During Susan Paden’s childhood in Cleveland, Ohio, there was nothing more American than a hot dog.

The daughter of Dutch immigrants, Ms. Paden grew up going to baseball games eating hot dogs with her father, Fred Wybenga.

“It was a great way to grow up,” she said, describing biting into a hot dog at a Cleveland Indians game.

It’s those memories that led Ms. Paden to open a restaurant she hopes captures her experiences growing up in a household that cherished its European roots while embracing a new American culture.

The result is Good Dog on Frazier Avenue, serving hot dogs with frites, European-style hand-cut potatoes. But the dogs aren’t the typical fare. There’s the BLT dog, the barbecue dog, the Chicago dog and the New York dog. There’s even a dog named for her dad — the Fred dog, served with chili, cheese, onions and Bertman’s Ballpark mustard, the kind she had as a child at the baseball games.

The restaurant will open in the next week and is one of two new businesses opening this fall, each with different approaches to the all-American food.

The owners of Chattanooga Hot Dog Co. are serving the antithesis of Ms. Paden’s out-of-the-box dogs. Blake Watson and Ron Lowe officially opened their hot dog vending cart at the corner of Market and 12th streets in early September and have developed a loyal following.

“It’s been an interesting journey this summer,” Mr. Watson said. “Everybody loves hot dogs — it’s amazing to us the response we’ve had.”

By design, Mr. Watson’s cart serves a simple menu with two varieties of all-beef hot dogs and a turkey dog. Chips, sodas and Moon Pies are also available.

James McClurkin stopped by the cart Friday afternoon on his way down Market Street. The Washington, D.C., native said he’s used to seeing hot dog vendors on almost every corner, so he was happy to buy lunch from the guys at Chattanooga Hot Dog Co.

“They’re easy to carry and not too messy,” he said. “I’ll eat it while I am walking.”

At Good Dog, food portability also is a concern, and something she has addressed in a different way. She plans to cash in on the location’s proximity to Coolidge Park.

“When people ask if we have patio seating, I say of course, you’ve got 10 acres on the river,” she said, pointing to the expanse of green space and plentiful park benches just outside the door.

The space — formerly occupied by The Big Much toy store — has inside seating and an interior decorated almost entirely from reclaimed or recycled materials, down to an eclectic collection of salt and pepper shakers bought from area Goodwill stores.

Neither Ms. Paden nor Mr. Watson say they are worried about competition from the other. For one, each business offers such a different product, Mr. Watson said.

“I thought it would be exciting to do something downtown on the city streets,” he said. “We are catering to our neighbors, people who work downtown, not tourists.”

His hot dogs are also steamed, as opposed to Good Dog, where Ms. Paden promises the dogs — even the veggie dog — will be cooked on a griddle and served on a toasted bun to hold all the available toppings.

Both business owners agree that there are plenty of people in Chattanooga who love hot dogs.

“I love hot dogs, they’re my favorite food,” Ms. Paden said.

As she continues to put the finishing touches on the restaurant, people peek in the door and ask when she’ll be open.

Mr. Watson has similar experiences proving Americans’ devotion to the hot dog. One afternoon a CARTA bus driver stopped and waited so a passenger could get off and buy a dog.

“It’s an interesting phenomenon,” he said. “I’ve always loved hot dogs, but I didn’t realize how much until I opened this business.”

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