DALLAS -- National Hot Dog Day is this Wednesday, July 18, and 7-Eleven plans to celebrate in a big way as North America’s number-one retailer of fresh-grilled hot dogs. 7-Eleven estimates that it sells approximately 100 million hot dogs and sausages each year at its North American stores. 

And where is the top market for hot dog and sausage sales, according to the company? Washington, D.C., and the Chesapeake area. But clear across the continent, 7-Eleven customers in Los Angeles like their hot dogs almost as much as mid-Atlantic sausage-heads, the company notes. 

“Big Bite hot dogs are our top-selling prepared food item,” said Kathy Humphries, 7-Eleven category manager for grill. 

Condiments chosen by hot dog lovers to top their dogs vary across the country. Mustard is number-one with 71 percent of purchasers, says 7-Eleven. While the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council says in its “Hot Dog Etiquette” rules that nobody over age 18 should use ketchup on their hot dogs, two-thirds of 7-Eleven customers do. Roughly half prefer chili dogs to the purist’s version; about 40 percent, melted cheese.

After that, regional tastes seem to dictate topping preferences. Sauerkraut is popular in the Northeast, while Floridians prefer Vidalia onion relish, and Texans pico de gallo. Chicagoland 7-Eleven stores carry all the fixings to make a true Chicago dog: electric green relish, sport peppers and celery salt. Those in the Central U.S. like chopped onions, but hold the relish.