This Macon hot dog joint is the second oldest in the U.S. Oprah has eaten there, have you?

Editor’s Note: This story is part of Living Local, a regular series featuring a look inside local businesses — the things they make, services they provide and their impact on the community.

There are many things in Macon to be nostalgic about, like a hot dog joint that lays claim to being the second-oldest in the U.S., according to its website.

Nu-Way Weiners (no - it is not misspelled) opened its doors at 430 Cotton Ave. in 1916. The restaurant remained there for 99 years before it burned down in 2015, but the business has remained in operation since then. For decades, the shop sold hot dogs for a nickel, if you can believe it.

“Established the same year as Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand in New York City, Nu-Way is the second oldest hot dog restaurant in the United States,” reads the business’ website.

The price remained 5 cents until the 1940s. A lot has changed around the world since then, but Nu-Way still advocates that the quality and taste of its hot dogs remains the same.

Launched by Greek immigrant James Mallis, the original Nu-Way was housed inside a grocery store.

But once Mallis realized hot dogs were becoming a huge treat in Chicago and New York, he converted the storefront into a hot dog stand.

In the 1930s, by a fluke, the name picked up the idiosyncratic spelling of “wieners” - a sign painter misspelled the name as Nu-Way Weiners. The owners at the time fancied it bad luck to change the spelling once the job was complete, so the quirky spelling remained. And the store has been Nu-Way Weiners ever since.

Nu-Way’s development has mirrored that of the city’s, expanding from its original downtown location to five locations in Macon, two locations in Warner Robins and one in Fort Valley.

The family-owned business is now in its third generation and led by Jim Cacavias and Spyros Dermatas.

“Many Nu-Way patrons are part of a long lineage of Nu-Way lovers. For some families, visiting the restaurant is a tradition and part of what makes Macon unique,” Cacavias said. “Nu-Way enjoys having third and fourth generation employees, some of whom have worked for the business for more than thirty years.”

The signature beef-and-pork hot dog and spicy chili sauce has become a favorite for Middle Georgia residents and non-natives alike. The red hot dogs are made uniquely to Nu-Way specifications, and the chili sauce is still the original recipe.

“The house specialty is a hot dog ‘all the way’ with a wiener in a bun steamed to a warm, tender perfection with mustard and onions,” Cacavias said.

Also very popular is the slaw dog, which The New York Times anointed as the nation’s best.

In spite of its modest, no-frills approach to cooking up the perfect meal, Nu-Way has enjoyed acclaim from a host of media sources.

In addition to the previously mentioned accolades, Nu-Way has also been featured in Southern Living, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Historic Macon, Everyday with Rachael Ray, Roadfood, Macon Magazine, The Hot Dog Companion, and in Southern food guru John T. Edge’s compendium of top eats, Southern Belly.

The hot dog joint has also received television coverage from Travel Channel, The Today Show on NBC, TNT and CNN.

It was also featured prominently in a 1999 PBS documentary, “A Hot Dog Program,” which highlighted 21 of the most notable hot dog establishments in the U.S.

And of course, Oprah Winfrey came to town and visited the original Cotton Avenue restaurant in 2007.

For over 108 years, Nu-Way has been a mainstay of the city’s existence and has developed a cult following for four generations.

Cacavias said through the years customer satisfaction, quality of food and loyalty to the brand has never wavered and he is both humbled and proud to still be serving the Macon community.