Downtown hot dog restaurant moving to Nixa

Hot dog venture Frank ‘n’ Steins LLC is relocating to Nixa after operating in downtown Springfield’s Brewery District Flats for nearly eight months.

John Chace, owner of the gourmet hot dog restaurant, said it was no longer financially feasible to operate at 535 W. Walnut St.

“We got a lot of support, just not near as much as what we would have needed to stay in that particular facility,” he said. “The location is a good location, but there’s a collection of a lot of different options down in downtown Springfield.”

Frank ‘n’ Steins temporarily closed last month and this morning announced the move to 105 Sherman Way in Nixa. The space formerly housed Bair’s Sports Grill, which relocated in January to 701 N. McCroskey St. in Nixa.

“It’s going to be a lower cost for us and everything, plus the facility was already built out for a restaurant to begin with,” Chace said of the new location, noting an opening date has not yet been set.

Declining to disclose financial terms, Chace said infill costs would be less than what he spent opening Frank ‘n’ Steins this March in Brewery District Flats.

Chace said it’s his understanding that Frank ‘n’ Steins was the only commercial tenant in Brewery District Flats, a 29,000-square-foot mixed-use development that mostly comprises apartments but also has 4,000 square feet of retail and office space on the ground floor. Brewery District Flats co-developer Christina Chanter could not be reached for comment by deadline.

Another Springfield hot dog venture, called Zombie Dogs and Fries, is in the works. From the operators of Hurts Donut Co., the restaurant previously was planned at 301 Park Central West. That location fell through after co-owner Tim Clegg made an offer to buy the space, but he recently told Springfield Business Journal Zombie Dogs and Fries is still on the table. Queen City Soda & Sweets is scheduled to open in the Park Central West space later this month.