Love was in the air when Cupid’s Hot Dogs opened its first location outside the Golden State back in 2022 thanks to California transplant (and frequent Cupid’s patron) Chira Chamlongsupalak and her husband, Sorot “Boyd” Chamlongsupalak. The franchise owners quickly found success, and in my June 2022 review, I said Cupid’s bestowed Lee Road with the SoCal vibe it didn’t know it needed.
That said, the location was an odd one — and by late 2024, the Chamlongsupalaks closed Cupid’s with the hopes of reopening it in Seminole County. Well, that hopeful day is here. Cupid’s has soft opened and is now serving its iconic all-beef dogs from the old Parada Restaurant space inside Longwood’s West Lake Plaza at 254 W. State Road 434.
The space has undergone a thorough Californication, but don’t expect roller-skating carhops to deliver Cupid’s signature chili dogs like they do at the original roadside institution in the San Fernando Valley — this is a tight parking lot.
Among the hot dogs being offered at the Longwood location are the Cupid’s original (with chili, mustard and onions), Chicago (mustard, onions, neon relish, tomatoes, sport peppers, pickle and celery salt), NY (mustard, cheese, sauerkraut) and Carolina (a chili cheese dog with cole slaw).
And in a very Orlando sort of twist, Cupid’s will also serve Venezuelan arepas fashioned by Mailyn Rondon and Manny Galindo of Masa Arepas by the time it celebrates its grand opening on Dec. 5. Cupid’s will run a special “grand opening week” promotion of $1 combos (chips and a drink) with every hot dog purchase and a free drink with the purchase of two arepas.
Follow Cupid’s Hot Dogs @cupids_hotdogs or visit cupidshotdogs.info.
