Today is National Hot Dog Day, and Hofmann's is celebrating in a big way. This year marks the 140th anniversary of the company's start in Syracuse.

Four generations of the Hofmann family helped to build it up to what it is today.

German immigrant Frank Hofmann came to Syracuse in the 1860's. His son's August and Jon opened up the retail store on the north side near the baseball field. For decades, almost a century the company was run by family.

In 1917, Heid's opened up and that started the great local pairing. But, what some people might not now, for a brief period of time Heid's stopped selling Hofmann’s dogs. The company branched out and opened their own hot dogs stands and Heidi's saw that as competition.

Luckily in 2012, Hofmann's came under new ownership and they were able to mend that relationship.

"It's really an incredible story of entrepreneurship, of marketing, of obviously a quality product." said Onondaga Historical Association Curator of History, Robert Searing.  “Hofmann’s are my favorite, they're delicious. And people from the entire world now because they can get them. I know they've got an international business but, really as Syracusians, it's on these points of pride."

The Onondaga Historical Society will be recognizing the legacy of Hofmann's Sausage Company for an event in October. That will be part of their annual fundraiser which recognizes a business with long standing traditions in the community.