Yocco's Hot Dogs
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Yocco's Hot Dogs is a regionally-famous hot dog and cheesesteak establishment with six restaurants, each located in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States.
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[edit] History and locations
Yocco's was originally established in 1922 at its current center city Allentown location on West Liberty Street. In the 1980s, four additional Yocco's restaurants were opened. The first, known as Yocco's South, was opened in Emmaus, at Pennsylvania Route 29 and Buckeye Road. The second was opened in west-side Allentown, at Hamilton and 22nd Streets. The third additional location was opened in Fogelsville, on Route 100. In 2002, a location was opened further west along Hamilton Street at Route 222 in Wescosville. The most recent location is on Catasauqua Road in Allentown, near the Lehigh Valley International Airport.
The name Yocco's was derived from the name "Iacocca," after the family who owns the establishment (the founder was Lee Iacocca's uncle). However, because the Pennsylvania Dutch could not pronounce Iacocca (an Italian name) and said Yocco instead, the name was changed to reflect their pronunciation.
[edit] Ordering etiquette
Like most eastern Pennsylvania restaurants that sell fast food, there is a clearly defined protocol for ordering at Yocco's. Customers who fail to adhere to the protocol are sometimes refused or delayed service.
The first requirement is to issue your order quickly. The establishment sometimes requires customers to return to the back of the line if they pause in issuing their food order. In ordering cheesesteaks and hot dogs, the second is to issue the order in accordance with the establishment's long-standing ordering practices, which require the customer to order the desired item and then clearly indicate what standard toppings are or are not to be added. Additional items are added after the order is completed. Example: "I'll have a Yocco's dog, just sauce, and a large pierogie. Drinks are always ordered before being called by the prep-cook. Customers who fail to adhere to the ordering protocols are sometimes delayed service[1].
[edit] Mail order business
Yocco's draws tens of thousands of customers to its five Lehigh Valley restaurants each year. Its food has become so popular that the restaurant also has built a highly-successful mail order business, filling mail orders from customers around the United States and in other countries. A map in each of the store's four locations mark all the U.S. and global destinations from which the restaurant has received orders, including several dozen foreign countries.
[edit] Service Electric's "Plays of the Week"
In addition to the appeal of its food, Yocco's also has gained notoriety as the sponsor of Service Electric's "Plays of the Week" broadcast segments. The segment highlights the best Lehigh Valley Conference high school athletic plays of the week and has become one of the most popular broadcasts on Service Electric's Channel 2 in the Lehigh Valley.
Yocco's also is a generous sponsor of local athletic teams, including several Allentown and Allentown suburban youth and adult baseball and softball teams.
