SYRACUSE — Hot on the heels of the announcement of its new ownership, Hofmann Sausage Co. revealed it has once again started distributing its products directly to Heid’s of Liverpool hot dog restaurant.
The deal also includes co-promotion of the Hofmann and Heid’s brands through website ads and links.
New Hofmann Sausage Co. CEO Frank Zaccanelli pushed for the distribution and co-promotion deal to smooth the rift created in 1993 when Heid’s dropped Hofmann products to market its own brand. Heid’s again started selling Hofmann hot dogs in 1997, but purchased the products through a third-party distributor.
“This direct distribution and co-promotion deal removes any doubt that Hofmann and Heid’s have a solid relationship in the Syracuse hot dog market,” Zaccanelli said in a release. “These iconic brands go together like hot dogs and mustard. We are happy to heal any past wounds or public perception of tension between Hofmann and Heid’s.”
Heid’s opened as a hot dog stand in Liverpool in 1917 and grew to several outlets in the 1990s. John Park and his family bought the original Liverpool location in 1995, and it is now the only remaining Heid’s restaurant.
“The big fight between Hofmann and Heid’s was before my family owned the restaurant,” Parker said. “We brought back Hofmann, which has always been there for us. The two brands have a 90-plus-year history together and we hope to have another 90 years.”
Zaccanelli Food Group of Dallas, along with a group of investors, acquired Hofmann Sausage earlier this month in a multimillion dollar deal. The investor group, which includes the Oneida Indian Nation, plans to transition Hofmann from a regional brand to a national and even international brand, starting with a distribution deal at Albertson’s Grocery Stores in the Dallas area.
Hofmann investor Phil Romano, who created Macaroni Grill and Fuddruckers, plans to open a national chain of Hofmann World’s Greatest Hot Dogs restaurants.
Hofmann (www.hofmannsausage.com) is a meat manufacturer and distributor based in Syracuse that employs nearly 40 people and offers more than 80 products online and at a variety of retail locations.
Contact DeLore at tgregory@cnybj.com