Daniel Contreras, owner of El Güero Canelo, is in the spotlight and it’s not just for his locally famous hot dogs wrapped in bacon.

On Tuesday, August 13, the Pima County Board of Supervisors proclaimed that August 13 — from that day forward — is “Daniel ‘El Güero Canelo’ Contreras Day.”

In downtown Tucson, Contreras was honored publicly by the Board of Supervisors and given a plaque for his support, partnership, and contributions to the Spanish campaign for Pima Animal Care Center (PACC).

“Happy Daniel ‘El Güero Canelo’ Contreras Day in Pima County,” Supervisor Adelita S. Grijalva shared. “Thank you for everything that you have done for all of us in Pima County!¡Gracias por todo lo que haces y has hecho para mejorar nuestra comunidad!”

You can celebrate however you’d like on August 13. Perhaps you’ll be chompin’ on a Sonoran hot dog or cutting up your jumbo carne asada burrito into bite-size pieces.

Contreras has been honored many times over the years, including a James Beard Award in 2018.

While the Sonoran hot dog originated in the Sonoran capital of Hermosillo, the award announcement called Contreras the “leading ‘hotdoguero’ in Tucson, the ‘American epicenter’ of Sonoran hot dogs.”

Hailing from Magdalena, Sonora, where he was born in 1961, Contreras set up his first hot dog stand in Tucson in 1993. Since then, it’s blossomed into multiple brick-and-mortar restaurants.

For more information on El Guero Canelo, visit elguerocanelo.com.

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