C3’s latest virtual brand is a hot dog shop.
The digital restaurant company on Monday unveiled Frankly by Snap-O-Razzo, a joint venture with Snap-O-Razzo, an online seller of high-quality hot dogs for home preparation.
Snap-O-Razzo was founded during the pandemic by Ralph Perrazzo after the closure of his meat-centric Las Vegas restaurant, BBD’s. Its MSG- and additive-free beef and pork wieners, sold in linked form and known for their pleasing snap, are the product of a lifetime of sausage-making for the chef.
Initially available only by placing an order on Snaporazzo.com, the hot dogs have garnered a fast following: This month, they’ll appear on the shelves of 300 Kroger grocery stores.
C3 will aim to take the brand even further through its network of 250 ghost kitchens and food halls, starting Tuesday at its Citizens food hall in Manhattan.
Snap-O-Razzo’s website claims its hot dogs are so good they don’t need toppings. The menu of Frankly by Snap-O-Razzo deviates from that philosophy somewhat, offering a lineup of classic varietals like a Chili Cheese Dog, a Chicago-ish Dog and a Corn Dog. Customers can also build their own, adding garnishes like relish, sauerkraut, sport peppers and tomatoes.
C3 founder and CEO Sam Nazarian said Snap-O-Razzo’s quality and uniqueness made it a natural fit for the company, which owns about 45 restaurant concepts.
“We are so pleased to be working with chef Ralph to scale this concept quickly and sustainably and bring Snap-O-Razzo’s award-winning fare to the masses through on-demand delivery for the first time ever,” Nazarian said in a statement.
Perrazzo said he’s excited for the new journey. “Snap-O-Razzo hot dogs will now fill a multitude of mouths across the nation, and hopefully bring back nostalgic memories that somehow only a good hot dog can do,” he said in a statement.
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