No Luck Necessary As Hot Dog Shop Celebrates Successful 1st Year

A debate rages among the owners of Bradenton's : Where did the "coney dog" come from?

Kathy Jones claims the specialty hot dog, topped with mustard, onions and a meaty sauce, originates from her home state of New York -- specifically Coney Island, the birthplace of the hot dog itself.

Sheri Clinard disagrees, arguing that the coney is actually a "Michigan" and has its roots in her home state. Ask her about it, and she produces a printout from Wikipedia titled "The Origin of the Michigan Hot Dog."

"We'll always fight about that," Jones said. "Ours is probably a combination of the two."

Theirs is called a "Lucky Dog," and topped with their own special meat sauce and priced at just $2.25, it's the signature dish at the downtown Bradenton shop, located at 1206 3rd Ave. W., just off of Old Main Street.

Owners Clinard, 42, and Jones, 60 -- along with Jones' 41-year-old daughter, co-owner Greta Shepherd -- are celebrating the eatery's one-year anniversary Tuesday. To mark the occasion, they're offering a 25 percent discount that day on everything on the menu, plus complimentary birthday cake and raffles for gift certificates and T-shirts.

"We're still loving it," said Jones, a former employee of Sun Hydraulics in Sarasota. She and her daughter were inspired to open up a hot dog shop like those plentiful in upstate New York. Clinard, Shepherd's housemate who moved down to Bradenton five years ago, joined in as a co-owner. It was the women's first venture into the restaurant business.

Clinard said the shop, open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 to 4 on Saturdays, attracts plenty of displaced Northerners in search of delicious dogs.

"We get a lot of local business, but also a lot of people that this is their destination," Clinard said. "They come from Sarasota, Myakka, Parrish. I don't think you can get a good coney dog anywhere else around here."

Lucky Dogs serves Kayem all-beef hot dogs, the same kind you'll find at Tropicana Field, Fenway Park or Tampa Bay Lightning games. Varieties include the Iggy Dog (mozzarella, pepperoni and pizza sauce), Chihuahua Dog (mild salsa, cheese, sour cream, corn chips, black olives) and even a Fluffy Puppy (peanut butter, marshmallow fluff and hot fudge on a grilled bun).

There's also a full line of sandwiches, ranging from simple peanut butter and jelly ($2.85) to The Dogwood, piled high with ham, roast beef, turkey, pepperoni, swiss and American cheese on your choice of bread for $8.45. One of the most popular items, Clinard said, is The Strongman, Lucky Dog's version of a Cuban.

An assortment of sides and salads are also available, as well as McClain's homemade ice cream from Sarasota. The owners have tweaked the menu a few times over the past year and said they may be debuting some new special items this week.

Shepherd is the creative force behind the restaurant, having dreamt up its circus theme, from clown decorations to big top-inspired menu names.

The owners say they're hoping to see downtown Bradenton evolve into a more bustling and diverse destination, and that projects like the planned Riverwalk will only help business. For now, though, they think they've found a winning formula after a successful first year.

"It's exceeded what we thought, given the economy and everything that went on," Clinard said.

Added Jones: "It's been a fun year."

Visit Lucky Dog's at their official website and their Facebook page.