Wienerschnitzel Calls for the 'BIG DAWGS'.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Hot dog fanatics beware -- there's a new "Big Dawg" in town and no appetites will be spared! Wienerschnitzel -- the world's largest hot dog chain -- is launching its "BIG DAWG" menu offerings, a selection of one-third-pound hot dogs, split, grilled and stuffed in 10-inch buns with three different topping combinations. Quite possibly the company's newest, biggest menu item ever, the BIG DAWG selections will be available systemwide March 19.

The BIG DAWGS will be prepared in three varieties: the Double Cheese Chili Dawg, covered with a double portion of Wienerschnitzel's world-famous chili and covered with both sliced American cheese and shredded cheddar cheese; the BBQ Bacon Dawg, topped with BBQ sauce, two slices of bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and deep-fried onion straws; and the Reuben Dawg, topped with pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing.

"The BIG DAWGS will be an answer for many of our loyal customers that are looking for a sizeable hot dog that blends both bold flavor and portion sizes," said Tom Amberger, vice president of marketing for Wienerschnitzel. "We are excited to continue bringing new offerings of 'great proportions' to our increasingly diverse menu."

The BIG DAWGS were successfully tested for three months in Southern California prior to being launched chainwide. The BIG DAWG roll-out will be supported with television and radio spots as well as in-store point-of-purchase materials. Wienerschnitzel's BIG DAWGS offer exceptional value, with initial pricing ranging from $3.49 to $3.99. The new menu selections will be available at all Wienerschnitzel locations through the summer.

About Wienerschnitzel

Founded by John Galardi in 1961 with a single hot dog stand in Wilmington, Calif., Wienerschnitzel (www.wienerschnitzel.com) is a bona fide pioneer of the quick-service food industry. The world's largest hot dog chain serves more than 120 million hot dogs annually and is famous for its delicious 44-year-old proprietary chili recipe. Based in Newport Beach, Wienerschnitzel operates or franchises 353 stores in 12 states and Guam. It is part of the Galardi Group, which is also the parent company of The Hamburger Stand and Tastee-Freez LLC.