Yes, she’s the next in line. The heir apparent. The next by golly it’s a Gulla.
But Tabytha Gulla still doesn’t know IT. And it simmers RIGHT OVER THERE every single day. She stirs it. She smells it. She serves it. But she doesn’t know what it is … exactly, anyway
“I guess that time is probably here now,” admitted Paul Gulla, the partner and operations manager of Gulla’s Lunch in Bellaire. “It’s a family secret and it’ll always be that way.
“Here ya go … it’s made with a little bit of love, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. You know? Shoot, I can’t give up the secret. I’ve been making it since I was 16 or 17 after my grandfather showed me,” Gulla said with a smile. “Just one day my Pap said, ‘Hey, come over here. You gotta learn how to do this.’ And I’ve been making it ever since.”
Tabytha knew as a child there was a family business where her father and grandfathers worked, but it wasn’t until she was a student at Bellaire High school until the legend came into clear sight.
“I realized our hot dogs were a pretty big deal when I was in high school because so many people were talking about them, but I don’t think I realized that everyone in town came to Gulla’s,” she said. “At first, I wondered why people were calling me ‘Hot Dog’ and why I always heard the ‘By Golly’ stuff all of the time. I know I was naïve, but I really just thought they were just goofing around.
“But when I started working at the shop is when I realized it was something to be very proud of, and I am even more today,” she said. “And I think it’s going to be great carrying on the family tradition. That’s going to mean a lot to me and that’s why I’m concentrating on learning everything I can about the business right now.”
95 Years and Counting
It was called the “Columbia,” and it was opened by Paul Gulla in February 1929, and yes, the eatery served a meatless chili sauce on hot dogs, too. Pauil’s son, Joe, took over in 1952, and in 1983, the business transferred to sons Duane, Ricard, and Paul.
When Gulla’s turned 80 years old in 2009, Duane was in change, and now his son, Paul, operates Gulla’s Lunch with daughter Tabytha preparing for the takeover.
“I have been working in the shop for several years already and it has a flow to it that my great-grandfather made a standard here. That’s why there’s not reason to mess with that at all,” Tabytha said. “Plus, my father isn’t going anywhere any time soon. He may say he is, but he’s been working since he had surgery on his shoulder because that’s what he does. This business is in our blood and we love it.
“That’s why, if the time ever comes, I plan to hyphenate my name if I get married because of the Gulla tradition here in Bellaire,” she said. “I’m proud of my family’s history and their work ethic, and I’m proud that Gulla’s Lunch is as popular it is with the people who live here and who live throughout the valley.”
And beyond, apparently. That’s what Paul learned during the pandemic when Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine failed to distinguish the Gulla Dog as “essential.” Instead, Gulla’s Lunch was limited like all other eateries.
“We weren’t allowed to have anyone inside the shop, and that was really weird because the shop seems like it’s always busy. Doesn’t matter what time it is, there are always people coming and going,” Paul said. “So, we had to do take-out only and we didn’t know what to expect. We were worried.
“It turned out to be a really neat experience because she came to realize a couple of things – how far people will travel for our food, and how far the name ‘Gulla’ has traveled out there. People from hundreds of miles away know about us because of our hot dogs, and that’s a really cool feeling,” he recalled. “We had a lot of people come to us from the Pittsburgh area, and they said because taking drives to places was the only thing we were allowed to do, they did it for food and included us. We picked up even more customers from that.”
And believe it or not, those customers came for more than hot dogs smothered in that famous sauce.
“Our hot dogs have always received the most attention, and we found out just how well known they are during the pandemic. But we do have a lot of different items on our menu every day. We also have a lot of specials during the week like cabbage rolls and lasagna,” Paul said. “Plus, we have burgers, fish, wings, pork chop, ribs, and chicken breasts, and all of the sides that goes with those menu items. We have pasta, too, and pierogies.
“Our breakfast starts at 7 a.m., and then we get into lunch at around 10:30-11 a.m.,” he said. “And then we offer a great dinner menu beginning at 4 p.m., but yeah, our hot dogs are available all day long because they are our most popular item and have been for as long as I can remember.”
