In the quick-serve and fast-casual space, hot dogs are a hot trend. This past year, concepts such as Miami-based Franktitude, Tampa, Fla.-based Evos and Coney Beach out of Tulsa, Okla., have broken into the market.
Franktitude's founder Ari Wurmann was finishing his MBA while living in Boston when he decided to create a hot-dog concept that offered healthful links and toppings beyond ketchup, mustard and relish.
Wurmann opened the first Franktitude in Miami in 2006, offering chicken, beef, tofu and salmon hot dogs, customizable through a variety of toppings such as tomatoes, chili, olives, cucumbers, avocado, strawberries and wasabi mayonnaise.
The media have dubbed Franktitude as "gourmet," but Wurmann said the concept, now with five locations, is beyond that.
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"For me, I don't like that word because it represents something pricey, but for well-prepared and sophisticated it's fine," he said.
Because of Franktitude's wide selection of toppings, the chain also offers wraps and salads, without adding much to its overhead. And it looks at regional trends when considering new toppings or menu additions.
"If we go to Puerto Rico and they want black beans, OK, that's another product for us. Why do I need to think I have the right to limit customers' options? I love to put fries on top of my hot dogs," Wurmann said.
When Wurmann opened Franktitude, he was looking to change consumers' perceptions about the healthfulness of hot dogs in general. He also wanted to offer a product that was atypical of what consumers might find elsewhere.
"When the customer is in our store, they feel the difference," he said.
Changes in attitude
For consumers young and old, hot dogs are a nostalgic reminder of summers spent at the beach, baseball games or family barbecues in the back yard. Restaurants are attempting to bring back that nostalgic feeling, said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Chicago-based Technomic Information Services.
For example, Coney Beach, a new concept from Beautiful Brands International, is a retro, coastal-style hot dog and burger shack. Menu items include The Beach Comber — a dog with coleslaw, melted mozzarella and shredded cheddar cheese; and Tijuana Dog — a dog smothered in barbecue sauce, topped with bacon, pico de gallo, black beans and guacamole; and Angus burgers, fries, shakes, malts and beer. Additionally, customers can customize their dogs up to 300 ways.
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Franktitude also offers customizable hot-dog options, so consumers can make their links as healthful — or not — as they choose.
Franktitude uses all-natural beef for its hot dogs, and tofu and salmon offer low-fat alternatives, but getting customers through the door has been a challenge.
"While people eat burgers and subs two or more times per week, it's not so much the same mentality as hot dogs," said Wurmann. "It's a basic combination of the bad reputation of hot dogs — where and how it's prepared — and that's something that's not easy to change. It's something that's been in our minds forever, since we were kids."
Hot dogs today are prepared completely differently today than 20 years ago, and operators have more options when deciding what type of dog they should use.
Dino Lambridis, co-founder of Tampa-based Evos, said the chain just rolled out its all-natural, antibiotic- and growth-hormone-free hot dog. The chain's menu overall is a healthier recreation of consumers' favorite foods, such as hamburgers, fries and shakes.
"We just wanted to do the same thing for the hot dog," Lambridis said. "People love hot dogs, but in the last 15 to 20 years people have become savvier about the food that goes into their body. We wanted to give people the opportunity to enjoy the hot dog again."
Between finding the right manufacturer and working with a distributor, it took about three months for Evos, open since 1994, to get its hot dog ready for rollout. Initially, the Evos Lucky Dog will be available for a limited time, "but we hope to make it a full-time item," Lambridis said.
The company considered several things when determining its perfect link.
"With Evos, it's much more complicated because we look at so many different factors," Lambridis said. "Nutritional information, taste, ethical treatment, price ... all of these things has to go into the decision."
While Evos and Franktitude are working hard to change the negative stigma hot dogs incur, as long as it tastes good, does it matter?
"We've been eating mystery meat for so long, we just don't seem to care if it tastes good," Tristano said. "As long as it's good and craveable, I don't think they care what's in it."
