Frank Lucente grew up in a small town in West Virginia. As a young boy, Frank often enjoyed spicy chili dogs at the town hot dog stand. Even as he grew older and moved away, Frank would always stop in for a hot dog on his visits home. Years later, the town stand closed and Frank was forced to look elsewhere to satisfy his craving. He went to see the owner of the old stand to convince him to pass on the recipe. But the owner refused saying he would "take it to the grave".
Denied, Frank soon discovered that the original recipe for the chili sauce belonged to an elderly woman still living in his hometown. For years she had been cooking up the sauce and selling it at her church bazaar. According to her, the stand owner had changed the recipe over the years but the woman gladly provided the original recipe.
Frank recruited his business partner and good friend Rocco Muriale to help invent an even better chili sauce recipe. The chef at the popular Rocco's Ristorante, Rocco spent several months cooking up batches of chili sauce. After six months, he had the perfect recipe! In 1983 wanting to share the delicious invention with the public, Frank and Rocco opened the first Sam's Hotdog Stand in Huntington, West Virginia....ending the search for the perfect hot dog.
Sam's Hot Dogs Inc. is a premium franchise company that began in 1983 when owner, Frank Lucente, opened his first store in West Virginia. After opening five more stores, Frank began franchising his popular hot dog stand business in 1990.
Sam's Hot Dogs now consists of over 45 franchises located in Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. We're dedicated to continuing to expand throughout the nation. Sam's keeps it simple with a straightforward approach to delivering superior products and service. This allows new owners to start their own franchise business at a very affordable price with ease and support.
The opportunity of owning your own business in addition to having the benefit of brand recognition and a proven business model is invaluable. The start up cost is usually between $21,300 - $49,000 dollars depending on the location and its needs. As always in business the location is key. An optimal location is one with concentrated traffic and high visibility.
From assisting you with identifying the perfect location to opening your doors on the first day of business, we'll be there throughout the entire process. Additionally, Sam's has a corporate advertising program the provides all of the content, media buying, and marketing for you. We are dedicated to supporting our franchises.
If you have ever had dreams of owning your own business then this is your chance.
- We Assist - In site location, layout, and design.
- We Advise - Equipment and vending purchases.
- We Support - Consistently from beginning to end.
- We Foster - A ongoing, working relationship with every franchise.
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