The Hot Dog Brand Behind The Iconic Fenway Park Frank

While there are many hot dog mistakes you should stop making, enjoying a quality frank at a baseball game isn't one of them. Vienna Beef is a fan-favorite hot dog brand you'll find at many Major League Baseball stadiums, but only one frankfurter has the honored title of being the official dog at Boston's famed Fenway Park, and it's the Fenway Frank from Kayem Foods.

Fenway's signature snack is among the most popular stadium wieners in baseball. Considering Beantown's unflagging allegiance to its home team, it comes as little surprise that the hot dogs vended in Fenway Park come from a homegrown brand with deep Boston roots. The Kayem Foods brand and its various meat products were created by Polish immigrants Kazimierz and Helena Monkiewicz, who came to the United States in 1900. The married couple settled in Boston, and in 1909, Kazimierz ventured into operating his own butcher shop — making and delivering sausages. As the business grew, maintaining its Bostonian home base was important to the family, so they made sure they did just that.

For more than 100 years, the Monkiewicz family has created its crafted meats from right there in Boston and its environs. Today, the company's products include hot dogs, of course — more than 20 varieties, to be precise — as well as bacon, sausages, deli meats, and even hot dog buns. Kayem Foods became the official purveyor of dogs for the home base of the Boston Red Sox in 2009. The brand's Kayem Fenway Franks and Kayem Jumbo Dogs are now sold via various concession venues throughout Fenway Park.

In the midst of ongoing renovations at Fenway Park in 2009, a new hot dog manufacturer was being sought to replace the previous Fenway Frank maker. Following a thorough search, Kayem Foods emerged victorious and the auspicious ballpark deal happened during the company's centennial year.

As part of the deal Kayem inked with Fenway Park and the Red Sox, the company revamped the famous Fenway Frank recipe. The updated treat was carefully developed under the guidance of an R&D team, which subjected around 30 prototypes to dozens of taste tests before a final version was settled on. The new Fenway Franks included leaner cuts of meat, a different spice combo, and a bit of a bolder bite, which fans responded well to.

In addition to being introduced in the stadium, packaged versions of the new hot dogs were also released in supermarkets — the perfect pairing for a traditional Boston baked beans recipe. The Kayem Foods Fenway Franks are still available for purchase outside the stadium, for fans craving an at-home taste of the park outside of game time. However, they can only be purchased in New England grocery stores. But not to worry, the brand's other sausages may be in a store near you — the online store locator can point you to locations that carry the dogs. Or, even better is a Boston getaway — attend a game at historic Fenway and enjoy the authentic stadium dog experience right there in the park, with a Fenway Frank hot in your hands.