A line of customers stretched out the door at the new Danny’s Drive-In restaurant at 480 Howe Ave. Wednesday to get their hands on free food offered during the store’s grand opening.
“We are happy to give out two free hot dogs, to celebrate our grand opening and national hot dog month,” said Joe Targowski of Milford, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Missy.
Star 99.9 even set up a tent in front of the store to help with promotion.
The Targowskis are not new to the hot dog game.
The Shelton Danny’s is the second Danny’s owned by the Targowskis. The first is in Stratford.
Missy acquired the Stratford location from her father, George Benedetto, who purchased the store in 1981.
Targowski said he opened on Howe Avenue because the site formerly housed Shelton Dog House. He was able to cut overhead costs because some of the equipment was still there.
“We were lucky there was already a restaurant in the location with equipment,” Targowski said.
Although the restaurant business is always risky, the Targowskis are confident their long successful business plan in Stratford will also work in the Valley.
But how does one open a restaurant during a recession?
“Cheap eats,” Joe Targowski said, meaning that a family can go out for a meal and not have to panic over the price.
