Rachel Ventura launched the FrankieLynn food cart in 2022 with the heartwarming motto “hot dogs for everyone.” From the jump, Ventura went her own way, grilling the dogs to order, topping them with creative combinations of local products, and creating community everywhere she parked.
Soon, Ventura and her husband-business partner Lloyd Foust will park the cart and open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. They have settled on a property (2023 Broadview Rd.) in their own neighborhood of Old Brooklyn and hope to have the doors open before the end of the year.
“When I first started, I wanted the cart and the cart only,” Ventura explains. “I liked the simplicity of it. But after a few years I realized that there are a lot of limitations to it, so it will be fun to have a kitchen where we can do all the things that we want to do.”
The stars of the show are the dogs, crafted by Cleveland’s J & J Czuchraj Meats, but the supporting cast is comprised of countless other local food businesses. There’s the sauerkraut from Cleveland Kitchen, whole-seed mustard from POP Mustard, ketchup from Cleveland Ketchup, hot pepper jam from Home Pantry, hot sauce from Fuego Fermentations and so many more. It all gets bundled up in a fresh bun from Leavened Bakery.
When the restaurant opens, Ventura and Foust hope to do an ever better job of promoting and selling those locally produced products. A retail section will be stocked with those products and more, says Ventura.
“People ask us all the time: where can I get this ketchup and so on,” she says. “We know a lot of really cool people who own businesses that are selling really great stuff. I think it would be nice to have a little spot where we can rotate stuff in and out and share the wealth.”
Thanks to the newfound space, the owners will be able to expand the menu well beyond the weenies.
“Obviously, the hot dogs are going to be on the menu, but we’ll have salads, sandwiches, soups in winter, possibly burgers, seasonal or nightly specials,” says Foust, a chef. “It’s going to be fun to be more creative.”
“We’re still trying to figure out how to format the menu,” adds Ventura. “We will keep the sets – like the Old Brookly Dog – but maybe you can get that set on a burger or a veggie dog or whatever else we might make.”
When complete, the restaurant will feature an open kitchen with counter service and limited seating. They describe the concept as mostly carryout for lunch and early dinner service.
“I just want it to be very chill,” says Ventura. “We’re going to have a lot of plants, bookshelves with a lot of stuff to look at.”
Foust says that he is excited to be able to return the favor when it comes to collaborations with other local businesses.
“If we have a venue then we can host, which will help grow our brand and grow their brand because a lot of people have done that for us,” he explains. “It’s vital that we stick together.”
In addition to having more space, a warm winter home, and walk-in coolers instead of portable coolers, Ventura and Foust are most looking forward to a future of limitless possibilities.
“We’ve done so much with the hotdog cart, and it’s been so much fun, and I’m really excited to see what this restaurant is going to do,” adds Ventura.
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