The first Wienerschnitzel freestanding kiosk inside a shopping center celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Westfield Santa Anita mall food court.
Aug. 30 update from original story posted here on Aug. 24. <Story continues below following 3-minute video highlight of grand opening ceremony and hot dog eating contest.> .
Get the Flash Player to see this content. . In addition to the ribbon-cutting with Arcadia Mayor Pro Tem Gary Kovacic, activities included a hot dog eating contest (winner received an Apple iPod Shuffle and chili dogs for a year), free raffle prizes including a bicycle and Apple iPod Shuffle, and special appearances by “America’s Most Wanted Hot Dog” – The Delicious One – and The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim “Angels Strike Force Girls,” who will gave away free Angels game tickets and Angels merchandise. There was also be a spin-the-prize-wheel with free t-shirts, antenna toppers and free chili dog and Tastee-Freez soft-serve ice cream cone coupons.
The world’s largest hot dog chain with crazy low prices — current offers include 99-cent turkey chili dogs, $1.49 chili dog and fries, and free double chili cheeseburgers with the purchase of fries — is based in Irvine. It was founded as Der Wienerschnitzel in 1961 by John Galardi as a single hot dog stand on the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) on Figueroa Street near Los Angeles in Wilmington, Ca. (Of course, the chain does not actually sell the Austrian veal dish Wiener Schnitzel.)
The closest one to Arcadia until now has been the stand in El Monte on the northwest corner of Santa Anita Ave. and Lower Asuza Road.
The new contemporary-designed restaurant in Arcadia, owned by Ameet Toor, offers a limited menu including hot dogs, chili dogs, corn dogs and French fries, as well as ice cream products of sister company Tastee-Freez. It is open during mall hours from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays – Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.
“We are very excited to celebrate the grand opening of our first restaurant inside a shopping mall…,” said Bob Mathews, vice president of development and general counsel for Wienerschnitzel. “We foresee this restaurant style being very successful and have plans to open similar Wienerschnitzel locations in Southern California.”
Weinerschnitzel, which dropped the “Der” decades ago and resurrected it in recent years as a marketing gimmick to describe its “Der-licious food,” serves more than 120 million hot dogs annually at 350 stores in 10 states and Guam.
Parent company Galardi Group also owns Tastee Freez and The Hamburger Stand, which are converted Wienserschnitzel stands in Denver and a few other area.
— By Scott Hettrick