ViennaÂ® Beef, the Chicago Hot Dog, and So Much More! ViennaÂ® Beef was founded in 1893. Austrian-Hungarian immigrants Emil Reichel and Sam Ladany introduced their family frankfurter recipe at the legendary Columbian Exposition. The hot dog was a hit, and ViennaÂ® Beef was born. More than 123 years later, weâre still making our sausages the old-fashioned way, with premium domestic beef and our original recipe, made to the highest of quality standards and hickory-smoked for authentic flavor.