Today, we’d like to introduce you to Brad Moore.
Hi Brad, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In 2009, we had careers in Banking (Brad) and Interior Design (Kat). Then, the housing crisis hit, and we quickly needed something new. As we explored opportunities, we kept coming back to the gourmet food truck scene that was taking off in California and New York. We thought, “Why not?” and within a few months, we started Short Leash Hotdogs with our first food truck.
June 5, 2010, was our opening day at the Phoenix Public Market. Short Leash Hotdogs was the first gourmet food truck in Phoenix, and we had no idea what we were doing. Our goal that day was to sell 30 hotdogs, and we were ecstatic when we did. It was the most gratifying $150 we ever made!
Unbeknownst to us, one of our first customers was the Food & Lifestyle Editor for the AZ Republic. He loved our concept and our food. The next Saturday (our second day of business), this editor sent a reporter to write a story about us. Short Leash Hotdogs has been going non-stop ever since.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
2008 and 2009 for me and my family, like for so many people, was just a year of suck. My grandfather passed away, and six days later, my father died unexpectedly in his sleep at the age of 52. The bank I had worked for with my father was suddenly closed by the FDIC, and my wife and I found out that we couldn’t have children.
Needless to say, I was a bit lost and confused about what I wanted out of life. I think anytime a person goes through a transition like this or begins to question their place and purpose in life and really starts to think about what they want out of life. My wife’s response to this was, “We are beholden to no one other than ourselves, so if you want, let’s cash out the 401k and make a change”. After a ton of research and looking into various options, I stumbled across the food truck craze.
Now, it was just starting to gain traction in places like LA and New York, so I knew that if we hurried, we would time it just right here in the Phoenix market. I also knew that by working it ourselves, we avoid the overhead expenses of rent, staffing, equipment, and all the working capital requirements needed for a typical restaurant.
Worse case scenario Kat and I figured that one we were very employable people and that if for some reason it didn’t work out we could always sell the asset and at least recoup some some of our initial investment.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
Our mission is to serve a unique twist on a classic favorite, using local purveyors and natural ingredients. We value community partnerships and personal relationships with our customers and have grown our business using this philosophy.
Over the last 13 years, we have tested our demographic and menu with 3 Short Leash food trucks and two brick-and-mortar restaurants in and around Phoenix. We found our niche in the Melrose District of Central Phoenix, which is also where we live. Now, Short Leash Hotdogs has this one brick-and-mortar location. This is our home, and this is where we will continue to evolve our business and strengthen our community ties.
We started this business because we believe in doing the things you love in life, eating well, and surrounding yourself with people who respect and treat you well. Short Leash Hotdogs combines these values and allows us to work together.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shortleashhotdogs.com
- Instagram: @shortleashhotdogs
- Facebook: @shortleashhotdogs
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/short-leash-hotdogs-and-taproom-phoenix
