In good company for over 70 years.

Welcome to Chet’s Dog House, a Lockport tradition since 1938.

Continuing a long family history for a third generation, today Chet’s Dog House proudly serves customers under the ownership and operation of Chesley “Chet” Secrist. Unfortunately, since May 5, 2009, the restaurant has been closed as Chet battles leukemia at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. Since then, the Lockport community and Chet’s faithful have joined together to help him offset the loss of income and combat the medical bills from his treatment.

Chet’s Dog House began when Chet’s grandfather, Chesley Armstrong Secrist, opened a hotdog house on the corner of Sandpit Road and Route 31 just outside of Lockport, catering mostly to truck drivers and travelers coming through town. In the early 1940s, Chet’s moved to its current home on Lockport’s West Main Street and quickly established itself as the place for good food at good prices.

Chesley Secrist ran Chet’s along with his wife Ruth until he passed away in 1965. Ruth continued to work at the restaurant until her retirement in 2000. Their son, David, began working at Chet’s Dog House in 1960 and took over full-time operation of the family business in the early 1970s. David’s son, the current “Chet”, got in front of the grill at the Dog House in 1997 and continued the family legacy by buying the business from his father in 2001.

As constant and steady as the Erie Canal that flows behind it, Chet’s Dog House endures with a timeless appeal that adds to the rich history of Lockport. Although the times may have changed, the philosophy has remained the same for over 70 years: providing customers with, as Chet puts it, “good food served relatively fast.”

As we all hope and pray for a fast recovery for Chet, we also hold out hope that someday soon Chet will once again be back in front of the grill – serving up his famous pancakes, dog biscuits, steak and eggs and more.