Vienna® Beef Company History Timeline From the moment Emil Reichel and Sam Ladany gave Chicago its first taste of Vienna, we've been making hot dog history. To travel back in time with us, travel down the time line and share some of our milestones. Enjoy! 1893 Over 27 million people flock to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago to witness the latest inventions, including the Vienna Chicago-style hot dog, created by Austria-Hungarian immigrants Emil Reichel and Sam Ladany. 1894 Emil and Sam open their first store on Chicagos Near West Side at 417 S. Halsted Ave. 1900 The city clamors for more! So Vienna begins marketing and selling its famous products to other stores and restaurants around Chicago. 1908 Horse-drawn carriages deliver Vienna products across the Chicago area as demand gallops along. 1913 Chicago is growing fast, and so is Vienna. The company expands its operations to meet demand. 1928 Vienna goes into high gear, retiring its horses for a state-of-the-art motorized fleet. 1933 The Great Depression is raging, but Chicagoans can still enjoy a delicious, filling meal on a bun for only a nickel, thanks to Vienna hot dog carts. As a thriving group of vendors advertise their dogs as having "a salad on top," the famous Chicago-style hot dog is born. 1943 Old-world delicatessens, like Leavitt’s at Halsted and Maxwell streets, begin to feature Vienna products. 1950 Food distributors see the growing demand for higher quality products and begin to buy them from Vienna for customers in Indiana, Wisconsin and all of Illinois. Viennamania starts sweeping the nation. 1957 Vienna Beef franks "dragged through the garden" can be found at hot dog stands throughout Chicagoland. 1962 Americans start bringing Vienna into their own kitchens as Vienna enters the new supermarket trade. 1972 Vienna takes up residence on Chicago’s North Side, at 2501 N. Damen Ave., its present headquarters. 1984 Vienna starts a program of helping aspiring restaurateurs pursue their dog-stand dreams, creating a new generation of eatery entrepreneurs.