‘We take care of each other’

FITCHBURG — Janet’s Chili Dogs owner Paul Iradi is no stranger to giving back so joining forces with one of his customers to help feed those in the community in need came naturally.

Irvin Negron works at Thumb’s Up Barber Shop on John Fitch Highway and is a member of LIDDI Fitchburg, a Pentecostal church. The man who goes by Irvin the Barber wanted to give youth congregants the opportunity to be involved in local outreach, so he organized a prayer walk focused on homeless and purchased a large number of gifts certificates for hot dogs from Janet’s to pass out.

The group from the church met up at the Water Street Flea Market parking lot on the morning of Sunday, June 28, and after praying together, they discussed their plan of action to walk a loop around the Twin Cities Rail Trail, which connects Fitchburg and Leominster, and the area.

“We started out by praying for people that were going into or out of the rail trail providing water, chips and a gift certificate for a free hot dog at Janet’s Chili Dog,” Irvin shared. “We then continued through the rail trail interacting with anyone that would receive words of encouragement, stopping to speak to and bless people with snacks, water, scriptural literature, and gift certificates.”

After giving away over four dozen gift certificates they got off the rail trail at Duck Mill Road and walked back towards where Janet’s is located at 652 Water St. They took a rest, spoke with another person and provided him with the bundle of goodies, and chatted with Paul.

“Then we had a great conversation with Paul, and we took the opportunity to pray for his establishment and for him and his family,” Irvin said. “The prayer walk finished right where it began at the Water Street Flea Market, where we were able to interact with a family about to drive off and a couple of gentlemen who were about to enter the rail trail path.

“All in all, it was a beautiful, and blessed day and we did what we planned to do,” he continued. “We prayed for the city, for our fellow citizens, and for people like Paul, who are blessing others and doing God’s work here in this world.”

One of Janet’s customers who he feeds on a daily basis decided to join them.

“I was proud of him helping them out yesterday,” said Paul, who is not affiliated with any church. “I feed people every day here and believe in giving back and being kind and trying to be a good person.”

He told Irvin — who Paul said, “is so kind and such a genuine, nice guy” — to let everyone know they can come to Janet’s and say, “Can I get a meal?” and he will do just that, no questions asked.

“Nobody will say anything but ‘What would you like to eat,’” Paul disclosed. “We don’t mention money, so they have their dignity.”

His pay-it-forward business model includes feeding the homeless on a daily basis, and he doesn’t charge veterans for their meals. Customers often buy meals he then passes along to those in need and others in the community he picks to receive them — and Paul said if no one buys meals on any given day, he covers them.

“No one walks away hungry,” he said.

Paul officially took over Janet’s Chili Dogs back in November after approaching the owner asking if he could by her chili recipe and she said, “just buy the stand.”

“I have no food business experience. I am lucky I can walk and chew gum at the same time,” he quipped. “I got so tired of corporate life, I just wanted to open a hot dog truck.”

He grew up in East Hanover, New Jersey and said he “barely made it out of high school but ended up district manager for a couple of solar companies.” Paul has called Fitchburg home for many years now and Janet’s Chili Dogs is his full-time job, working seven days a week.

“People love it and I have an awesome pack,” he said of his loyal customer base. “One customer called this a Dog Pack and it stuck. We take care of each other as we should.”

One of his regulars is a half lab, half great Dane named big Ben and his own dog Bella — “a diva Boston Terrier” — is also a fan of his hot dogs.

“All dogs get free dogs,” Paul said. “We call it a Mo Special. Mo was a dog that came here for his last meal before being put to sleep, so we honor all the passed away pups that way by calling it a Mo Special.”

He welcomes anyone who wants to to come and set up their food truck or operation in his space that includes a tent, picnic tables, and corn hole. Paul divulged that Taco Queen, who is known for her birria tacos and other delights, was there not too long ago.

“Her stuff is amazing,” he said of Brittany Fronte, a fellow entrepreneur who has a booth at the Fitchburg Public Market. “I don’t charge anyone anything. It helps them and me. My favorite thing is making people laugh, making them full, and helping small businesses.”

On the very first day he was behind the helm at Janet’s Chili Dogs, one of his customers tipped him $20 for a $25 meal.

“She wouldn’t take it back, so I used that to pay for peoples’ lunch which went on all day,” Paul shared. “The only person who paid was Sophie, who indirectly got the runaway train rolling.”

He has gone seven days straight with no one paying for their meal because generous people prior to them had bought meals to pass along and Paul credits Twin City Savor for making Janet’s “go viral.”

“He also saves a bunch of small businesses by doing his reviews,” he said of the popular influencer.

Paul went to say that as an Italian American, “we believe in family and food.”

“If you come to my house, you don’t leave hungry, so the stand is my house now,” the businessman said with a chuckle.

The big-hearted man encourages people to send those who could use a meal — or simply a smile and some care — his way.

“The reason I pay back to the community is we live in America and I feel no one should be hungry,” Paul said. “If you know somebody that needs a meal, whether they have money or not, all they have to do is come to my stand and say can I have a meal. Nobody will ask them for anything except their order.”