He Grew Up Eating at Hot Dog on a Stick. Decades Later, He Bought the Struggling Chain for $8 Million: ‘It’s a Diamond in the Rough’

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After shrinking from more than 100 locations to 44, the 80-year-old franchise has a new owner with plans to move beyond the mall.

By Jonathan Small | edited by Dan Bova | Jul 13, 2026

Stephen Siegel has been hooked on Hot Dog on a Stick since he was a kid in Los Angeles. Now he owns the joint. The founder and CEO of Amazing Brands acquired the 80-year-old chain out of the Fat Brands bankruptcy earlier this year for $8 million, betting that the struggling mall staple still has plenty of life left.

“It’s a diamond in the rough,” he told Restaurant Business. “I grew up on the brand.”

Founded in 1946 near the Santa Monica Pier, Hot Dog on a Stick became famous for its corn dogs, “hand-stomped” lemonade, and employees wearing rainbow-striped uniforms. During the hot dog heyday, the chain had more than 100 locations. Today, it has 44.

Siegel believes previous owners failed to see what made the brand stick out. His plan is to take Hot Dog on a Stick beyond the mall with standalone restaurants, drive-thrus, airports, stadiums and tourist destinations, following a path used by former mall staples like Panda Express and Chick-fil-A.

“It’s a diamond in the rough,” he told Restaurant Business. “I grew up on the brand.”

Jonathan Small is a bestselling author, journalist, producer, and podcast host. For 25 years, he... Read more

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