In 1961, Galardi opened up the initial Wienerschnitzel stand in Wilminton, Los Angeles at the age of 23. The company now boasts of being the largest hot dog vending chain in the world with about 350 locations throughout the U.S selling an estimated 120 million hot dogs annually. Once the Wienerschnitzel business took off, Galardi included the Tastee Freez an ice cream chain and Original Hamburger Stand to the Irvine based Galardi Group. Galardi maintained chairmanship of the company up until his death.
In a statement the company’s operations manager Dennis Tase said that Galardi touched the lives of countless with his generosity in business “and his legacy will forever live on.” He added that the brand represented a simpler time in life and it is special to many American families. Galardi has left behind a wife and four children.
