Featuring a culture as rich as the food they serve, it is no surprise that Arbetter’s Hot Dogs has been able to remain as one of Miami’s most popular hot dog eateries for nearly 60 years.
On the outside, Arbetter’s Hot Dogs evokes a nostalgic feeling, as its retro design serves as a time capsule of the style and general feel of the period when it was founded. With its antique, yet glamorous, façade, the atmosphere within the store contradicts any pre-conceived notion of what it means to be “vintage.” A melting pot of culture and ethnicities come together to form a symbol of the community that the Arbetter family has so vigorously tried to foster.
“We are what the community is,” said Dave Arbetter, son of Arbetter’s original founder, who became the head of the business in 2002.
Dave Arbetter attributes his dedication to the community to the lessons learned from his father, Robert Arbetter. Robert was born into a family of lawyers and doctors and was expected to follow suit. However, he chose to form his own path, a path that was borderline “sacrilegious,” according to his son who would later run the family business. Inspired by the now-closed Joe and Nemo’s Restaurant near Fenway Park in Boston, Arbetter built his own company from the ground up.
In Robert Arbetter’s tenure as the head of the company, obstacles rose between him and his dream, each more difficult than the previous, including the relocation of the base of operations three times. These challenges led to perhaps its most notable location, Bird Road and 87th Avenue in Miami, as well as a determination built into the foundation of this dream. Arbetter’s Hot Dogs grew into a reputation of one of the best hot dogs, so good in fact that customers keep coming back for over 50 years.
Deeper than just the food, lies a secret ingredient to everything that Arbetter’s stands for: authenticity. This ingredient remains as consistent in the store as its Italian chili, which has been a staple of the menu for longer than many patrons have been alive. The drive to remain authentic has grown new traditions as imitations from both customers and local schools have attempted to capture the flavor unique to Arbetter’s.
So how do you bottle, ship, and serve authenticity at multiple locations? Franchising Arbetters has been considered before and it is rumored to be on the horizon.
“It would be meticulous,” said Dave Arbetter. “New associates should work at least six months in the original diner so that they can absorb the merits and values of the store while simultaneously being inducted into the Arbetter’s family.”.
Arbetter Hot Dogs is located at 8747 SW 40 St. and can be reached at 305-207-0555.
