Crif Dogs
Crif Dogs is a privately held, single-location fast-casual restaurant in Manhattan's East Village, founded in 2001, serving signature deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hot dogs with creative toppings alongside tots and burgers to walk-in, online, and catering customers during extended late-night hours.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersWest New York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Crif Dogs does
Crif Dogs is a privately held, single-location fast-casual restaurant operating at 113 St Marks Place in Manhattan's East Village since 2001. The business is built around a single core product platform: signature deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hot dogs served with creative topping combinations (e.g., B.L.T., Elote Dog with chipotle mayo and cotija, Tsunami with pineapple and teriyaki, Lil Ma with peanut butter and pickles), supplemented by tater tots, a small burger menu, and a beverage program including frozen cocktails and bottled cocktails. Menu pricing ranges from $4.75 for a basic frank to $13.95 for premium drinks, with combo add-ons priced at $5.95 and $14.95.
The operating model is direct-to-consumer with three acquisition channels: walk-in service at the East Village storefront, online ordering through the Toasttab platform for pickup, and catering orders routed through the EZCater marketplace. The restaurant operates extended late-night hours (until 2am Sunday-Thursday and 3am Friday-Saturday), positioning itself to serve nightlife traffic that competing QSR operators do not target. The Criftocurrency loyalty program, built on Toasttab's rewards infrastructure, is the primary retention mechanism, supplemented by email capture and an active social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Press coverage in food media (Eater NY, Thrillist, Gothamist) functions as an earned-media acquisition channel.
The business shows no evidence of multi-unit expansion, external investment, or institutional ownership. Technology infrastructure is limited to off-the-shelf restaurant SaaS (Toasttab, BentoBox, EZCater) with no proprietary AI/ML capabilities. No revenue, headcount, or ownership figures are publicly disclosed. The strategic posture is best characterized as a mature, stable single-unit lifestyle business rather than a growth-stage venture.
Crif Dogs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Crif Dogs
- Website
- https://crifdogs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Crif Dogs is a privately held, single-location fast-casual restaurant in Manhattan's East Village, founded in 2001, serving signature deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hot dogs with creative toppings alongside tots and burgers to walk-in, online, and catering customers during extended late-night hours.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Crif Dogs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Quick Service Restaurant / Casual Hot Dog Dining
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (7225)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sandwiches & Subs QSR (THAFAAAD)
Keywords
Where Crif Dogs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Crif Dogs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Food and beverage retail sales: Direct sales of signature hot dogs, burgers, tots, and beverages to consumers at the East Village location. Menu items include signature dogs ($6.25-$8.95), burgers ($11.55-$11.95), tots ($4.95-$9.95), and drinks ($3.50-$13.95). Add-on combos available at $5.95 (tots + soft drink) or $14.95 (tots + bottled cocktail).
- Catering services: Corporate and event catering services facilitated through EZCater platform, providing prepackaged or bulk food orders for groups and events.
- Loyalty program (Criftocurrency): Rewards program incentivizing repeat customer visits and increased order frequency through the Toasttab rewards platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Signature Hot Dogs ($6.25-$8.95) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Build Your Own Hot Dogs ($4.75+) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Burgers ($11.55-$11.95) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tots ($4.95-$9.95) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Drinks ($3.50-$13.95) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Combos |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Crif Dogs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Crif Dogs is a single-location quick-service restaurant in the East Village of New York City that serves signature deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hot dogs with creative gourmet toppings, alongside burgers, tater tots, and beverages. The restaurant also offers catering services through EZCater and a loyalty rewards program (Criftocurrency) powered by Toasttab.
Product overview
Crif Dogs is a fast-casual restaurant chain operating as a single-location East Village establishment since 2001. The core offering consists of signature deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hot dogs with creative gourmet toppings, complemented by tater tots, burgers, and customizable Build Your Own options. The restaurant operates primarily as a dine-in and online ordering business, with services including catering (via EzCater) and a loyalty program called Criftocurrency. The menu structure includes Signature Hot Dogs as the flagship product line, Tots and Burgers as complementary items, Crif Combos as meal add-ons, an extensive Toppings selection for customization, and various Drinks including cocktails. The business does not offer a software platform or API-based products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Signature Hot Dogs Deep-fried, bacon-wrapped signature hot dogs with creative gourmet toppings including B.L.T., Chihuahua, Chili Dog, Everything Dog, Good Morning, Spicy Redneck, Tsunami, Philly Tubesteak, Elote Dog, Corn Dog, and Lil Ma. Prices range from $6.25 to $8.95. Designed for individual consumers seeking quick, creative casual dining at the East Village location.
- Build Your Own Hot Dogs Customizable hot dog options allowing customers to select a base frank (Crif Dog pork and beef, New Yorker all-beef, Veggie Dog, or Bacon-Wrapped Crif Dog) and add individual toppings such as American cheese, avocado, chili, chipotle mayo, fried egg, sour cream, and others. Base starts at $4.75 with toppings priced from $0.35 to $1.95.
- Tots Deep-fried potato tots available in multiple varieties including Plain ($4.95), East Village Tots (with cheese sauce and pickled jalapeños), Truffle Shuffle (with parmesan, truffle oil, and herbs), and Nacho Tots ($9.95). Designed for individual consumers as a side or snack item.
- Burgers Hamburger offerings including the Crif Burger (Pat Lafreida short rib patty with crif sauce, american cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles), Veggie Burger with Impossible patty ($11.55), and Bacon Cheeseburger ($11.95). Targeted at individual consumers seeking burger options alongside the hot dog menu.
- Drinks Beverage offerings including Soft Drinks ($3.50), Frozen Cocktails ($12.95), Beer & Wine, and Bottled Cocktails ($13.95). Targeted at individual consumers as standalone drinks or as part of combo meals.
- Catering Service Catering service for events and corporate gatherings, available through the EZCater partner platform. Provides prepackaged or bulk food orders for groups and events. Targeted at event organizers, corporate teams, and group gathering hosts in the NYC area.
- Criftocurrency Loyalty Program Customer loyalty/rewards program accessible through the Toasttab platform, incentivizing repeat visits and increased order frequency through accumulated rewards. Targeted at existing customers of the East Village restaurant.
Companies that use Crif Dogs
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Crif Dogs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature2 records
Crif Dogs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ToasttabcoreToasttab provides the online ordering platform and powers the Criftocurrency loyalty rewards program. Customers can order online and sign up for rewards through the Toasttab integration.
- EZCaterminorEZCater serves as a catering marketplace partner, enabling Crif Dogs to reach corporate and event catering customers through the EZCater platform.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Crif Dogs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Shake Shack: New York-born QSR chain with a broader menu (burgers, dogs, shakes) and a national footprint. Comparable as a NYC-origin quick-service brand with premium positioning, though much larger.
- Dog Haus: National gourmet hot dog and burger chain with creative toppings and a franchise model. Comparable in menu philosophy (creative dogs, tots, burgers) but operates at franchise scale.
- Nathan's Famous: Nationally scaled hot dog brand and Coney Island institution. Overlaps with Crif Dogs on the core product but operates at vastly broader scale across retail, foodservice, and licensing.
Direct peers
- Gray's Papaya: Long-running NYC hot dog counter with a similarly loyal neighborhood following and a single-product focus. Directly comparable as a New York hot dog institution competing for the same walk-in, late-night customer.
- Bark Hot Dogs: Brooklyn-based gourmet hot dog shop with creative toppings and a similar NYC craft-casual positioning. Competes for the same adventurous-eater, late-night customer.
- Papaya King: Iconic NYC hot dog and tropical drink counter with multiple Upper East Side / Midtown locations. Closely comparable in menu mix (hot dogs, drinks) and casual, counter-service format.
- Japadog: Canadian-born gourmet hot dog concept known for Japanese-inspired topping combinations. Directly comparable on the "creative toppings" differentiation, though in a different geography.
Regional players
- Joloff (and other East Village casual dining spots): East Village casual restaurants competing for the same neighborhood foot traffic. Comparable only in geo and casual dining format, not menu.
Others
- EzCater (as a catering channel peer): Third-party catering marketplace that Crif Dogs already uses. Included as an ecosystem/ channel partner rather than a direct competitor.
Emerging players
- Stand4 Burgers & Booze: Brooklyn/QSR concept combining burgers, hot dogs, and a drinks program. Adjacent competitive set for the late-night, casual, drink-paired dining occasion.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Crif Dogs social profiles
Digital presenceCrif Dogs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Crif Dogs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Crif Dogs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Crif Dogs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Crif Dogs
What does Crif Dogs do?
Crif Dogs is a single-location quick-service restaurant in the East Village of New York City that serves signature deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hot dogs with creative gourmet toppings, alongside burgers, tater tots, and beverages. The restaurant also offers catering services through EZCater and a loyalty rewards program (Criftocurrency) powered by Toasttab.
Is Crif Dogs a public or private company?
Crif Dogs is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Crif Dogs founded?
Crif Dogs was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Crif Dogs based?
Crif Dogs is headquartered in West New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Crif Dogs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Food and beverage retail sales are the primary driver. The others are catering services and loyalty program (Criftocurrency).
Who are Crif Dogs's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Shake Shack, Dog Haus and Nathan's Famous. Direct peers are Gray's Papaya, Bark Hot Dogs, Papaya King and Japadog. Joloff (and other East Village casual dining spots) is listed as a regional player. EzCater (as a catering channel peer) is listed as an others. Stand4 Burgers & Booze is listed as an emerging player.
Does Crif Dogs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Crif Dogs.
What industry is Crif Dogs in?
Crif Dogs's product category is Quick Service Restaurant / Casual Hot Dog Dining. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAAAD, Sandwiches & Subs QSR. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.