Fancy Franks Gourmet Hot Dogs

Angelos Economopoulos had been working in the restaurant business for more than a decade when on a trip to Los Angeles, he noticed a trend. “Everywhere I went, there were gourmet fast food joints. It was the newest trend – higher quality food you can get fast,” Angelos recalls. What type of fast food tasted best in an elevated version? Why, hot dogs, of course.

To bring the idea home to Toronto, Angelos needed just the right space, and says he knew exactly where to focus his search. “Kensington Market is thriving. It’s one of the only areas that still has that untouched, Old World Toronto feel. And hot dogs are part of that history.”

When Angelos hit upon a high traffic, high visibility corner that had room for a painted mural on the side, he knew he’d found the right spot. After a 2012 renovation that dug the walls back to exposed brick, Fancy Franks Gourmet Hot Dogs emerged as rustic and comfy, with a big open kitchen and a long table with stools for customers to sit and munch.