Yocco's Hot Dogs
Yocco's Hot Dogs is a regionally famous hot dog and cheesesteak establishment with four restaurants, each located in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Yocco's was founded in 1922 by Theodore Iacocca, uncle of Lee Iacocca. Its corporate headquarters is located on East Minor Street in Emmaus.
![]() Yocco's T-Town in Trexlertown, March 2014 | |
Type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Restaurant |
Founded | Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S. (1922 ) |
Founder | Theodore Iacocca |
Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 6 stores (2022) |
Area served | Lehigh Valley |
Products | Hot dogs, cheesesteaks, pierogis, french fries, other |
Owner | Gary Iacocca |
Number of employees | 100-299 |
Website | yoccos |
History

Yocco's was originally established in 1922 at its former center city Allentown location at 625 Liberty Street. Its original name was the Liberty Grill. From the 1970s to the 2000s, five new Yocco's restaurants were opened. The first was opened at 2128 Hamilton Street in Allentown, followed by locations in Emmaus, Fogelsville, Trexlertown, and Hanover Township. The Liberty Street location closed in May 2016[1] and a sixth location at the South Mall in Salisbury Township opened in the fall of 2016.[2][3] The company currently operates four locations in the Lehigh Valley, including two in Allentown, one in Fogelsville and one in Trexlertown.
Yocco's is currently run by Gary Iacocca, the third generation owner. The company's corporate headquarters is located in Emmaus.
The name Yocco's was derived from the name "Iacocca," after the family who owns the establishment. However, because the Pennsylvania Dutch could not pronounce Iacocca (an Italian name) and said Yocco instead, the name was changed to reflect their pronunciation.[4]
Locations
- Yocco's West (2128 Hamilton Street, Allentown)
- Yocco’s South (16 E Minor St, Emmaus, PA 18049)
- Yocco's Route 100 (Interstate 78 and PA Route 100, Fogelsville)
- Yocco's T-Town (7150 Hamilton Boulevard, Trexlertown)
- Yocco's Valley Plaza (1930 Catasauqua Road, Allentown)
- Yocco’s South Mall (3300 Lehigh St, Allentown)
Zippy the Pinhead
Yocco's has made several appearances in Zippy, a nationally syndicated comic strip featuring the character Zippy the Pinhead.[4]
References
- WFMZ-TV. "Landmark Yocco's location closing in Allentown". 69 News. WFMZ. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
- Falsone, Nick (18 August 2016). "Yocco's to open 6th hot dog shop in Lehigh Valley, report says". Lehigh Valley Live. The Express-Times. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
- "Hot diggety dog! Yocco's to open sixth Lehigh Valley eatery,", The Morning Call, August 18, 2016, retrieved November 30, 2018.
- Sheehan, Daniel Patrick. "Simple fare has made Yocco's a top dog". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
External links
