Nothing says summer like baseball games and hot dogs with all the fixings. Vienna Beef was founded over 121 years ago and is still going strong today with a family of brands created for those who love that iconic summer snack.
1893: Over 27 million people flock to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago to witness the latest inventions, including the Vienna Beef hot dog, created by Austrian-Hungarian immigrants Emil Reichel and Sam Ladany.
1895: Emil and Sam open their first store on Chicago’s Near West Side at 417 S. Halsted Avenue.
1908: As demand increases in the Chicago area, horse-drawn carriages deliver products around the city.
1928: Growth speeds along and Vienna trades horses for a sleek motorized fleet.
1950: Vienna products expand to Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, and Miami as Vienna mania sweeps the nation.
1957: Hot dog stands throughout Chicagoland feature Vienna beef franks “dragged through the garden,” a phrase describing the many toppings on a Chicago-style hot dog.
1962: Vienna products move into supermarkets in Chicago and soon to Southern California, bringing the beef hot dog into Americans’ homes.
1984: Vienna purchases Chicago Pickle company and adds condiments to its collection of products.
1985: Vienna adds some spice to their product line with chili and creates soups that will later become the Bistro Soup Company.
1992: David Berg joins the Vienna family of products.
2006: Vienna Beef opens the Hot Dog Hall of Fame.
2009: Hot Dog University is opened to teach the basics of the business to potential hot dog stand owners.
For more on Vienna Beef’s history, visit their website: http://www.viennabeef.com/
