Wienerschnitzel has been ranked the No. 1 quick service restaurant in the hot dog category in the latest franchise rankings by Entrepreneur Magazine. The Entrepreneur Franchise 500 gave Irvine, California-based Wienerschnitzel an overall ranking of No. 166, up 29 spots from last year’s No. 195, out of the top 500 franchises evaluated by the publication.

Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 evaluates franchise businesses based on brand strength, system size and growth, cost and fees, financial strength and stability, and marketing and other support such as social media presence.

This year’s list is the first to include a hot dog-specific restaurant category.

“Wienerschnitzel is thrilled that Entrepreneur has recognized hot dog restaurants with its own category—and even more delighted to be ranked No.1 on that list,” says Ted Milburn, director of franchise development for Wienerschnitzel. “This year is about growth for us. Thanks to a unique niche within the QSR space, industry-low food costs, a higher sales potential and reduced cost of entry with our next-generation “Heritage” building, we’re slated for 20 new openings in 2018.  It is this vision and growth strategy that will propel us into the next decade.”

The smaller-footprint, new “Heritage” model pays homage to the company’s iconic A-frame. As a family owned and operated company, Wienerschnitzel continues to recruit quality new franchise partners throughout Western and Southern states.