It already had a facelift to spruce up its appearance; now the former Dollar General building at 310 E. Main Ave. in downtown Bowling Green has a new tenant who aims to make the historic building a hub of activity again.

Next week, local entrepreneur Garrett Cline will open his G Dogs restaurant, selling his signature hot dogs and chili out of the space that was most recently home to the Art Matters studio.

It’s a concept that the 27-year-old Cline hopes will bring new life and a new ambience to a stretch of road just a few strides from Fountain Square Park.

“I want to bring something to Bowling Green that becomes a staple like Frosty Freeze in Franklin or like Judy’s Castle used to be in Bowling Green,” said Cline, a Bowling Green High School graduate. “I want it to be something that everybody remembers and wants to go to.”

Cline’s inspiration for the restaurant is a place called Bill’s Hot Dog Stand in Washington, N.C., which he has frequented while visiting family.

Bill’s, open since 1928, has a loyal following despite its simple takeout-only menu.

“Every morning there’s a line out the door,” Cline said of Bill’s. “It’s very famous in North Carolina.

“When I was there visiting, I thought if Bowling Green had something like this for the night life downtown it would be incredible.”

When he saw the East Main Avenue location – newly renovated by property owner Dan Murph – available, Cline jumped at the chance to lease it and bring the Bill’s experience to his hometown.

G Dogs, so named because of Cline’s first name, will serve the same nuclear-red, oil-fried hot dogs that have made Bill’s popular. And Cline was even able to tap into a well-kept Bill’s secret: its chili recipe.

“I came to a deal on the chili recipe,” he said. “I’m the first person outside of their family to have the recipe. We’ll have the same hot dogs and chili as Bill’s.”

Like Bill’s, G Dogs will be takeout-oriented, although it will have an area for stand-up dining. Cline, though, is putting his own stamp on the restaurant.

The G Dogs logo includes caricatures of Cline’s three dogs, and the hot dog choices on the menu bear such names as Rocco, Stella and Chapo – all names Cline has given to dogs he has owned.

But coming up with hot dog names and a chili recipe hasn’t been among Cline’s biggest worries as he has worked to bring the restaurant to Bowling Green.

Renovating a building that dates to the 1890s comes with hurdles, and those have been compounded by supply chain concerns and a tight workforce environment.

“Every part of this journey has been a rocky road,” said Cline, who has a background in sales and property management but little restaurant experience. “We had to wait three months just for a light fixture.”

Those delays, Cline reasons, may have increased interest in what he calls his “passion project.”

“It has taken me a long time, but it has built anticipation,” he said. “When we were working on it, people would knock on the door and ask when we were going to open.”

At least one of Cline’s backers, his stepfather Sam Murray, believes the perseverance will pay off.

“He (Cline) has a concept that I think is fantastic,” said Murray, who lives near Bill’s Hot Dog Stand in North Carolina. “He has been very methodical in developing the concept.

“He just kept grinding and overcoming the challenges. He has taken all the right steps. I see this thing growing and being wildly successful.”

With his staff and equipment finally in place, Cline hopes to start on the road to that success next week with a “soft opening.”

Eventually, G Dogs will operate Tuesday through Saturday. It will be open from 11 a.m. through 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and will extend the closing time to 3 a.m. on weekends.

“I’m anxious to give people a place to come and get a bite to eat,” Cline said. “I hope everybody here takes to it like they do in North Carolina.”