Legacy
What is a Yocco’s dog? For over 100 years, it’s been a Lehigh Valley tradition: a well-done hot dog on a steamed bun and topped with Yocco’s famous top secret sauce — a slightly tangy, meat-based chili condiment. Add mustard and chopped onions for maximum indulgence.
Gary Iacocca ’76 ’78G ’09P ’17P began serving up Yocco’s dogs when he was 12 years old in his family’s original location at 625 Liberty Street in Allentown. In 1922, Gary’s grandfather, Theodore Iacocca (uncle to Lee Iacocca), first opened Liberty Grille — a name that eventually evolved into Yocco’s, based on locals’ interpretation of the Iacocca name. The popular hot dogs and secret sauce soon became a central focus of the business and “The Hot Dog King” was born.
As a child, Gary helped his father (Julius) and uncle (Albert) at the original location during his summers off. When he started as a student at Lehigh University, he continued helping when he could and even helped open the second location on Hamilton Street.
When he graduated from Lehigh in 1976, he began his marketing career at Procter and Gamble. Soon after, he returned to Lehigh, gained his master’s degree, and began working for MW Wood Food Services. Later, he began working as a marketing director at Lieberman-Appalucci, a midsized ad agency owned by Mark Lieberman '79 '80 '81G '07P and Mike Lieberman '75 '11P.
Gary made the decision to leave his marketing director role in 1990 when his father and uncle approached him about purchasing Yocco’s. The brothers were in their 60s and beginning to think about retirement. Gary didn’t want to see his family’s legacy disappear from the community. He saw a lot of growth potential and felt his professional experience in advertising, marketing, and food service could help Yocco’s expand beyond the two locations in Allentown. He also knew his business skills could bring improvements to the inventory and operational systems. He officially bought Yocco’s in 1991 with ambitions to open a new location every year for 10 years.
New Focus
Gary decided to scale the business a bit smaller after his wife, Dorothy, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1998. He says this news changed his perspective on what was important in his life. He acknowledges that Yocco’s could have been bigger and more successful, but there were more important things to focus on at the time, and he’s proud of what he was able to accomplish with a less aggressive growth plan. Yocco’s grew to six locations, increased sales from $1.5M to $6M, and maintained a solid reputation in the community. “Yocco’s is a good name in Allentown,” says Gary. “The Lehigh Valley has become a mustard, onions, and chili sauce town because of Yocco’s.”
Next Generation
Gary and Dorothy had four little boys when she was diagnosed. While she was initially given one year to live, she survived for 12. “A good 12 years,” Gary affirms. Choosing a business model that prioritized family allowed them to make the most of those years with their boys, who are now grown. Three of them live and work in New York, including Alexander ’09 and Andrew ’17. Their oldest son, Chris, has been trusted with Theodore Iacocca’s coveted “secret sauce” recipe, and Gary is training him to be the fourth-generation “Hot Dog King.”
Chris will sometimes push to try new things, and Gary aims to keep an open mind as his father once did for him. When Gary sought to modernize the business in his early years, some of the older employees were not used to the technology, but his family embraced the changes he put into place, and it has allowed the business to maintain longevity.
While Gary sees his wife’s illness as the most impactful to the direction of the business, he remembers that since opening in 1922, “Yocco’s has survived the Great Depression, World War II, Vietnam, the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and many recessions, plus COVID, labor shortages, and supply chain issues.” He says that while 2008’s Great Recession was an extremely challenging time, nothing compares to the effects COVID has had on the business. “It took everything I had learned to stay open.”
Gary says there are always changes in life to adapt to. At 68 years old, he knows that training on new technology and embracing innovation are both essential for a 100-year-old business to succeed in 2023. Yocco’s has added new locations featuring drive throughs, embraced social media, and added a few new items to the menu (including steak sandwiches, pierogies, and sausage sandwiches). But the roots of Yocco’s traditions remain: serving quality hot dogs with a one-of-a-kind recipe made from quality ingredients and a friendly staff to serve the extended family of loyal customers — proving some things never change.
Photography by Alison Conklin
