Hot Diggity Dog: 5th Ave. Thrift Shop Owner Serves Up U-Haul
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. (July 28, 2015) – It started with a hotdog stand and a dream.
John Lagattuta opened 5th Ave. Thrift Shop last year and recently saw an opportunity to grow his business by partnering with U-Haul to offer truck rentals, trailers, towing equipment, support rental items and more.
Reserve U-Haul products at 5th Ave. Thrift Shop, located at 3311 5th Ave. N. by visiting http://www.uhaul.com/Locations/Truck-Rentals-near-Saint-Petersburg-FL or calling (727) 897-5340 today. Hours of operations are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Prior to opening the thrift shop, Lagattuta rented a space in front of a fruit store and sold hotdogs from a cart. The landlord of the fruit shop also owned the location where 5th Ave. Thrift Shop now sits. Once Lagattuta saved enough money, he purchased the building.
“That’s how I started here,” Lagattuta said.
Lagattuta’s hotdog stand had sentimental value because it was purchased after his mother passed away. He noted that his mom had a dog named BoBo and after his mother died, he bought the cart and called his stand “BoBo’s Hotdogs.”
The transition from a hotdog stand to a thrift shop was a change. “It’s a learning experience and I’m really grateful for that,” Lagattuta said.
His decision to become a U-Haul dealer offered another way for him to attract new customers.
“There are a lot of good people who come in to rent,” Lagattuta said. “We get a lot of people walking in.”
Lagattuta aims to expand the business again by adding a kitchen to serve hamburgers and, of course, hotdogs.
U-Haul and 5th Ave. Thrift Shop are striving to benefit the environment through sustainability initiatives. Truck sharing is a core U-Haul sustainability business practice that allows individuals to access a fleet of trucks that is larger than what they could access on an individual basis.
Every U-Haul truck placed in a community helps keep 19 personally owned large-capacity vehicles, pickups, SUVs and vans off the road. Fewer vehicles means less traffic congestion, less pollution, less fuel burned and cleaner air.
5th Ave. Thrift Shop is a great place to become U-Haul Famous. Take your picture in front of a U-Haul product, send it in and your face could land on the side of a U-Haul truck. Upload your photo through Instagram using #uhaulfamous, or go to www.uhaulfamous.com to submit photos and learn more.
About U-Haul
Contact:
Brittani Gomez, Public Relations Intern
Jeff Lockridge, Public Relations Specialist
E-mail: jeff_lockridge@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com