Fascinating! I did a newspaper archive search based on your article. It appears that the Der Wienerschnitzel outlet in Alexandria was part of a planned DC-area expansion that never took off. From the Washington Daily News, 4/29/1968:
"Der Wienerschnitzel International, a wiener and sausage restaurant chain, plans to open 25 units in the D.C. area within three years. Most or all will be franchised. The first unit will be in Alexandria and construction on it is expected to begin next month. Currently, the company has more than 200 restaurants."
I don't see any evidence that they ever got past that single Alexandria location, however. That planned expansion is apparently so long forgotten that even the company doesn't remember it!
Oh awesome! Do you have a link to that article archive so I could include it as a note or is it like a private link? What archive service/source did you use for that?
Upon further research, I can also prove that the Hampton location was a Der Wienerschnitzel. Here's a 1969 ad in the Newport News Daily Press which they offer discount tickets a horror feature at the local movie house:
After you gave me that link I searched all of Virginia for more on the Hampton Roads stuff! I have not looked at the results but a bunch came back.
A fellow with the Virginia Dept of Historic Resources who I emailed while researching this told me he remembered eating at a Richmond Wienerschnitzel in the early 80s. That may be the case as well then! (It's Richmond and Hampton where they're entering in 2025 - basically just repeating their modestly successful attempt back then without saying it's a repeat!)
Awesome! Yes, if they were in Hampton and Newport News, then it would be plausible for them to be in Richmond too. And since the Hampton location (at least) was still around in 1980, the East Coast push clearly stuck for a while.
Thank you! Yes you know I hope my work seems like a respite from everything, and that it has a real point even when it isn't about something immediately important
I, too, immediately thought of Der Wienerschnitzel when I saw the shape and size of the building. I remember vividly the one in Newport News, having grown up less than a mile away.
Oh cool! Apparently those ones survived much longer than the Alexandria attempt. The reader who found the newspaper clip found a reference to one of them in 1980! Someone else I corresponded with re this article thinks he remembers one in Richmond too!
I grew up in Central California and live in rural Northern Virginia now. For the first few paragraphs of the article I was yelling “dude, it’s clearly a Der Weinerschnitzel!” at my phone. Glad some evidence surfaced!
It does lack the iconic middle drive thru, and the other ones in Virginia seemed to have it, so it isn't a 100% match for what they built elsewhere and there really was nothing at all except people's memories and those two written pieces of evidence I found!
Great piece. I’d love to see you track down a photo of the old 1950s Krispy Kreme in Old Town Alexandria at the corner of Prince & West. The company once used it in a mural in a Nashville, Tennessee location.
Thank you! I'll see about that! Is that the origin of the one on Rt 1 with the big old neon? I think was a central bakery once. Did the Old Town location move or just close?
I don't recall *Der Wienerschnitzel* location at 3110 Southwest Freeway in Houston, though I am familiar with the office building that replaced it. I saw a photograph of a location on Lower Westheimer, and I don't remember that IRL, either. I am failing at finding a digital photo of it online. I shudder to think that I may have missed an opportunity to dine at *Der Wienerschnitzel* on Lower Westheimer. That must have been a circus on Saturday night.
Fascinating! I did a newspaper archive search based on your article. It appears that the Der Wienerschnitzel outlet in Alexandria was part of a planned DC-area expansion that never took off. From the Washington Daily News, 4/29/1968:
"Der Wienerschnitzel International, a wiener and sausage restaurant chain, plans to open 25 units in the D.C. area within three years. Most or all will be franchised. The first unit will be in Alexandria and construction on it is expected to begin next month. Currently, the company has more than 200 restaurants."
I don't see any evidence that they ever got past that single Alexandria location, however. That planned expansion is apparently so long forgotten that even the company doesn't remember it!
Oh awesome! Do you have a link to that article archive so I could include it as a note or is it like a private link? What archive service/source did you use for that?
I do! It's from Newspapers.com; here's the link.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1042213793/?match=1&terms=wienerschnitzel
Thank you so much! Updated it!
You're welcome! Glad I could help! I love these retail-history pieces that you do.
Upon further research, I can also prove that the Hampton location was a Der Wienerschnitzel. Here's a 1969 ad in the Newport News Daily Press which they offer discount tickets a horror feature at the local movie house:
https://www.newspapers.com/image/233380664/?match=1&terms=wienerschnitzel
And here's an article from 1980 in which a reporter taste-tests hot dogs from around the area, including Der Wienerrschnitzel:
https://www.newspapers.com/image/234799087/?match=1&terms=wienerschnitzel
That includes the street address, which matches the current Dog House location. Bingo!
After you gave me that link I searched all of Virginia for more on the Hampton Roads stuff! I have not looked at the results but a bunch came back.
A fellow with the Virginia Dept of Historic Resources who I emailed while researching this told me he remembered eating at a Richmond Wienerschnitzel in the early 80s. That may be the case as well then! (It's Richmond and Hampton where they're entering in 2025 - basically just repeating their modestly successful attempt back then without saying it's a repeat!)
Awesome! Yes, if they were in Hampton and Newport News, then it would be plausible for them to be in Richmond too. And since the Hampton location (at least) was still around in 1980, the East Coast push clearly stuck for a while.
Despite the owner's sketchy history that falafel franchise is delicious, glad we have one
I love this kind of detective work!
Great research. Really well done. And, with all eyes on the global news, it's comforting to see old friend Duke Street on Substack.
Thank you! Yes you know I hope my work seems like a respite from everything, and that it has a real point even when it isn't about something immediately important
Not world-stage important but personal. Like finding out one's grandparents were at Woodstock.
Thanks to an assist from a local archivist, enjoy this photo of a pride parade on Lower Westheimer with Der Wienerschnitzel in the background: https://cdm17006.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17006coll195/id/4033/rec/1
Nice! I see a Radio Shack in the background too!
Happy accident.
I, too, immediately thought of Der Wienerschnitzel when I saw the shape and size of the building. I remember vividly the one in Newport News, having grown up less than a mile away.
Oh cool! Apparently those ones survived much longer than the Alexandria attempt. The reader who found the newspaper clip found a reference to one of them in 1980! Someone else I corresponded with re this article thinks he remembers one in Richmond too!
I grew up in Central California and live in rural Northern Virginia now. For the first few paragraphs of the article I was yelling “dude, it’s clearly a Der Weinerschnitzel!” at my phone. Glad some evidence surfaced!
It does lack the iconic middle drive thru, and the other ones in Virginia seemed to have it, so it isn't a 100% match for what they built elsewhere and there really was nothing at all except people's memories and those two written pieces of evidence I found!
Great piece. I’d love to see you track down a photo of the old 1950s Krispy Kreme in Old Town Alexandria at the corner of Prince & West. The company once used it in a mural in a Nashville, Tennessee location.
Thank you! I'll see about that! Is that the origin of the one on Rt 1 with the big old neon? I think was a central bakery once. Did the Old Town location move or just close?
It was additional
I don't recall *Der Wienerschnitzel* location at 3110 Southwest Freeway in Houston, though I am familiar with the office building that replaced it. I saw a photograph of a location on Lower Westheimer, and I don't remember that IRL, either. I am failing at finding a digital photo of it online. I shudder to think that I may have missed an opportunity to dine at *Der Wienerschnitzel* on Lower Westheimer. That must have been a circus on Saturday night.