San Diego — Wienerschnitzel, the world’s largest hot dog franchise, is bolstering its non-traditional development with the opening of its first-ever military base location at Naval Base San Diego through the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM). Located in the Navy Exchange food court in San Diego, the restaurant opened in early July.
Naval Base San Diego is one of the largest concentrations of active-duty military personnel on the West Coast.
The military base opening builds on a period of significant momentum for Wienerschnitzel. Over the past year, the brand has expanded into Walmart Supercenters in Tempe, Ariz.; Puyallup, Wash.; Alamogordo, N.M.; and Colorado Springs, Colo.; with two additional Walmart restaurants expected to open later this year.
“Opening our first restaurant on a military base is an exciting milestone for our brand and another example of how Wienerschnitzel can thrive beyond the traditional restaurant model,” says David Winter, chief development officer for Wienerschnitzel. “Whether it’s a Walmart, travel center or military installation, we’re finding new ways to meet consumers where they already are while creating additional growth opportunities for current and future franchise partners.”
Wienerschnitzel’s flexible development model is designed for both traditional and non-traditional formats, including freestanding drive-thrus, conversions, endcap and in-line locations, as well as retail, military, travel and other high-traffic environments. This adaptability allows franchisees to pursue multiple pathways for growth, unlock real estate opportunities that may not fit traditional restaurant concepts, and scale the brand across a variety of trade areas and venue types.
Founded by John Galardi in 1961 with a single hot dog stand in Wilmington, Calif., Wienerschnitzel is one of the iconic pioneers of the quick-service food industry. Based in Tustin, Calif., Galardi Group Inc. franchises 340 Wienerschnitzel restaurants in 13 states, with more than 30 additional units in development nationwide. The Galardi Group is also the parent company and franchisor of Hamburger Stand and Tastee Freez, LLC. For more information, visit www.wienerschnitzelfranchise.com.
SOURCE: Wienerschnitzel