By Mick Dillon / The Jambar
Local restaurant Suzie’s has reopened after being closed since 2023. The gourmet hot dog shop relocated from its previous location on Phelps Street to find a permanent home as a food truck inside downtown Youngstown’s Penguin City Brewing Co.
Suzie’s was brought back by local restaurateurs Bradley Miller and Ashlea Duck. Miller and Duck’s business relationship with Penguin City goes back to 2024, when they used the brewery’s warehouse to operate their weekly “Build Your Own Brunch” events.
The duo originally teamed up while Miller was working as a restaurant consultant in the Youngstown area.
“That’s how I met [Duck] … I’d go and get into a restaurant, and I would just work on their efficiency. I’d work on how they’re ordering food, how they’re writing the recipes and how they’re staffing their place,” Miller said. “[Duck] was one of those shining stars you just couldn’t ignore.”
Penguin City is known for its rotating lineup of food trucks, and Aspasia Lyras, co-owner of Penguin City, assures customers that the brewery will continue to host them outside the establishment in addition to Suzie’s permanent placement inside.
“We’re still going to have the food trucks come in when it’s really busy,” Lyras said. “But we really wanted to have something consistent that every time you came here, you were going to get this certain food.”
Miller was part of the first iteration of Suzie’s, which originally opened in 2014. Responsible for writing menus and designing store concepts, Miller felt he was equipped to bring the once-beloved eatery back to life.
“Youngstown loves Suzie’s. From everything that I’ve heard, we’ve had a lot of really great reception with [the restaurant] coming back,” Miller said.
Suzie’s features a unique menu with untraditional toppings for its hot dogs, including marshmallow fluff, fruity pebbles and crickets.
“It’s a very adventurous menu … You come down here with your friends and everybody’s kind of challenging each other like, ‘What’s the most wild hot dog you can make?’” Miller said.
The Youngstown community is a large part of Suzie’s identity, and this is not lost on Miller.
“I spent six years at YSU … It was such a great experience for me, and I think the thing that was actually lacking was a downtown experience,” Miller said. “And so I would just like to encourage [YSU students] to, you know … come down and explore [their] surroundings. Youngstown is a beautiful place.”
Although securing the building for its permanent location is a big step for Suzie’s, Miller said it’s only the beginning.
“The sky is the limit … It could look like anything,” Miller said. “We could have multiple food trucks … We could have a built-in kitchen … We could do many, many things with this. But we’re going to keep improving and growing and trying to do the best that we can for Youngstown.”
Penguin City has several events lined up for the end of the 2025, and Suzie’s will be open and operating for all occasions. All information on upcoming events can be found on the Penguin City website or social media.
