in construction to survive. I had one thing in mind: NOT GOING BACK AS A LOSER – whatever it took.
A couple of years later while working nights at a liquor store, I noticed people hanging out near a nightclub with no food around. I figured those people must be hungry after all that dancing, so an idea came to me: to feed those people.
Having deep roots in both states, Sinaloa and Sonora, I chose Sonoran hotdogs. It was something that didn’t require a big investment. I borrowed a small hotdog cart in 1990 and started making hot dogs after working as a construction laborer during the day. I stayed at that location for 20 years.
While I take pride to be the first Sonoran-style hotdog vendor in Phoenix and now with four locations, I strive to be the best. Best is primo.