Evan Ortolani has led several creative lives. Now, he’s pouring all of them into his family’s century-old business, Ted’s Hot Dogs in Tempe.
“Everyone loves Ted’s,” Ortolani said. “It’s a lot bigger than me, than my mom, than my grandpa. There are millions of people who rely on it for nostalgia and their family traditions.”
In May, the beloved eatery will open a second restaurant at 2700 E. Germann Road, Chandler.
Open for nearly 50 years, Ted’s Hot Dogs’ newest chapter marks the first Arizona expansion. For Ortolani, it’s more than just a business move — it’s the continuation of a dream that began long before he was born.
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Ted’s was founded in 1927, when Ortolani’s great‑grandfather, Greek immigrant Theodore Spiro Liaros, pushed a food cart to the construction site of Buffalo’s Peace Bridge, a Canada/United States border crossing. He sold hot dogs, peanuts and popcorn to workers who came to rely on him for lunch and conversation.
When the bridge was finished, he bought the leftover construction shack for $100 and turned it into the first Ted’s Hot Dogs. Nearly a century later, the brand still cooks over real hardwood lump charcoal, uses cast‑iron grills, and makes its sauces from scratch.
“The reason why our product is good is that we have flavor, and we cook with real meat and real fire,” Ortolani said. “We’re not hiding anything.”
That authenticity is non-negotiable for him, especially now that he’s the one carrying the torch. He is willing to accept, however, that the Southwest has different tastes than those back East.
In Buffalo, the classic order is a pork‑and‑beef dog “with the works,” which includes Ted’s famous chili hot sauce, mustard, relish, pickle and onion. In Arizona, though, diners like to play. “Down here, everybody puts everything on it,” Ortolani said. “Chili cheese, mac and cheese, Chicago style.”
The Chandler location will lean into that creativity, in terms of design and food. Ortolani is testing a Sonoran dog; a fried chicken dog inspired by Buffalo’s beloved chicken finger sub; and a steak sandwich cooked on Ted’s 900‑degree cast‑iron grill.
“If you go to any Michelin‑star restaurant, they’re cooking with real fire,” he said. “So why not throw a steak on there and see if people like it?”
The new Chandler restaurant is a ground‑up build, designed with intention and a little sentimentality. Ortolani modeled it after Ted’s Porter Avenue location in Buffalo, a park‑side spot filled with families and sunlight.
“I call it the East Coast In‑N‑Out,” he said with a laugh. “I wanted to bring back that nostalgic park feeling.”
Chandler, with its strong schools, family‑focused neighborhoods and steady growth, felt like the perfect match.
“It’s a beautiful developing area,” he said. “High traffic, good school districts, families. That’s what we do best.”
“I want my employees to feel good and energized,” he said. “I’m not here to oversaturate the market with a four‑box stucco building. I want the right building in the right neighborhood, every time.”
Before taking over the Arizona operations, Ortolani spent his formative years in Buffalo playing travel hockey. Right out of college, he landed an internship with the NHL because, as he puts it, “You couldn’t take the hockey out of me.”
Ortolani then spent 13 years in New York City making global TV commercials and Super Bowl ads for brands like BMW and Canon.
But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, everything changed. “COVID shut down the world,” he said. “I moved back to Buffalo and helped my mom take control of the business.”
What was supposed to be temporary became a calling. “I made all these other brands really great,” he said. “Now I can do it for my business.”
The shift from global creative to fourth‑generation restaurateur shapes everything he touches. He talks about architecture, lighting, neighborhood fit, and brand experience with the same enthusiasm he once reserved for ad campaigns.
“I see my position in food and business as a unique one,” he said. “I like to be truthful and authentic. Creating a brand like Ted’s, with 100 years of history and incredible nostalgia… it’s like, I got this.”
Ortolani’s grandfather, who opened the Tempe location more than four decades ago, dreamed of expanding Ted’s into a national brand.
“My mom is getting to fulfill her father’s dream,” he said. “I’m getting to fulfill my grandfather’s dream.”
That’s why he’s careful, deliberate, and deeply protective of the brand’s soul. “I don’t have any intention of closing restaurants,” he said. “If I can open a restaurant and have it last 100 years here… that’s a big success for us.”
