Our History

Kurt Widmer in Zum Zum Restaurant, 1963
Zum Zum was a popular New York eatery located in the main lobby of the Pan-American Building in Manhattan. Created by Mr. Widmer, Zum Zum featured and served New Yorkers many styles of franks, sausages, and wursts for many years. (Our Webmaster remembers his mom taking him to eat there when he was a child. He sure loved them 'dogs!)

Zum Zum Restaurant Smokehouses
This is where the frankfurters, sausages, and wursts were cooked. The smokehouses were located in glass enclosures in the front of the restaurant, enabling customers and passersby to view the products as they were "smoking." Mr. Widmer is shown monitoring the temperature and readiness of a batch of frankfurters.

Zum Zum Restaurant Bologna and Sausage Kitchen
In the "good old days," frankfurters and sausages were tied and linked by hand. The equipment that is used today for this task (over 40 years later) did not exist in 1963.

An Old Newspaper Advertisement
This newspaper clipping from the Troy Record advertises the wide variety of quality meats from Fritz Helmbold, Inc. available to customers throughout the Albany capital region. Some long-time customers who have moved out-of-state still call us to place orders for long-distance shipping.

Our familiar HELMBOLDS logo, found on quality frankfurters and fine meats in delicatessens and grocery stores throughout the Capital Region.