40 years ago this Saturday, when the Pinellas Beaches looked much different, a young crane operator named Dan Casey left his morning shift helping to build a Tampa Bay bridge and raced to the north end of St. Pete Beach, where he opened his hot dog stand for the first time. All he and his future wife Diana had was a rented refrigerator, a steam table, and a Vienna Hot Dog banner, along with his passion for hospitality.
It was Independence Day of 1986, and Casey hoped hot dogs would be the perfect offering for locals and tourists alike on the beaches for the 4th. By the end of the day, he totaled $86 in sales, an appropriate number, if not a little lower than he may have liked. That $86 in hot dogs became the foundation of a real-life American Dream and the starting point for what are now two of St. Pete Beach’s most iconic restaurants, 1200 Chophouse and Snapper’s Sea Grill.
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Just as Casey took a chance on his hot dog stand, his story begins like so many others in this country, with a family arriving on American shores dreaming of a better and more prosperous future. Casey’s maternal grandfather immigrated to the United States from Milan, Italy in the late 1930s. A chef by trade, he worked at Chicago’s famed Drake Hotel before opening his own lunch-counter restaurant on Rush Street serving factory workers. Today, Casey still treasures some of his grandfather’s original pots, pans, and knife-sharpening tools.
That passion for hospitality carried through the generations down to Casey, inspiring the St. Pete Beach hot dog stand that opened some 50 years later. And that hot dog stand was just the beginning for Casey’s culinary journey.
While enrolled at Seminole High School as a teenager, Casey learned the tricks of the trade at legendary local establishments like Don Cate’s The Hungry Fisherman and The Wine Cellar. He put those lessons into use after high school when he tried his hand at making hot dogs by the water and eventually opened Dan’s Beachside, a small seven-table restaurant featuring those same hot dogs.
The Chicago-style hot dogs were a remnant of his youth spent growing up in Chicago, while he added local touches over the years with fresh seafood, Gulf grouper, jerk ribs and even housemade salsas. The popularity of Dan’s grew to the point of customers waiting as long as two hours for a table, inspiring Casey to eventually make his biggest leap yet.
In 1997, Casey sold the restaurant. On Valentine’s Day of 1998, he opened the doors of Snapper’s Sea Grill on Gulf Boulevard. For nearly 30 years, it’s been a local favorite. The risk was more than rewarded.
As Snapper’s has evolved, it’s not just the locals who have constantly filled its dining room, as celebrities such as Cher, Pat Benatar, Huey Lewis, and The Neville Brothers have all supped at the St. Pete Beach star.
That success eventually spawned another undertaking for Casey, as local hotel owners repeatedly told him that visitors were tired of driving long distances to find a first-class steakhouse. And so, 1200 Chophouse was born.
Created from an Old Florida beach house overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, 1200 Chophouse combines the atmosphere of a classic Florida cattle ranch with premium aged steaks, a robust wine selection, and elevated hospitality. And while its offerings may differ from Snapper’s, they have a shared ethos.
1200 Chophouse and Snapper’s are both born from Casey’s commitment to hospitality and to a quality product. Whether it was a hot dog served from a steamer in 1986 or a Grade A Prime steak seared at a perfect 1200 degrees in 2026, you always know you’re getting Casey’s best.
Just as Casey continued the culinary dreams of his grandfather, his legacy is now being passed down to yet another generation. Connor Casey, who is Dan Casey’s son and a graduate of Florida State University’s Hospitality Management program, is taking over many of the daily operations for the company, following in the footsteps of those who came before him. They believe the shared vision is what makes the restaurants so special.
“It’s great when guests gravitate to us because they trust our consistency, tireless commitment to details, and unwavering value proposition,” Connor said.
Ahead of July 4th and the 40th anniversary of that first dog, the holiday carries extra meaning for Dan Casey and his family. His grandfather followed his dreams to America, while that inherited determination and passion led to the realization of Casey’s American Dream here on the Gulf Coast. Through his son, that dream will live on for another generation.
It’s amazing how far $86 in hot dogs can take you. Here’s to the next 40 years.
