Original Joey’s Place, 850 Lincoln Ave, is now in the Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame.

A brief ceremony occurred on Tuesday.

Joey’s is family owned and has been a part of the Charleston and Eastern Illinois University community for nearly 25 years.

A young Mark Grant joined his mother Winola at Jimmy Johns and his experiences inspired him to create his own business. Winola and Mark bought Joey’s and their family worked on the task of making it over.

Their menu would eventually include Vienna Beef hot dogs, and Polish sausages, great burgers with homemade buns, and an awesome variety of deli, beef, and Philly steak sandwiches to name a few, according to a press release.

“We didn’t know we were working hard,” Mark Grant said in an interview. “We just knew we had to keep working.”

“It’s been hard at times but it’s been real rewarding too,” he said.

Joey’s has been voted best hot dog and fastest delivery on campus and even national celebs from the area like Tony Romo and Sean Payton have found their way to Joey’s Place, according to the press release.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support of the community including the student community at Eastern. We try to give good service and good food. It is still an honor to be recognized for working hard,” he said. Mark Grant has given back to the community with many fundraisers, according to the Vienna Beef Press Release.

Grant said several criteria have to be met to be inducted into the hall of fame. The restaurant has to have good food, good service and a good reputation. The hall of fame is based on community service and longevity, he said. If a restaurant has been serving the community for 20 or 25 years and doing it well, the criteria is met.

“There are only a hundred of us in the state of Illinois that have been inducted into the Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame in the last ten years,” he said. “So I’m lucky to be one of those.”

Destiny Bell can be reached at 581-2812 or at drtollerud@eiu.edu