Wienerschnitzel facts for kids
Current Wienerschnitzel logo designed by Saul Bass in 1978
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An older A-frame roof Wienerschnitzel restaurant in Whittier, California
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| Subsidiary of The Galardi Group | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast food |
| Founded | Los Angeles, California, U.S. (1961) |
| Founder | John Galardi |
| Headquarters |
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U.S
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Number of locations
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358 |
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Area served
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United States |
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Key people
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Cindy Culpepper (CEO, The Galardi Group) |
| Products | |
| Revenue |  US$341 million (2019) |
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Number of employees
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5,000 (2019) |
| Parent | The Galardi Group |
Wienerschnitzel is a famous American fast food chain. It is best known for its delicious hot dogs. The company started in 1961. A man named John Galardi, who used to work at Taco Bell, founded it.
The company was first called Der Wienerschnitzel. Even though its name sounds like a German dish, it usually doesn't sell that dish. Wienerschnitzel restaurants are mostly found in California and Texas. You can also find them in other states like Arizona, Colorado, and Washington. There are even stores outside the United States, in places like Guam and Panama.
Many of the older restaurants have cool A-frame roofs. These look like the original buildings of other famous chains. The company's fun advertising mascot is a hot dog named The Delicious One. He acts like a person!
Wienerschnitzel also helps sponsor the Wiener Nationals. This is a fun championship series where dachshund dogs race!
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What Does "Wienerschnitzel" Mean?
The word Wienerschnitzel comes from German. Before 1996, it was spelled as one word. The restaurant's name is a mix of two words: Wiener and Schnitzel. Wiener means "Viennese" (from Vienna, Austria). Schnitzel means "cutlet" (a thin piece of meat).
In English, "wiener" is a casual name for a hot dog. In German, a hot dog is sometimes called Wiener Würstchen, which means "little Viennese sausage." The full phrase Wiener Schnitzel describes a "Viennese breaded veal cutlet." The restaurant chain only sold this real dish for a short time in 2017.
The company changed its name from "Der Wienerschnitzel" to just "Wienerschnitzel" in 1977. But some older restaurants still use the original name. In 2009, the company used the slogan "DERlicious" to remember its first name.
The Story of Wienerschnitzel
The first Wienerschnitzel was started by John Galardi. When he was 19, he moved to California. His first job was with Glen Bell, who later started Taco Bell. John worked for Bell at a taco store. Eventually, John bought that store from Bell.
A few years later, someone asked John to open his own restaurant. It was right next to one of Bell's taco stores. Bell told him to take the offer. But Bell suggested John sell a different kind of food. So, John decided to sell hot dogs.
John said his wife found the name "Wienerschnitzel" in a cookbook. He wasn't sure about the name at first. He thought, "Nobody would call a company Wienerschnitzel." But then he realized it was better than "John's Hot Dogs." The first hot dog stand opened in 1961 in Wilmington, Los Angeles.
In the late 1980s, some Wienerschnitzel stores became Hamburger Stand restaurants. Now, Wienerschnitzel also sells Tastee-Freez ice cream. This is another brand owned by the Galardi family.
John Galardi passed away in 2013. His ex-wife, Cynthia Galardi-Culpepper, became the new CEO. She was the first woman to lead the company. She even appeared on the TV show Undercover Boss in 2016.
In 2015, the company made a deal to open Wienerschnitzel restaurants in Panama.
Logos, Slogans, and Ads
After the name change in 1977, the current Wienerschnitzel logo was created. A famous graphic designer named Saul Bass designed it in 1978.
The company used to have a mascot called Wienerdog. He had kids' audiobooks and sing-along tapes.
The Delicious One (TDO) has been Wienerschnitzel's main mascot since 1999. His commercials use the slogan "The World's Most Wanted Wiener." Newer ads show the actual food products.
Wienerschnitzel often uses the slogan "DERlicious" in its ads. This reminds people of the time when the company's name started with "Der." Some newer commercials also say, "Hot Dogs are DER again!"
Around 2010, the old "Der Wienerschnitzel" logo appeared on food wrappers and fry boxes. In 2011, the company created a new slogan for its 50th birthday: "Der fun since '61!".
The Galardi Group: Parent Company
| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Founder | John Galardi |
| Headquarters |
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U.S
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Number of locations
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379 (January 2022) |
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Key people
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JR Galardi (CEO) |
| Revenue | US$501 million (2021) |
| Owner | Galardi family |
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Number of employees
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8,000 (2019) |
| Subsidiaries |
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The Galardi Group is the main company that owns Wienerschnitzel. It also owns Tastee-Freez and Original Hamburger Stand. John Galardi started this group in 1970.
In 1979, Wienerschnitzel tried to sell hamburgers. When that didn't work well, the company started two new chains in 1983. These were The Original Hamburger Stand and Weldon's Gourmet Hamburgers. Some Wienerschnitzel locations even became Original Hamburger Stands.
By 2003, The Galardi Group started selling Tastee-Freez products in its restaurants. Because these products sold so well, The Galardi Group later bought the entire Tastee-Freez company.
Images for kids
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Wienerschnitzel restaurant in Sunnyvale, California, closed in July 2008
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Wienerschnitzel in Milpitas, California, closed in July 2014
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Wienerschnitzel in Vancouver, Washington, closed in June 2015
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See also
In Spanish: Wienerschnitzel para niños
- List of hot dog restaurants
