Short Leash Hot Dogs food truck impresarios Brad and Kat Moore leaped into the arms of opportunity six years ago with their idea for a gourmet hot dog food truck. Their focus was to have fun by celebrating the lighthearted side of dogs in every way, including their menu.

To stand out, the couple tossed away the traditional hot dog bun and took the novel approach of wrapping each dog in Indian-style naan bread.

“My personal beef with regular hot dog buns is that everything falls ou t,” Brad says of the naan wrap Kat developed. “We did a lot of experimenting and found that naan gives a uniform density, a buttery flavor and it holds up well for dog fans.”

The concept was a hit. Short Leash’s owners initially roved Phoenix streets and events in their trucks on weekends as a part-time gig, until the Moores got so busy they could quit their full-time jobs (he was in banking, she was an interior designer).

Since then, operation has expanded to include Sit..Stay, a full-service restaurant on Roosevelt Row, a satellite location at Union at the Biltmore Fashion Park, and Rollover Doughnuts, a coffee and donut shop just north of downtown.

Needless to say, the Moores have been working their tails off. In the midst of all the growth and changes, one thing stays the same: the food.

Menu highlights include their signature dogs served on naan, with meat choices ranging from regular, bratwurst, spicy beer hot, chicken or vegetarian. Then there are the premium dogs, which include the Bratwurst Stuffed Pretzel made with bratwurst cooked in Four Peaks Kiltlifter beer with sauerkraut, onions and bacon, topped with Swiss cheese Bavarian mustard and served in a house-made pretzel roll.

Customers are encouraged to go “dog wild” with toppings that run the gamut from onions and green chills, to zanier options including Sriracha, dragon sauce, pinto beans or peanut butter. Apps include corn dog bites, fried pickles, Scotch eggs and poutine, while salad offerings include the fried green tomato stack. To wash it all down, the bar serves a wide range of craft beers, local and other wine, and cocktails.

All the hot dogs on Short Leash’s menu are named after real dogs—their own mutts Olive and Igby—as well as those of friends and customers. Each week, Short Leash features a different “Dog of the Week,” and the walls of the restaurant celebrate dozens of portraits of their friends’ and customers’ dogs.

For something on the sweeter side, Rollover Doughnuts—which is just a hop, skip and a jump away from Sit…Stay—serves a selection of brioche-style doughnuts, hand-cut and handmade by their pastry team. In a nod to their famous, peanut butter-inspired Bear hot dog, Rollover offers the Bear Doughnut, a smoked gouda and bacon doughnut filled with peanut butter custard and topped with sweet barbecue glaze and Crackerjacks.

As the Moores’ hot-dog-and-doughnut empire grows, one wonders what’s next on the horizon.

“To say it’s been busy the past few years is understatement,” Brad says. “While we love new opportunities, our goal for now is to focus on product quality and developing new menu items. We’re in a great spot and plan on improving what we’ve developed so far.”

Sit…Stay

110 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix

602-795-2193

Union at the Biltmore

2505 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix

Rollover Doughnuts

10 W. Vernon, Phoenix

Designed for everyone from the consummate foodie to the hungry locavore, Bite Magazine is all about celebrating Arizona’s food and drink scene. Satisfying readers’ cravings for restaurants, chefs, dishes, drinks and destinations, the magazine showcases the best Arizona has to offer.