'The Hot Dog Lady,' Serving Smiles Since 1955

If you live in the San Francisco Bay area and like hot dogs, chances are you’ve been to Caspers Famous Hot Dogs, a family-run frankfurter joint that’s been in business since 1934.

Unlike like other pig peddlers, Caspers' dogs and buns are steamed -- not grilled or boiled -- and each hot dog is made fresh at the family’s nearby sausage plant.

“It’s a real family oriented place,” says Corky Booze, who’s been a customer for more than 30 years. “Everyone, young and old, just seems to gravitate there.”

Paul Rustigian, whose grandfather co-founded Caspers, says the key is keeping things simple. “We don’t sell french fries or hamburgers. We just do what we do best. When I was growing up I don’t think we even had ketchup in the store.”

One other thing that hasn’t changed at Caspers is its oldest employee, Dolores Larkin, aka The Hot Dog Lady. If you happen to hit up the Caspers in Pleasant Hill (one of their eight locations) you’ll most likely find Dolores doling out the dogs -- a task she’s been at since 1955.

“Most people probably think Dolores owns the place -- she runs it like it’s hers,” says Rustigan. "We appreciate that attention to detail. She’s like an extended member of our family.”

In honor of National Hot Dog Month and everyone's favorite hot dog-eating day, aka the Fourth of July, we decided to catch up with the celebrated Dolores Larkin.

Tonic: What made you get into the hot dog business?

Dolores Larkin: I was home with my kids and I thought I’d get a job to make extra money at Christmastime. At first I thought I’d just stay through December, but I liked it. So I kept going. In 1961, my boss asked me and another girl to set up a new store in Pleasant Hill. I’ve been there ever since. My five children have all worked there at some point too. My grandkids call me Grandma Hot Dog.

T: How’d you get the name The Hot Dog Lady?

DL: I was in Kmart one day, oh it had to have been at least 20 years ago, and this little boy saw me and yelled out “Mama, it’s the Hot Dog Lady!” The name just stuck. It’s amazing how many people recognize me. Back in the 60s, Caspers had a contest between their stores to see who could sell the most hot dogs. Our store sold the most, so we won a trip to Hawaii. Three people stopped us on that trip. One guy saw us on the beach and said, “I’ll take mine with mustard and tomato.”

T: What’s the most popular way to order a hotdog?

DL: All of the hot dogs come with mustard, relish, onions and tomatoes, though we also have cheese and chili. I like mine with a little onion and mayonnaise. We have mayo and ketchup too, but you have to ask for it. When I first started, a hot dog cost 25 cents. Now they’re $2.69.

T: What advice would you give to a new employee?

DL: Take the order and smile.

T: Do you think you’ll ever retire?

DL: I still work four days a week, seven hours a day, but I let the other girls make the hot dogs. They remember the orders better than me. I like the customers. Many of them are regulars. When I hit 50 years, my bosses gave me a big surprise party and there were over 100 customers there. People ask me when I’m going to quit and I say, probably when they carry me out of there!

(Photos of sign and Dolores Larkin courtesy of Caspers Famous Hot Dogs.)