Late-night options on the Church Street Marketplace will get a boost this fall with the opening of Weenies Hot Dogs, a 300-square-foot, takeout-only restaurant in the former TD Bank ATM location at 80 Church Street.
Shlomi Lavi, who owns Weenies as well as gift shop Flora & Fauna at 70 Church Street with his wife, Miriam, said their tiny spot has "large shoes to fill," thanks to the legacy of Hot Dog Lady Lois Bodoky, who operated a cart on Church Street from 1977 to 2005.
Weenies will serve quarter-pound Hebrew National all-beef hot dogs and vegan dogs on regular or gluten-free buns. The menu will range from the classics to "chef-inspired" specialty toppings, Lavi said. Customers will order on a kiosk at the cashless biz, which is designed to run with minimal staff.
Lavi, 25, previously owned restaurants in Marine Park and Borough Park, Brooklyn, and in Newark, N.J.; he sold all three before moving to Burlington last year. (Weenies is unrelated to a similarly named New Jersey chain.)
Seeking a slower pace of life for his young family, "I swore off restaurants," Lavi told Seven Days. But the small corner spot between Insomnia Cookies and Always Full Asian Market caught his eye even before Flora & Fauna opened in February.
"It's too good of a spot," he said. "It lit a fire in me."
Weenies will feature a black-and-white checkerboard floor, bright red accents, a stainless-steel standing bar, and a graffiti-tagged brick wall — all to make it "feel like it's been there for three or four generations," Lavi said.
He described Weenies as a cheap, easy spot for family daytime dining and a non-pizza option for students and other late-night customers. Hours are expected to be 11 a.m. until midnight or 2 a.m.