They’re different in Chicago, they’re different in New York and New Orleans, and they’re definitely different at Dodger Stadium. Hot dog styles vary between major regions more than accents. And the variety makes trips to different cities all the more delicious.

Circa 1957 – Vienna Beef franks can be found at hot dog stands throughout Chicago. The famous yellow Vienna Beef signs pop up in every neighborhood.
(photo courtesy of Vienna Beef)

Popular hot dog lore indicates that the first sausages served on a bun originated in New York City in the 1860s, when a German immigrant sold them on rolls with sauerkraut. Other stories point to a German butcher named Charles Feltman, who in 1871 opened the first hot dog stand on Coney Island and began selling “dachshunds” on rolls. Over 20 years later in 1893, the Columbian Exposition attracted thousands of visitors to Chicago, where vendors sold large quantities of sausages to visitors. At the time, sausages became a popular food at baseball parks, which is credited to Chris Von de Ahe, a German immigrant who owned the St. Louis Browns baseball team.

Tom Pierce, vice president of marketing for Chicago-based Vienna Beef, said there are as many stories about how the hot dog originated as there are ways to enjoy them.

“There is a lot of folklore. Some claim they were created in New York, others claim they did it in St. Louis,” he said. “Sausages go back hundreds and hundreds of years. Our traditional American hot dog is thought to date back to the 1880s.”

Pierce said Chicago became the Mecca of hot dog manufacturing in the early 20th century because of the large number of slaughterhouses and meat processing plants located in the city.

Although New York, Chicago and St. Louis are credited with being the possible birthplaces of the hot dog, Los Angeles also has a long history in the hot dog industry. Another well-known name in hot dogs – Wienerschnitzel – was founded in the Los Angeles area in 1961, and has grown to become the country’s largest hot dog chain with more than 350 stores.

In 1894, Emil and Sam open their first store on Chicago’s Near West Side at 417 S. Halsted Ave.
(photo courtesy of Vienna Beef)

The popularity of hot dogs is still apparent at stands like Pink’s Hot Dogs on La Brea Avenue, where people line up for their favorite version of the American classic.

But what if you wanted that distinct Chicago-style hot dog without taking a weekend trip to get one? If you relish a discussion about franks, sauerkraut and chili, or wonder if you can cut the mustard in the hot dog business, then there is something for you at Hot Dog University, a program being held in Los Angeles on July 12 and 13 by Vienna Beef Ltd.

Pierce said the program covers everything from obtaining licenses and permits to food safety, ordering products and marketing to customers. The course is designed to guide hot dog enthusiasts in their quest to open  successful food service businesses. The program incorporates classroom instruction and hands-on, “behind-the-cart” training using state-of-the-art equipment. Class sizes are limited to allow personal attention. Pierce said local students are encouraged to enroll.

Mark Retiman, Ph.D., who is known as the “professor of hot dogs,” will lead the program. He has been showing the ropes to prospective hot dog business owners for more than a decade at Vienna Beef’s Hot Dog University in Chicago.

“We are like the Harvard of hot dogs — the nation’s college of encased meat,” Reitman said. “The program deals with food safety, different ways the hot dogs can be prepared and sold. We like to say, ‘It’s so simple it’s difficult.’ It’s a very labor-intensive business. You have to put in a lot of effort before that first hot dog is sold.”

Vienna Beef is one of the few remaining mid-sized, privately held sausage manufacturers in the country.

Vienna Beef’s Vernon facility is located at 6033 Malburg Way. Visit www.viennabeef.com or www.hotdogu.com.

For any questions regarding the course call Professor Reitman at (414)975-8580.