History

When Greek immigrant Theodore Spiro Liaros came to America in 1913, his pockets were empty and he didn't know a word of English. Though he had energy and optimism to spare, there was little reason to suspect that he would one day establish a famous Western New York tradition. Ted, as he came to be known, invested years of hard work in a variety of business ventures. One of these endeavors was a horse drawn hot dog cart that he operated in a park on Buffalo's West Side in close proximity to the construction site of the new Peace Bridge. The sister of the construction site's foreman was using a tiny nearby tool shed to sell sandwiches to the workers and passersby. When the bridge was finished in 1927, she offered to sell the shack to Ted, who had been patrolling the area with his hot dog cart.

By today's standards, her $100 asking price is pocket change, but to a poor, struggling immigrant in those days, it represented quite a risk. Nonetheless, Ted made that investment, opening his first hot dog stand at the foot of Massachusetts Avenue under the newly constructed Peace Bridge.

Ted's son Spiro reminisces about the early days in that first building, "That little shack was held together by forty coats of paint. When the trains went by, the whole place shook! Back then, you could get a hot dog and a drink for $.22. No sales tax, no cash registers. We just served the food and kept the money in cigar boxes. Those were much simpler times."

In 1948, Ted's opened their second location on Sheridan Drive in the Town of Tonawanda, which still stands today. Though several hot dog stands also sprang up in the area, only one captured the hearts and appetites of local diners. And the rest, as they say, is history.

As Western New Yorkers' love affair with Ted's delicious food grew, so too did the company, adding more restaurants in areas such as Amherst and Orchard Park. New items were added to the menu to complement the famous hot dogs, french fries and onion rings and new generations of customers came to savor the flavors and atmosphere of Ted's.

More than 80 years later, Ted's Hot Dogs has grown to seven locations throughout Western New York and one in Tempe, Arizona. To this day, Ted's is still a family owned and operated business.

Ted Liaros' oldest son Spiro is now the president of Ted's Hot Dogs, and currently lives in Arizona. Spiro opened the Tempe, AZ location in 1983 and still oversees the Arizona operation today. The principles that were set in 1927 by Ted, continue to be the foundation of the company today. Serving quality food, cooked to order, in a clean and friendly atmosphere over the last 80 plus years has made Ted's a Western New York AND Tempe, Arizona tradition that will continue for generations to come.