20th century

Yocco's was originally established in 1922 at its former location at 625 Liberty Street in the center city section of Allentown. Its original name was the Liberty Grill.

From the 1970s through the end of the 20th century, Yocco's opened five additional restaurants in Allentown and its suburbs. The first was at 2128 Hamilton Street in Allentown, followed by locations in Emmaus, Fogelsville, Trexlertown, and Hanover Township.

Yocco's has made several appearances in Zippy, a nationally syndicated comic strip featuring the character Zippy the Pinhead.^[1]

21st century

In 2016, the Liberty Street location closed,^[2] and a sixth location opened in South Mall in Salisbury Township.^[3][4]

The company currently operates six locations in the Lehigh Valley, including three in Allentown, and one each in Emmaus, Fogelsville and Trexlertown. In December 2023, the company announced the closure of its Trexlertown store on Facebook, effective December 22nd, 2023.^[5]

Yocco's is currently run by Gary Iacocca, the third generation owner. The company's corporate headquarters is located in Emmaus.

The name Yocco's was derived from the name "Iacocca," after the family who owns the establishment. Because the Pennsylvania Dutch could not pronounce Iacocca (an Italian name) and said Yocco instead, the name was changed to reflect their pronunciation.^[1]