Ari Wurmann, founder of the three-outlet Franktitude, thinks the U.S. market is primed for a national frankfurter chain that does for hot dogs what Starbucks did for java. His budding enterprise
features hardwood floors and light-wood chairs, and the menu board lists dressed-up dogs like Weird Frank, topped with hummus, cucumbers and olives.
The classic hot dog--mired in a long
sales slump fueled by health concerns and changing tastes--is trying to engineer a comeback by appealing to consumers' growing appetite for the fresh and trendy.
Hot-dog emporiums with names
like Dogma Grill are eschewing mustard, ketchup and sauerkraut in favor of wasabi mayonnaise, guacamole and provolone. Others are incorporating ingredients like peanut butter and even foie gras.
Applegate Farms of Bridgewater, N.J., is selling the Great Organic Hot Dog, a nitrite-free dog made from grass-fed beef.
Meanwhile, Sara Lee's Ball Park brand--No. 2 behind Kraft's Oscar
Mayer--is trying to break its rival's lock on sales of cheese-filled dogs with Ball Park Cheese Franks, which hit stores last month.
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