Over the past couple years, the King of Prussia Mall has attracted restaurant operators from around the country, who’ve brought in everything from high-end dining (Mistral, Davio’s) to fast-casual favorites (Shake Shack, Halal Guys). Despite more than 4,000 estimated seats, things aren’t slowing down yet.
Joining the quick-service lineup at the Savor food hall this summer will be a West Coast icon: Pink’s Hot Dogs.
If you’ve never heard of Pink’s, thinks of it as something like the Pat’s Steaks of frankfurters. Founded in 1939 as a pushcart by the same family that still operates it today, the mom-and-pop stand at the corner of La Brea and Melrose has become both a tourist destination and source of local pride.
In March, the city of Los Angeles officially passed a motion naming the northwest corner where it has operated daily for nearly eight decades “Pink’s Square.”
The shop the kind of place that inspires articles full of tips to beat the line, which is near-constant outside its doors, and that shows up on “Best fast food classics in America” lists.
Hype notwithstanding, according to aficionados, the franks are reportedly quite good.
“As far as I can figure from various hot dog experts,” said local illustrator Hawk Krall, who is known for his drawings of and expertise on regional cheap eats, “they definitely use decent natural casing hot dogs, so they are starting with a good product.”
He added that the dogs always look good in photos — something readily apparent from the KOP outlet’s Instagram account, which is already up and running.
Pink’s dogs famously come with dozens of creative toppings, from the “El Cucuy” with jalapenos and bacon to the “Giada de Laurentiis” with sauteed peppers and onions, tomato and shredded mozz. (Yes, there is also a Philly cheesesteak dog on the menu.)
The King of Prussia Pink’s will open in the Savor expansion corridor, said Kathy Smith, marketing director for Simon Property Group, which operates the mall. It will join upwards of a dozen outposts scattered around the U.S. and globe, including in Miami, Long Island, Manilla and Hawaii. Many are located at amusement parks or hotels.
Per Smith, the KOP Pink’s, which is a franchise, could launch as soon as June.
