The first restaurant in the 1424 SoMa building is set to open this November with a new location of the small Atlanta based chain, The Original Hot Dog Factory.
The 1424 building in SoMa has been in various stages of planning and development for several years now before finally being approved for a design and construction late last year. The Original Hot Dog Factory will occupy the southern anchor unit of the building.
As you would expect, the menu will center around gourmet hot dogs, bringing in regional varieties from all across the country. They offer dogs in all beef, chicken, bratwurst, Italian sausage, Polish Sausage, and vegetarian options. In addition to hot dogs they also offer burgers, corn dogs, wings, sandwiches, salads, and sides along with desserts and a full kids menu.
Owner Devin Wilkerson says he plans to break tradition from the small chain to make the Little Rock location unique.
“Most locations are small grab and go spots with limited seating,” Wilkerson explains. “We are doing a much larger space that will be the biggest across the franchise. With that we are going to create a unique culture here with things like live music, lots of tvs with sports, and we a full bar. We are also looking to add some SoMa flair with a few original food items and an all original drink menu.”
Wilkerson himself is an ambitious entrepreneur who has created a successful clothing line and women’s boutique previously. He saw the opportunity with The Original Hot Dog Factory to bring a rapidly growing brand to Arkansas.
The Original Hot Dog Factory launched in 2010 in Atlanta. Up until a month ago the franchise was only at 4 units. They have 15 opening, or newly opened this year with another 26 in development. Wilkerson was quick to secure the franchise license for the entire state and says he will look at adding additional locations after the SoMa location opens.
Wilkerson says hiring will begin in the next few weeks starting with the store’s managers and then they will begin hiring and training after that.
The Original Hot Dog Factory’s target opening date is November 24th and plans to have a number of events planned around the opening. We will check back in closer to opening for all the details and a final look at the space.
