Wienerschnitzel

Wienerschnitzelis an Americanfast foodchain that specializes inhot dogsand other food products. The brand was founded in 1961 by formerTaco Bellemployee John Galardi and originally namedDer Wienerschnitzel. Despite the name, the company does not ordinarily sellWiener schnitzel, doing so once as a promotion.Wienerschnitzel locations are found predominantly in California and Texas; others are found in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Nebraska and Washington, as well as the U.S. territory of Guam.Outside the United States, there are stores located in Ecuador.
The chain is most notable for theA-frameroofs of its older restaurants, similar to the original structures used byIHOP,Tastee-Freez,Nickerson Farms, andWhataburger. The chain's advertisingmascotis ananthropomorphizedhot dog known as the Delicious One.
Wienerschnitzel sponsors theWiener Nationals, thede factonationaldachshund racingchampionship series in the United States.
The worddas Wienerschnitzelis German, and likeJägerschnitzelandZigeunerschnitzel, was spelled as one word before thespelling reform of 1996.The restaurant's name is aportmanteauofWienerandSchnitzel, meaning "Viennese" and "cutlet" respectively.
In American English,wieneris a colloquial name for a hot dog, which is sometimes calledWiener Würstchen("little Viennese sausage") in German.The specific phraseWiener Schnitzeldenotes a "Viennese breadedvealcutlet",something the restaurant chain has served briefly as a limited menu item in 2017.
The chain dropped the (in German wrong) "Der" from its name, shortening it toWienerschnitzelin 1977, though many franchises have retained the older name on their restaurants. The restaurant paid homage to its original name in its 2009marketing slogan, using the word "DERlicious".
The first Wienerschnitzel was founded by formerTaco Bellemployee John Galardi. When Galardi came to California at the age of 19, his first job was fromGlen Bell, who would go on to later establish Taco Bell in 1962. Bell initially hired him on a part-time basis for 50 cents an hour at a taco store called Taco-Tia. Eventually, Galardi entered into apartnership agreementto run the store. He offered to sell the store to Galardi for $12,000, later amassing enough money to pay.
A couple of years later, a man wanted to recruit Galardi to start his own restaurant at a location onPacific Coast HighwayinWilmington, next to one of Bell's taco stores. Bell encouraged him to take the offer, but wanted to have Galaradi sell another kind of food; Galardi decided to sell hot dogs.  According to Galardi, his wife came up with the name when looking through acookbook. He was initially skeptical of the name, saying, "I told my wife going home nobody in their right mind would call a company Wienerschnitzel. Three days later, I said, 'Hell, it's better than John's Hot Dogs.'"The first location was opened in 1961 as a hot-dog stand at 900 West Pacific Coast Highway, east ofFigueroa Street, in the Los Angeles community of Wilmington.
In the late 1980s, Galardi converted several stores inDenver, Colorado, and otherWesterncities intoHamburger Standrestaurants. Wienerschnitzels now sellTastee-Freezice cream, another brand owned by Galardi.
Galardi died ofpancreatic canceron April 13, 2013.His ex-wife, Cynthia Galardi-Culpepper, who previously was asilent partner, assumed the role as CEO and chairwoman after his death.She was the corporation's first and only woman in a managerial position, later appearing in reality television seriesUndercover Bossin 2016.
In 2015, the company signed a franchise agreement with International Food Concepts Inc. to plan and open Wienerschnitzel locations in Panama.
Soon after the rebrand, the current Wienerschnitzel logo was created bySaul Bassin 1978.
The Galardi Group, theparent companyof Wienerschnitzel,Tastee-Freez, andOriginal Hamburger Stand, was formed by John Galardi in 1970.
In 1979, Wienerschnitzel attempted to expand its menus by adding hamburgers. With little success in the 1980s, the company established two chains in 1983, The Original Hamburger Stand and Weldon's Gourmet Hamburgers,which was cast off in the 1990s.Some Wienerschnitzel locations were replaced with The Original Hamburger Stands.
By 2003, The Galardi Group became afranchiseeof Tastee-Freez and made its products available in Wienerschnitzel and Original Hamburger Stand.Due to increased sales, The Galardi Group later bought Tastee-Freez.
TheDescendents' song "Wienerschnitzel" from their 1981 releaseFat EPtakes the form of a satirical skit in which the band's frontmanMilo Aukermanorders a meal from the restaurant.