Locally owned and operated Short Leash Hot Dogs has expanded recently by partnering with Astor House in downtown Phoenix and offering a new brunch menu.
Brad Moore, co-owner of Short Leash, said he thinks partnering with Astor House will be a fun way to immerse his business further into the central Phoenix community and give him and his wife, Kat, an interior designer and co-owner of Short Leash, a chance to gain more business opportunities.
“We’re like-minded businesses, and we share similar values and kind of wanting to be a part of a neat community within the central Phoenix area,” Moore said.
The first collaboration was last Thursday, Feb. 7, according to Astor House owner DJ Fernandes.
“Creativity is what people like, and it shows in the attendance. … People are looking for different types of experiences nowadays, and so I’m glad that we’re able to partner up,” Fernandes said.
Fernandes said since Astor House opened in April of last year next door to Tuck Shop, the restaurant has been hosting community social events. He wanted to bring in more stability by partnering with the Phoenix Food Truck Coalition.
“You wouldn’t expect a restaurant to have a food truck come and show up at their place. I think it’s a nice, little collaboration,” Fernandes said.
Fernandes said in this economy it is difficult to market your business; however, he believes in constantly reinventing the wheel and bringing people together through his business ventures.
Astor House will not be Short Leash’s first partnership with brick-and-mortar businesses. The food truck can be found setting up shop in front of Urban Cookies at 4711 N Seventh St. every Tuesday.
“Short Leash was our first food truck,” said Dan Looney, operations and social media manager for Urban Cookies. “It’s been going strong for probably a year.”
Not only is Short Leash partnering with Astor House, but they also launched a new brunch menu last weekend. Moore said that their Saturday brunch menu will be available at their location near Made Art Boutique and Modified Arts gallery along with about five other food trucks.
“Some different menu items gives us a little bit more flexibility from what we do traditionally because we can stay open a little bit later. It’s a win-win,” Moore said.
This June will mark Short Leash’s third year in business, and Moore said he feels his company has been fortunate because of the genuine interest in food trucks from the media such as Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race, as well as the acceptance from the public.
“It gives you flexibility. You can go out and do festivals and street fairs and partner with local business,” Moore said of his mobile company.
Moore has a background in banking and finance and wanted to live out his dream of opening his own restaurant with his wife, Kat, without restriction.
“We both wanted something of our own,” he said. “We always had a fantasy that we’d start a restaurant one day but that was too expensive and cost prohibitive. So, (this was) an easy thing for us to get started and finance ourselves.”
Broadcast sophomore Cissy Worstel said she discovered food trucks as an alternative to dining at Taylor Place and fell in love with the different selections Short Leash offers.
“I really enjoy it, customizing your own hot dog is pretty awesome,” Worstel said. “You really can’t find that anywhere else.”
Contact the reporter at lcphilp@asu.edu
