Wienerschnitzel
Encyclopedia
Wienerschnitzel is an American
fast food
chain founded in 1961 (as "Der Wienerschnitzel") that specializes in hot dog
s, but is currently expanding to other items. Wienerschnitzel locations are found almost exclusively in California
and Texas
, though others are located in Arizona
, Colorado
, Illinois
, Louisiana
, New Mexico
, Nevada
, Utah
, and Washington state. There is also a store in Guam
.
The chain is recognizable by the tall and steeply pitched roofs of its restaurants, similar to the original structures used by IHOP and Whataburger
. Structures that have been converted from Wienerschnitzels into other restaurants often retain the distinctive architecture. The chain's advertising mascot
is an anthropomorphized
hot dog known as The Delicious One
, who runs from people who want to eat him.
Wienerschnitzel sponsors the tongue-in-cheek Wiener Nationals
, the de facto
national dachshund racing
championship series for the United States.
The first Wienerschnitzel was opened by John Galardi in 1961. This location, still operating today, was a hot dog stand located at 900 Pacific Coast Highway, east of Figueroa Street
, in the Los Angeles
community of Wilmington
.
In the late 1980s, Galardi converted several stores in the Denver area and other Western
cities into The Original Hamburger Stand
restaurants. Wienerschnitzels now sell Tastee-Freez
ice cream, a brand also owned by Galardi. Wienerschnitzels do not actually serve wiener schnitzel
.
by native English
speakers.
The expression der Wienerschnitzel is German—however the correct article
to use in this case is the neuter form das, not the masculine der. This is true for both the actual food (das Schnitzel) and the restaurant itself (das Restaurant, das Lokal), though the genitive plural is "der"; Das Restaurant der Wienerschnitzel would be grammatically correct though at least awkward; it literally translates to "The Restaurant of Wienerschnitzels".
Strictly, Wienerschnitzel might also be seen as incorrect, since the term is a two-word expression in German. As one word only it can suggest that natives of Vienna
(Wiener) have been processed as Schnitzel. The grammatically correct usage would be Das Wiener Schnitzel
.
"Wiener", from "Wiener Würstchen", is a colloquial name for a hot dog. Wiener Schnitzel, however, actually means "breaded veal
cutlet, Vienna
style", a dish that the restaurant chain does not sell. Traditional Wiener-Schnitzel (Wienerschnitzel) is a thin cutlet of veal coated in flour, egg, and breading, which is then sautéed in oil and butter until crispy.
The origin of the chain and its name is described by its founder:
The chain changed its name to "Wienerschnitzel" (sans article) in 1977, though many franchises retained the older name on their restaurants and some older customers still refer to the chain as "Der Wienerschnitzel". The restaurant paid homage to its original name in its 2009 marketing slogan, "DERlicious."
in 1978.
The Delicious One
(sometimes referred to as TDO), Wienerschnitzel's mascot, has been featured in some of their advertising since 1999. The slogan, "The World's Most Wanted Wiener" is used in all of The Delicious One's commercials. Wienerschnitzel has not produced many The Delicious One commercials lately. The new commercials are more focused on describing their food products and are produced in live action.
Wienerschnitzel also uses the slogan "DERlicious" in their advertising, relating back to before the company dropped the "Der" from its name in 1977. Some other newer commercials use the slogan, "Hot Dogs are DER again!" along with the DERlicious logo.
In celebration of Wienerschnitzel's 50th anniversary, a new slogan was released in 2011 to continue the "Der" theme: "Der fun since '61!".
The history of Wienerschnitzel's slogans with the years they were used, as follows:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
chain founded in 1961 (as "Der Wienerschnitzel") that specializes in hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
s, but is currently expanding to other items. Wienerschnitzel locations are found almost exclusively in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, though others are located in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, and Washington state. There is also a store in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
.
The chain is recognizable by the tall and steeply pitched roofs of its restaurants, similar to the original structures used by IHOP and Whataburger
Whataburger
Whataburger is a privately held, regional restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers. The company, founded by Harmon Dobson, opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1950...
. Structures that have been converted from Wienerschnitzels into other restaurants often retain the distinctive architecture. The chain's advertising mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is an anthropomorphized
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
hot dog known as The Delicious One
The Delicious One
The Delicious One is the mascot of Wienerschnitzel. The Delicious One is an anthromorphic chili dog...
, who runs from people who want to eat him.
Wienerschnitzel sponsors the tongue-in-cheek Wiener Nationals
Wiener Nationals
The Wiener Nationals are the United States national dachshund racing championships sponsored by Wienerschnitzel. Regional qualifiers are held in the Southwestern United States , with the final 8 Dachshunds racing for the national title every December in San Diego as part of the Holiday Bowl.The...
, the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
national dachshund racing
Dachshund racing
Dachshund racing, or wiener dog racing, is a popular, yet controversial sporting event, primarily found in North America. Typical Dachshund races are either 25 or 50 yards in length, and are run on various surfaces...
championship series for the United States.
The first Wienerschnitzel was opened by John Galardi in 1961. This location, still operating today, was a hot dog stand located at 900 Pacific Coast Highway, east of Figueroa Street
Figueroa Street
Figueroa Street is a street in Los Angeles County, California named for General José Figueroa , governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835, who oversaw the secularization of the missions of California...
, in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
community of Wilmington
Wilmington, Los Angeles, California
Wilmington is a district of Los Angeles, with industry as its primary economic activity. It lies adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro, and Harbor City. Wilmington is the site of Banning House and Drum Barracks, or Camp Drum, the only major American Civil War landmark in California. The...
.
In the late 1980s, Galardi converted several stores in the Denver area and other Western
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
cities into The Original Hamburger Stand
The Original Hamburger Stand
The Original Hamburger Stand is a regional fast food chain in the southwestern United States. Besides its low cost burgers, the franchise features menu items from its sister companies Wienerschnitzel and Tastee-Freez at some of its locations...
restaurants. Wienerschnitzels now sell Tastee-Freez
Tastee-Freez
Tastee-Freez is a Newport Beach, California-based franchised chain of fast-food restaurants with stores in 22 of the United States, with most of its stores located in Virginia, Illinois and Maryland. Currently there are fewer than 100 freestanding stores in the United States and Panama. It was...
ice cream, a brand also owned by Galardi. Wienerschnitzels do not actually serve wiener schnitzel
Wiener schnitzel
Schnitzel is a traditional Austrian dish made with boneless meat thinned with a mallet , coated in bread crumbs and fried. It is a popular part of Viennese, Austrian cuisine and German Cuisine...
.
Etymology
"Der Wienerschnitzel" is an example of incorrect use of GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
by native English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
speakers.
The expression der Wienerschnitzel is German—however the correct article
Article (grammar)
An article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. Articles specify the grammatical definiteness of the noun, in some languages extending to volume or numerical scope. The articles in the English language are the and a/an, and some...
to use in this case is the neuter form das, not the masculine der. This is true for both the actual food (das Schnitzel) and the restaurant itself (das Restaurant, das Lokal), though the genitive plural is "der"; Das Restaurant der Wienerschnitzel would be grammatically correct though at least awkward; it literally translates to "The Restaurant of Wienerschnitzels".
Strictly, Wienerschnitzel might also be seen as incorrect, since the term is a two-word expression in German. As one word only it can suggest that natives of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(Wiener) have been processed as Schnitzel. The grammatically correct usage would be Das Wiener Schnitzel
Wiener schnitzel
Schnitzel is a traditional Austrian dish made with boneless meat thinned with a mallet , coated in bread crumbs and fried. It is a popular part of Viennese, Austrian cuisine and German Cuisine...
.
"Wiener", from "Wiener Würstchen", is a colloquial name for a hot dog. Wiener Schnitzel, however, actually means "breaded veal
Veal
Veal is the meat of young cattle , as opposed to meat from older cattle. Though veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, most veal comes from male calves of dairy cattle breeds...
cutlet, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
style", a dish that the restaurant chain does not sell. Traditional Wiener-Schnitzel (Wienerschnitzel) is a thin cutlet of veal coated in flour, egg, and breading, which is then sautéed in oil and butter until crispy.
The origin of the chain and its name is described by its founder:
"[John] Galardi started his career in the fast-food business at age 12 as a soda jerk in Missouri. With his family he came to California at age 19 and, as fate would have it, got his first job from Glen BellGlen BellGlen William Bell, Jr. was an American businessman who founded the fast food chain Taco Bell.Born in Lynwood, California and growing up in California, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Bell left the military in 1946 and started his first hot dog stand, called Bell's Drive-In,...
Jr., owner of Taco BellTaco BellTaco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
.
'I went over and enrolled in Pasadena Junior College. I walked across the street and a guy was hosing the lot,' Galardi recalled. 'I said, 'Do you need any help?' Bell said he did and offered him a part-time job at 50 cents an hour. From this association, Galardi moved on to manage Bell's commissary at $150 a week and then into a partnership agreement with Bell to run a poor producing taco store.
Working two shifts, with his ex-wife working three part-time jobs, Galardi managed to save $6,000. Meanwhile, Bell was having financial problems and asked Galardi to loan him the $6,000. Bell was unable to pay back the loan in three months and instead offered to sell Galardi the store for $12,000 cash.
'So my folks borrowed $2,000 from Household Finance on their furniture, I let everybody go and I worked 30 days to get the other thousands and I paid $12,000 for a little taco store in Long BeachLong Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. That's how I got into the ownership position,' he said.
The next breakthrough came a couple years later when Galardi was approached by a man who wanted to build the hard-working Galardi a store on Pacific Coast Highway in Wilmington. It was next to one of Bell's taco stores.
Bell told Galardi to take the deal and sell something other than tacos. 'So I came up with hot dogs,' Galardi said. 'Nobody else was in hot dogs and Glen's wife named the company. I was at dinner one night at their house and Bell's wife was looking at a cookbook and said you ought to call it wienerschnitzel. 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.'" (Orange County Business Journal. "Wienerschnitzel's John Galardi - No Ordinary Hot Dog". March 30, 1987)
The chain changed its name to "Wienerschnitzel" (sans article) in 1977, though many franchises retained the older name on their restaurants and some older customers still refer to the chain as "Der Wienerschnitzel". The restaurant paid homage to its original name in its 2009 marketing slogan, "DERlicious."
Logo, slogans, and advertising
Soon after the name change, the current Wienerschnitzel "W" logo was created by noted graphic designer Saul BassSaul Bass
Saul Bass was a Jewish-American graphic designer and filmmaker, best known for his design of motion picture title sequences....
in 1978.
The Delicious One
The Delicious One
The Delicious One is the mascot of Wienerschnitzel. The Delicious One is an anthromorphic chili dog...
(sometimes referred to as TDO), Wienerschnitzel's mascot, has been featured in some of their advertising since 1999. The slogan, "The World's Most Wanted Wiener" is used in all of The Delicious One's commercials. Wienerschnitzel has not produced many The Delicious One commercials lately. The new commercials are more focused on describing their food products and are produced in live action.
Wienerschnitzel also uses the slogan "DERlicious" in their advertising, relating back to before the company dropped the "Der" from its name in 1977. Some other newer commercials use the slogan, "Hot Dogs are DER again!" along with the DERlicious logo.
In celebration of Wienerschnitzel's 50th anniversary, a new slogan was released in 2011 to continue the "Der" theme: "Der fun since '61!".
The history of Wienerschnitzel's slogans with the years they were used, as follows:
- "Der fun since '61!" (2011-present, in celebration of 50th anniversary of business)
- "DERlicious", "Hot Dogs are DER again" (2009)
- "Pushing the Boundaries of Taste." (2006-2008)
- "Chili Dog Diet." (2005-2006) Chili Yum, Chili Chili, Yum, Yum!
- "The World's Most Wanted Wiener" (1999-2005 as main slogan, now used only in The Delicious OneThe Delicious OneThe Delicious One is the mascot of Wienerschnitzel. The Delicious One is an anthromorphic chili dog...
commercials) - "Everyone loves a wiener!" (1996-1999)
- "Wiener dude attitude!" (1991-1996)
- "We're not just a hot dog anymore!" (1984-1991)
- "Hamburgers and hot dogs, it's all together now!" (1979-1984)
- "Just thinkin' about those hot dogs makes me hungry!" (1970-1979)