Lady’s Gourmet Popcorn and Relish lie on Broad Street in downtown Griffith, ready to supply creative combinations of popcorn, hot dogs, and other treats. Two family businesses are housed in one building, with Relish owned by Carly Haugh and Lady’s by her sister Amanda Sanow and mother Patti Haugh.  

“There was a gap in the market for hot dogs after Boz’s Hot Dogs left,” said C.Haugh. “I was looking to stay closer to home, and it seemed like a really great idea to come home and start my own spot.” 

Specialties of Relish include Chicago dogs, both traditional and vegan, chili cheese dogs, and ballpark hot dogs that can be topped by garlic, mustard, relish, and other unique toppings. Their best sellers are the Chicago dog and grilled cheese dog. Haugh likes to rotate the menu of exotic hot dog combinations and soups while keeping staples of Chicago dogs, chili dogs, and grilled cheese dogs. 

“We do gourmet hot dogs, but our soups have taken off,” said C. Haugh. “It’s my favorite thing, along with putting ridiculous things on hot dogs- jalapeno grilled cheese dog that has pepper jack cheese homemade pickle jalapenos on it. I get to do fun things that most hot dog shops don’t get to do.”

Haugh’s favorite thing about Relish is being able to stay close to her family and set her own hours. “Working in a corporate environment so long, there’s a lot of rules and regulations that you follow, that you have to keep in line. Here, every single thing I do is relevant to my day to day job. I can set my own business hours, I get a lot more time with my family, and I can put whatever I want on the menu.”

Sanow, P. Haugh, and her aunt Cathi Knestrict started Lady’s Gourmet Popcorn after a successful run at the 2013 Griffith Central Market. They started with a modest store in December 2013 with caramel corn and cheddar cheese popcorn. Six years later, they are one of Griffith’s most quaint, adored businesses, combined with Relish. 

“We really specialize in our caramel corn. It was my grandma’s recipe; her nickname was Lady, so we named the store after her, and caramel corn is her recipe,” said Sanow. Sanow and her mother make fresh popcorn every day. Similarly to Relish, Lady’s has a rotating menu with seasonal flavors alongside everyday essentials. For example, white cheddar and caramel corn can be bought any day, but churro is only found in winter. 

Sanow comes up with most of the recipes. “When I’m not sleeping or laying down, and I think ‘What kind of flavor?’ You start thinking
about the smells around you, what they could go with. I make most of the savory flavors; my mom makes the sweet flavors.”

Lady’s and Relish are open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m..