Classic hot dog restaurant to return to Arizona. What we know so far

Amazing Brands, the company that owns Hot Dog on a Stick, plans to expand the restaurant across the nation, including in Arizona.

USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

July 31, 2026

A festivalgoer lines up for an order at Hot Dog on a Stick during the Taste of Jalisco festival in Cathedral City, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun via Reuters Connect)

If you’ve been craving a classic hot dog accompanied by a cool glass of lemonade from the restaurant Hot Dog on a Stick, you’re in luck, because it’s making an Arizona come back.

The mall staple used to have locations inside what used to be the Paradise Valley Mall and Metrocenter in addition to Chandler Fashion Center before closing all Arizona locations in 2014. The franchise has been notably struggling for many years, going through different ownership groups before being acquired by Las Vegas-based Amazing Brands for $8 million via a bankruptcy court-approved transaction.

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“This acquisition is personal for me,” said Stephen Siegel, founder of Amazing Brands in a news release on its website. “I grew up loving Hot Dog on a Stick. It is one of those brands people remember with real emotion and nostalgia. My wife also has a deep connection to the company, having served as General Manager of the Montebello Town Center location in the 1990s — a restaurant that is still proudly operating today.”

The company has plans to immediately begin evaluating opportunities for a flagship location on the Las Vegas Strip while simultaneously pursuing additional locations throughout the Las Vegas valley and across the nation.

That includes returning to Arizona. Siegal told the Business Journal that he has lease negotiations for at least six different sites to bring Hot Dog on a Stick back to the Valley.

What happened to Hot Dog on a Stick?

Unfortunately, Hot Dog on a Stick suffered financial struggles along with the decline in malls — where most of them were located — and suffering with its previous parent company FAT Brands filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2026.

What states are Hot Dog on a Stick located in?

There are still a few Hot Dog on a Stick locations alive and well in California, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and Hawaii.

The company that owns the restaurant plans to expand across the nation, including in Arizona.

Reporting by Meredith G. White, Arizona Republic

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