Hot DOG! Open up for alligator sausage, banana relish, and the best wurst in the brat world —
'cause they're headed your way. These franchises are the clear wieners on the hot dog scene.
What began as a humble New Orleans hot dog stand has turned into a lucrative
franchise business that's making a name for itself in the southeast corner of the
United States. Dat Dog opened in 2011 and soon opened more locations in Louisiana
and Texas. A few years ago, the franchise had its sights set on Florida. After all,
the hot dog eatery's CEO Paul Tuennerman hails from the Sunshine State, and he wanted
to bring his franchise's signature dogs and sausages there — particularly to Tampa Bay.
It's hard to know what exactly makes a franchise so popular,
but Tuenneman had a guess that the sheer amount of variety is
what intrigues customers about Dat Dog. As he told The Tampa Bay Times:
"You can pick anything from alligator, crawfish,
or duck sausages to plant-based spicy chipotle sausages or traditional all-beef frankfurters."
Once the flare and flavors of Dat Dog reach Florida,
there's no telling where they'll expand to next.
There are many hot dog chains in the United States, but few have as rich of a history
as Nathan's Famous. The franchise opened in 1916 on Coney Island by its eponymous founder,
and since its inception it's fed millions of hungry customers,
including dignitaries such as President Franklin Roosevelt
and the King of England. Not bad for a restaurant that started with a $300 loan.
"And why are Nathan's so good?"
It wasn't until 1955, decades after it first opened, that the restaurant expanded to a
second location. Now, more than 100 years after opening, Nathan's Famous is looking
for even more franchise opportunities — and it's got a business plan to achieve its goal.
In December 2022, Nathan's Famous Vice President of Marketing, Phil McCann,
shared details of the restaurant's franchise conversion program,
which intended to help struggling businesses by converting them into a Nathan's Famous.
"Our goal is to give these restaurant owners a brand that has more than 100 years of
recognition packaged in a quick, easy-to-open strategy aimed at driving revenue fast."
Nathan's Famous currently has locations in nearly half the states in the union
along with more than 10 countries around the globe, with hopes to keep growing.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced nearly every business in the world to somehow pivot to make ends meet.
And while some weren't able to make it through the global health emergency, others found the business
adaptations to be helpful even after the world resumed mostly normal operations. Chains like
Hot Dog on a Stick are still successful thanks to their changes in practices.
"Hot Dog on a Stick."
"I've never had a Hot Dog…I don't even know what that is."
"What?"
"You've never had a Hot Dog on a Stick?"
Jenn Johnston of FAT Brands — Hot Dog on a Stick's
parent company — told QSR Magazine of the franchise's changes during COVID:
"Our products are made fresh to order when people get to the counter, so we hadn't really
anticipated the demand for people ordering to go and enjoying them later in their home. With the
pandemic we ended up putting all of our stores on third party delivery and online ordering,"
But it's more than just the ability to adapt that has aided in Hot Dog on a Stick's endurance.
Outlets like Franchise Chatter have named it a top five hot dog franchise in the United States
because of its delicious fare. The chain currently has dozens of locations across seven states.
Dog Haus was opened by three men with an affinity for hot dogs and a commitment to quality
ingredients. The chain prides itself on its use of ethically sourced meat and plant-based options,
serving up hearty and decadent gourmet hot dogs, as well as burgers, chicken,
and sliders. Dog Haus also has a breakfast menu and serves craft beers and cocktails,
setting it apart from other hot dog franchises across the country.
"It's beautiful."
"Cluck."
With a menu like that, it's obvious why there's a hunger for Dog Haus. And where
exactly is that hunger? All over America — particularly in major cities. There are
nearly 100 different locations in the continental United States, and there are soon to be more.
With the restaurant's growth comes new initiatives. In early 2023,
the chain announced its Absolute Wurst Sausage Series. Each month,
new sausages will arrive at Dog Haus locations for customers to try. In February — the first month
of the series — customers tried Nashville Hot Chicken sausage. And in March, the franchise sent
out its Corned Beef & Cabbage sausage — a flavor seemingly chosen in honor of St. Patrick's Day.
Although Wienerschnitzel has been called "the world's most wanted wiener," there
are several places across the United States where patrons couldn't access the hot dog
franchise even if they wanted to. But that's about to change. In early 2023,
the company announced its goal to put franchise locations in states in the Midwest and the South.
Wienerschnitzel plans to achieve its goal through a new franchise incentive program.
With its new initiative, the restaurant hopes to continue expansion and bring business owners
who once thought they were ineligible into the franchise game — a historically expensive venture.
The company already has over 300 locations, which are mostly found
across the Southwest. The first one opened in southern California in 1961, and since then,
Wienerschnitzel has grown exponentially, now selling more than 120 million hot dogs
every year. The chain plans to have even more hot dogs available in new areas in Arkansas,
Nebraska, and Idaho. And that's just the beginning. Keep your eyes peeled
for a Wienerschnitzel, because it might soon be in a city or state near you.
Most franchises aim for widespread domination, but many begin with a regional approach,
opening several new locations in the same general area. Take The Original Hot Dog Factory,
for instance. Although it has locations in multiple states from New York to Texas,
the hot dog chain is most prolific along the East Coast. The Georgia-born eatery opened its 25th
location in July 2022, which coincidentally happens to be National Hot Dog month.
To open these shops, the chain has had to find very specific people. In order to franchise with
The Original Hot Dog Factory, candidates need to have a net worth of over $100,000,
$40,000 of which must be liquid. The candidate must have other qualifications, too, like the
willingness to open at least three stores within two years of opening their first. This explains
how the franchise has opened so many new locations in recent years. If this growth continues,
the chain will have far more than a few dozen locations to patronize in the coming years.
"I'm just happy to be a owner, happy to be here in the Bronx,
raised in the Bronx, and actually own something here in the Bronx."
Hot dog restaurants tend to have pretty similar menus. Sure,
there are a few marked differences, but most focus on, well, a hotdog in a bun.
"Have you ever had one before?"
"A hot dog?"
And while there's nothing wrong with that focus — we love a classic American hot dog
stand as much as anyone — it's nice to see some restaurants expanding our
horizons and serving hot dogs inspired by cuisine from around the world. Destination
Dogs started because its founders love to travel and eat. Thanks to their passions,
we are able to try a unique menu featuring domestic and international dogs alike.
Plenty of customers have taken notice of the New Jersey-based hot dog chain. Outlets
like The New York Times have featured Destination Dogs in their reporting,
and there's an opportunity to franchise with the company. If you were to open
your own Destination Dogs, just some of the options on your menu would include the Bun Mi,
made with Cantonese sausage, pickled carrots, and daikon radish; the Charles Dog Gaulle,
proudly built on a duck sausage; and the Andouille Armstrong, full of alligator and shrimp sausage.
Every now and then we see franchises experience massive growth, opening new locations all across
America in what feels like a very short amount of time. Take Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ.
The franchise hasn't been in business even close to 10 years, and yet it's already got
locations in nearly half of U.S. states. And the momentum shows no signs of slowing
down. Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ signed on five new franchisees within the first six weeks of 2023.
Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ isn't only unique in its growth. It's also developing another
side of its business that few, if any, other hot dog chains in the world offer:
axe throwing. This activity is only available at a few select locations so far,
but several more plan to start handing out axes soon. If you've ever dreamed of
throwing an axe while eating a hot dog, Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ may be the restaurant for you.
File the specialties at Hula Dog under the best foods to come out of Hawaii. Most American
franchises start in the continental United States, but Hula Dog is a fantastic exception
to that pattern. The food truck chain opened in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu in 2000,
and it now has a location outside Los Angeles, California, and one in Houston, Texas.
Hula Dog is known for its novel hot dogs that are fully wrapped in dough
rather than laying in an open bun, and they feature toppings grown in Hawaii. Options to
choose from that can spruce up your hot dog include a variety of fruit relishes,
like banana and star fruit, as well as guava mustard and lilikoi mustard.
"And my favorite is the Maui onion."
"Yeah, I like them all together here."
At the very least, cleanse your palate with one of the franchise's freshly
squeezed lemonade flavors just so you can say you had a taste of paradise.
Generations of New Yorkers have grown to love the charbroiled hot dogs at Ted's,
which has extended to ten locations in New York and Arizona over the century. The offerings have
also expanded, with burgers, chicken sandwiches, sausage, sides, and shakes now on the menu,
along with veggie dogs, skinless dogs, and gluten-free buns. To top it off, the chain
has high standards for its ingredients. In 2022, Ted's temporarily stopped selling its footlong
hotdogs until it could find an acceptable bun in response to supply chain shortages.
New customers still come in off the street, lured by the smell of charcoal-grilled hotdogs. And old
customers keep coming back for meals that taste like home to them. Both new and old customers
rave about Ted's hotdogs with limitless toppings, along with the chain's brats,
loganberry shakes, and onion rings. With multiple locations, Ted's sure has come
a long way from the horse-drawn hot dog cart it started as, and the brand is continuing to grow.
Sam's Hot Dog Stand started not with a man named Sam, but with a West Virginian named Frank.
He worked with a chef friend — also not named Sam — to develop a one–of-a-kind chili recipe,
and together they opened the first Sam's Hot Dog Stand in 1983. They have been successful enough
to open over 40 locations across West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina.
The basic menu at Sam's Hot Dog Stand is simple and inexpensive. Even with inflation, a single hot
dog is not likely to cost more than $3.35. Each stand serves a basic menu of 100% beef chili dogs,
pork barbecue sandwiches, and coleslaw. However, franchise owners are welcome to extend the menu to
suit the locals, with options like seasoned fries, shakes, biscuits and gravy, baked beans, or even
breakfast dogs. For people interested in owning a franchise, Sam's says new owners can expect
to invest $21,300 to $49,000. One young employee was able to buy the previous owner out with his
savings and a small loan. So if owning a hotdog stand is among your dreams, it's not impossible.