Hi, my name is Bill and this is how I became Bill, The Hotdog Guy.

I was in the restaurant business well before the internet graced hot dogs. The year was 2000 and I was looking for my next venture—something simple and fun. Home Depot’s food program checked off both boxes. To learn the ins-and-outs, I worked for free at their Novi hotdog stand. And as Home Depot broke ground for their new Troy location, I applied for a spot in the lobby. Application—approved.

So, who’s Frank anyway? I was workshopping name ideas with a buddy who shared a love for cheap puns. “Frank & Stine”, he suggested. I countered with “Franks Anatra”. We laughed. But after ten years of slinging hot dogs under Franks Anatra, the singer’s legal team approached me regarding the name’s origin (Read More…), I explained Anatra is an independent island nation south of Greece—where my family and recipes came from. I even had a record of loyal customers who claimed to vacation there each winter. But one look at a map rendered my pleadings baseless.

 

 

 

I opened inside Troy Home Depot on October 1st, 2001. After a successful launch, I was offered additional Home Depots, which I pursued. Over the past 24 years, I’ve operated inside eight different locations, each having their own challenges. Overcoming them has been my favorite part of the job—which brings us to the biggest challenge Frank’s has faced: Covid-19.

 

 

In March of 2020, I received a letter from Home Depot Corporate notifying that their food program has ended (Read More…). I couldn’t adapt to sudden retirement. Plea email after plea email, no response. After two years of writing and waiting, I landed a meeting with HD Higher-Ups. They reminded me that food will not be served inside their stores again. Luckily I had a different plan. I sent over my outdoor concept the next day for approval. And just like that we were back. Franks Again!