Coming soon: New restaurant to replace 43-year-old hot dog joint, but pays homage to it
Editor's note: The story has been updated to reflect the new expected opening date.
What's the name of the new restaurant in Stuart?
Piranha Pat's
Where is Piranha Pat's?
395 N.W. Dixie Highway, Stuart (northwest corner of Dixie Highway and Wright Boulevard); currently Frank N' Stein
Who owns Piranha Pat's?
Stuart native Eli Foster, 31, bought Frank N' Stein in December 2023 after its owner, Charles “Chuck” Justi, retired after over 40 years. Foster plans to renovate and reopen with a revamped menu and new name.
“I was born and raised here and never stepped foot in here," Foster said of Frank N' Stein's.
The hot dog shop started in 1981, according to state business records. It originally was located on the south side of the Roosevelt Bridge near the Palm City Road intersection, Foster said. Frank N' Stein began as a small shed-style shop in a trailer park that Justi's father owned. When they sold that property, they moved the business to its current location in 1987, according to the Martin County property appraiser's website.
What is the owner's background?
Foster's late father, Jim, and uncle, Kipp, had been in the restaurant business for 50 years, starting in New York and New Hampshire before coming to Florida. They’re part of the Prawnbroker Restaurant Group, which also owns The Magic Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill in Jensen Beach, The Black Marlin in downtown Stuart, Shrimper’s Grill & Raw Bar in Port Salerno. They also reopened Palm City Grill as Fin & Flame Grill and Oyster Bar.
They used to operate the Prawnbroker Grill in Harbour Bay Plaza in Sewall’s Point before it closed after 37 years and became Stringers Tavern & Oyster Bar.
The group also owns four restaurants on Florida's west coast: The Prawnbroker Restaurant & Seafood Market in Fort Myers, The University Grill in Fort Myers, The Timbers Restaurant & Fish Market in Sanibel Island and The Sanibel Grill in Sanibel Island.
Eli grew up working at The Prawnbroker before he moved to Miami and worked at Shake Shack on Miami Beach. He helped open Shake Shack in Coral Gables across from the University of Miami. He then moved to Boulder, Colorado, where he lived for eight years and helped start a cannabis company. He still co-owns TasteBudz Edibles. In 2020, he moved back home to help take care of his dad before he passed away in 2022.
“I always wanted to do a restaurant," Foster said. "I just felt like the time was right.”
He's marrying into another restaurant family through fiancé and high school sweetheart Marina Flanigan. Her grandfather, the late Joe "Big Daddy" Flanigan, started the Flanigan's chain of over 20 restaurants and liquor stores in Florida, now run by his three sons. She and her mother opened the Salty Cabin Collection boutique store in Sewall’s Point, near the former Prawnbroker.
Foster bought the Frank N' Stein property with his future father-in-law, Patrick Flanigan. He bought the business by himself, but his future brother-in-law, Cassidy Flanigan, is helping him run the restaurant.
What kind of restaurant is Piranha Pat's?
Piranha Pat’s previously was a small pub in Pompano Beach before it was taken over by Flanigan’s and added food. The new restaurant's logo pays homage to the old logo and even includes "since 1985." Foster changed the name because the restaurant won't focus solely on hot dogs and beer.
“We want to add more to it," Foster said. "We want burgers and fish sandwiches. It’s still going to be pub- and grill-style. It’s not fancy, sit-down. It’s counter-service.”
He hopes to get the renovation done in less than a month. He already added TVs and plans to: install impact windows, replace the carpet with polished concrete, remodel the bathrooms, buy new furniture, build new countertops, get new equipment for the kitchen, paint the building, add an outdoor patio and redo the parking lot with landscaping.
What kind of food does Piranha Pat's serve?
The menu will stay simple with hot dogs and sausages, but Foster plans to add smash burgers and mahi sandwiches.
He's still finalizing the menu, but knows he'll keep "the original Frank N' Stein hot dog" on the menu, as well as the fries, frozen beer mugs and unique birch beer — a cousin of root beer that’s the soft drink of choice in Pennsylvania.
When will Piranha Pat's open?
September 2024
What are Piranha Pat's hours?
11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday (closed Sunday)
After the renovation, he plans to stay open even later and to open on Sundays in time for football season.
What are Piranha Pat's phone number, website and social media?
772-692-9594, website (currently Frank N' Stein)
Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at [email protected]. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: New restaurant Piranha Pat's replaces Frank N' Stein Stuart
