Ohio hot dog joint chooses south Sarasota County for Florida debut

Hot Dog Shoppe, a popular Ohio-based eatery founded in 1946, is opening a new location in Venice — its first franchise store and first spot outside the Buckeye State. 

The new Hot Dog Shoppe, at 415 U.S. 41 Bypass N., next to the Hotel Venezia, is scheduled to open Jan. 29, according to a statement. A ribbon-cutting will be held Jan. 30, with a celebration that includes a raffle to win two free hot dogs per week for a year. 

Local entrepreneur Marty Rauch owns and leads Hot Dog Shoppe Venice. He plans to open 20 locations as part of the company’s expansion in Florida, the release states.

Hot Dog Shoppe offers a menu that includes hot dogs, chili dogs, burgers, hand cut fries, chicken sandwiches, soups, hand-spun milkshakes and breakfast. It utilizes around 1,000 pounds of potatoes a day to make its famous French fries, the release states.

“The menu features hot dogs and chili dogs on a freshly steamed bun sold at crowd pleasing prices along with fresh cut French fries, hamburgers and hand spun milkshakes,” Rauch says in the release. “Our team couples the nostalgia of hot dogs with freshly prepared, high quality food offerings which are exceedingly tasty and prepared to perfection every time.” 

The restaurant provides dine-in, drive-thru, carryout and third-party delivery options. 

“We’re excited for Marty to be our first franchisee and bring the same great food we’ve been serving since 1946 to Venice, Florida, says Greg Vojnovic, President of Shoppe Franchise Development. 

The Hot Dog Shoppe was founded in 1946 in Warren, Ohio, outside Youngstown, with the motto to “make real food for real people with real taste.” The founder, according to the company’s website, Paul Trevelline, came home to Warren after World War II “and decided to open a knickknack shop. He soon discovered that knickknacks didn’t sell so well. To save his business, Paul tried selling hot dogs and it was a hit.”

Vojnovic acquired the Hot Dog Shoppe Brand from the Trevelline family in 2021, according to QSR, a quick-service food industry publication. Vojnovic, a longtime executive of Popeye’s, Arby’s and Inspire Brands, bought the brand with his brother, Tampa area restaurant entrepreneur Nick Vojnovic, who is with Little Greek Fresh Grill.