New business gets frank with the economy

Mitchell Greenberg's hopes for a sit-down hot dog restaurant on the Gulf Coast were extinguished by the recession, specifically the dearth of bank financing available.

So Greenberg, a retired gynecologist from Detroit, had to improvise. Instead of a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant, Greenberg instead launched a hot dog cart business.

But this isn't a run-of-the-mill hot dog cart in front of a courthouse. Greenberg, along with his brother, Cary Greenberg, opened Greenberg Brothers Coney Island Outside Bistro earlier this summer.

The cart cost the Greenbergs about $50,000 to open, a tally that, no joke, includes going through Florida's rigorous hot dog cart regulatory process. The cart is now a mini-restaurant parked just outside the door at Clear Sunset Car Wash on State Road 64 in east Manatee County.

“It's not what we intended to do, but we are excited about this,” says Greenberg. “We are trying to develop a brand and a customer base.”

Greenberg hopes to open six to eight more Greenberg Brothers bistros in the next year so, either at car washes or other spots with many walk-by customers. A plan to franchise the concept is also in the works.

Plus, Greenberg delivers lunch to local businesses, and he will cater parties and corporate events.

It's a big change, but while starting the business, Greenberg followed another entrepreneurial staple: Stick with your passion.

For Greenberg, that's Detroit Coney Island Hot Dogs, served with chili, yellow mustard and raw sweet onions. “Our product is so strong,” he says, “once people try it we get repeat business.”