King's will re-open this fall.So I was standing outside the under-restoration King's Sandwich Shop this morning, talking with the guys doing the restoring, when we were interrupted.

"Number 3 all the way!" a passerby shouted, flashing a grin.

"Number 3 coming right up!" T.J. McDermott, the co-owner of the new King's, shouted back.

"I'm ready!" the passerby replied.

Indeed, plenty of hungry, nostalgic Durham folks are ready for the King's restoration. The beloved 1940s-built burger-and-dog joint at the corner of Foster and Geer streets has sat empty for two years.

"People come down and tell us these stories all the time," T.J. says, "about coming down here with their grandfather who would bring them for a hot dog, or their first meal when they saw Durham was at King's. It's just been incredible, the response from the community. I had no idea it would be like this."

T.J. McDermott inside the under-renovation King's.T.J., along with his sister and co-owner Maggie McDermott, are re-opening the shop this fall, hopefully by October. Local landscape architect and T.J.'s childhood friend Rob Emerson is putting in some sweat equity by helping with the renovation. And T.J.'s friend from Key West, artist Will Fernandez, is producing art work and T-shirt designs for the new shop. (Click here to see those and other images from the project.)

The menu will be as simple as years' past, featuring brats, Italian sausage, all-beef hot dogs, burgers, shakes and fries. Some more modern touches include both a standard veggie dog and a grilled veggie "dog" with zucchini, squash, onion and mozzarella. They're also planning a Chicago dog, Mexican-style dog and other methods of "mixing it up."

By popular demand, T.J. says, "We'll also be doing some of the old school off the menu items: grilled pimento cheese sandwich, fried bologna, pinto beans."

"People are not shy about sharing their favorite thing from the King's menu," Rob says.

That love and sense of ownership from the community sustains T.J. and Rob during long, hot workdays.

They told of a man who was born and raised in Durham who hadn't been back in 15 years until his aunt's funeral recently. He said he wanted to see three of his old haunts: Durham High School (now Durham School of the Arts), the DAP and King's.

An artist's rendering by Will Fernandez."Those kind of things keep us invigorated and keep it exciting when we're having rough days," Rob says.

"Buildings like this are a direct link to our past," T.J. says.

"I think people are longing for a little bit of that wholesome good American food and a meeting ground where people can meet new friends, see old friends, have a hot dog, talk about the weather.

"Rob and I were very much intersted in the historic significance of this building. We don't see a decrepit building. We see a really cool funky old building that can be turned into what it was."