News

Dat Dog eyeing Sunshine state for expansion

Provided

February 21, 2020

New Orleans-based Dat Dog is planning to expand beyond its four Louisiana locations into Florida, looking to open six units in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Fort Myers and Naples.

"We believe residents in these areas would appreciate Dat Dog as a place to not only enjoy a great meal but have fun creating it," CEO Paul G. Tuennerman said in a company press release. 

Dat Dog's expansion is part of Tuennerman's growth strategy for the brand throughout the South.

"This isn't your father's hot dog stand," said the former executive with Raising Cane's.  "We encourage each guest to make it their own, starting with our range of sausages and hot dogs. They can pick anything from alligator, crawfish, or duck sausages to plant-based spicy chipotle sausages or traditional all-beef frankfurters and decorate their creation with any of our 30 toppings. You can come in every day and create an entirely different gourmet masterpiece each time."

Founded in 2011, Dat Dog serves sausages, all-beef hot dogs, French Fries, tater tots, premium spirits and a sampling of local craft beers, in a brightly colored, unpolished environment. It also offers vegetarian and vegan options to accommodate most lifestyle options. It offers 30 toppings including unconventional options like blackberry sauce, guacamole, chipotle mayo, and crawfish etouffee.

Including a franchise fee of $50,000, the total investment to begin operation of a Dat Dog franchise is between $992,000 and $2,800,000, according to the release.