When I visited Flensburg in 2010, one of the first places I stopped at while on bike was Annie’s Kiosk. While it was located on the Danish side in the town of Krusa, it was a well-known place for people to visit while in the area. It had already garnered an international reputation for its hotdogs, where anyone could dress it to his/her own liking as the selection of toppings were far and beyond- from the traditional horse radish, mayonaise and ketchup, to the most exotic that we would never find at a Dairy Queen. All of them were homemade- from the ketchup to the remoulade. The owner at that time, Annie Boghild, owned the business for almost a half a century, starting working there when she was a teenager and staying there until the very end. She had spoken at least seven language (including Danish, German and English), had a warm heart and made everyone’s stay a memorable one.

After all, Flensburg is not Flensburg without Annie’s world famous hotdogs, right?

The city and the entire Fjord was shocked when Boghild died unexpectedly on 25 October, 2016 at the age of 66. Her passing was a shock to everyone who visited her hotdog restaurant or passed her on the streets and had a small talk or two. It was the day where the hotdog went cold and an era might come to an end, as I wrote in my obituary about her:

Hot Dogs Gone Cold

Yet, we fast forward to 2022, the year where I revisited the place with my family, and we see new owners, a new restaurant with a new setting, but the same Annie and the same traditional hotdogs with all you can add toppings.

Shortly after Annie’s passing, as she had requested, the restaurant changed hands and Jens Enemark took over ownership on 1 June, 2017. Enemark owns a nearby golf course and the Padborg Park Motorcycle Complex, both located nearby. Right away, plans were carried out to modernize the restaurant complex and make it bigger and better accessible. The old restaurant was torn down in January 2018 and a new, more modern restaurant was built in its exact location, with more space to sit down and eat, and better parking for cars, bicycles and motorbikes. On 13 April, 2018, the new restaurant opened but with the same name and the same old hotdogs that Annie used to make. 🙂

To give you an idea how Annie’s looks like between now and then, here some photos taken from similar angles but during two different time periods:

While eating there, one can notice the difference as there is more space and one can enjoy the views of the Flensburg Fjord and with it, the two islands located only 100 meters away:

If there was one major change at Annie’s kiosk, it would be the expansion of the menu. Even though the original hotdog and fixings are still there, along with the typical Danish snacks and beverages, one of the entrées I tried for the first time was Annie’s burger served with toasted burger buns and 100% pure Danish beef. Like with the hotdog, you can choose your favorite toppings for the burger and enjoy the taste of it the way you liked it. It reminded me of building a sub-sandwich at a typical Subway restaurant; only this time, it was with the hamburger. The selections for both the hotdog and the burger may have expanded, but their taste was high-class, just like in the days with Annie. Clearly shows that homemade has never lost its touch! 🙂

While Annie’s may have changed in terms of its setting, its legacy and its homemade products have not. And rightfully so, as one can still see the long lines of people lining up to try Annie’s hotdogs and hamburgers, as I saw in my visit. And like in Annie’s time, the rewards will pay off, as Annie’s Kiosk has become a tourist magnet like before and with that, the return to the title of Europe’s best hotdog spot. 🙂

1. Annie’s Kiosk had won Danmark’s best Hotdog Championship twice when Boghild owned the restaurant, the last one, albeit disputed, came in 2010.
2. There was once a battle of the best hotdog in 2014 when a couple students opened their own hotdog stand right next door to the Kiosk. Fjordens Perle also served hotdogs and burgers and attracted visitors, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The owners were once apprentices of Boghild.
3. It also was the place where the Darwin Awards should have been given. In August 2010, burglar broke into the kiosk and stole the day’s earnings. He was caught by the police while sleeping in his car- with the stolen cash in the bag, 150 meters away from the restaurant!
4. The restaurant survived the historic Sturmflut of October 2023 with minor damage. Sandbagging efforts were successful in averting more extensive damage as what happened with the houses along the Fjord. More on that can be found via link here. There you will find links to the rebuilding projects that are occurring at present.

.