10/08/2026
In New Jersey, a hot dog can come with enough potatoes, peppers and onions to make you wonder how you’re supposed to pick it up.
Jimmy Buff’s helped make that a tradition.
The story began in Newark in 1932, when James “Jimmy Buff” Racioppi and his wife, Mary, opened their shop at the corner of 14th Avenue and South 9th Street
According to the family’s account, the idea started at home.
Mary prepared the hearty sandwiches for Jimmy and his card-playing friends.
They were such a hit that the couple turned their kitchen creation into a business...and helped establish what became known as the Newark-style Italian hot dog.
The combination became a Jersey classic: fried hot dogs tucked into Italian pizza bread, piled with peppers, onions and fried potatoes.
The bread mattered, too... maybe the most. That substantial pocket gave everything a place to go, even if eating it neatly took some practice.
Over the decades, Jimmy Buff’s grew beyond its original Newark location, and the Italian hot dog became part of New Jersey’s food identity.
Other shops developed their own loyal followings, but Jimmy Buff’s remained closely tied to the sandwich’s beginnings
