Fast Food Entrepreneur. He was best known for being the founder of Wienerschnitzel, the world’s largest hot dog chain. At age 19, he began working at Taco Tia restaurant in Pasadena, California, when he decided to create an idea to compete with Glen Bell, who founded Taco Bell. In 1961, he a opened a hot dog stand called Der Wienerschnitzel in Wilmington, California, which specialized in chili dogs and featured a secret-recipe chili that remains a signature on the menu. His business soon took off as a franchised drive thru chain, reaching 200 locations within the next six years By 1977, the company dropped the “Der” and the chain was simply known as Wienerschnitzel. As chief operating officer for the Galardi Group, he included two hamburger concepts to his company, Weldon’s and the Original Hamburger Stand in 1983 and added the Tastee Freez ice cream chain to his restaurants in 2003. His hot dog chain has over 350 locations in 10 states and Guam, selling more than a 120 million hot dogs a year. He remained chairman of the Galardi Group until his death form cancer at age 75. (bio by: John “J-Cat” Griffith)