After 95 Years, California Loses A Beloved Local Restaurant Chain

Frankfurter fans in the Bay Area are in mourning this month as they bid a final farewell to Kasper's Hot Dogs. The legendary local chain (one that we could have counted among the San Francisco spots to try before you die), which had been serving loaded hot dogs to residents for nearly a century, shuttered its two remaining locations in Oakland and Concord last week. As reported by SF Gate, owner Harold Koojoolian, who is in his 80s, was prompted by the recent passing of his wife to close up shop, though he was apparently already planning to retire this year. Of his decision, daughter Teresa Belfanti told the publication, "It's bittersweet, but it's hard without my mom here. ... That's been a challenge, so I think the timing is right."

The closure of the nostalgic Oakland outpost on MacArthur Boulevard, where it had operated since 1962, has hit locals especially hard, signifying the true end of a snacking era. "I grew up across the street from this location," wrote one Reddit user in a thread about the news. "Walked past it everyday coming back from elementary and middle school." They went on to add, "I was at the house this weekend to clean up after my father's passing and I watched as they took the sign down. It was a surreal moment of time moving on."

Kasper's was founded in Oakland by Harold's uncle, Kasper Koojoolian, in 1930. What started as a modest hot dog stand on the corner of Fruitvale Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard became a bustling family business run by Koojoolian, his brothers, and cousins, eventually expanding to at least a dozen locations across the Bay Area at one point. After the death of its namesake, Kasper's continued to thrive under the ownership of the Koojoolian family, serving up hot dogs piled high with hearty toppings like chili, cheese, and mountains of sauerkraut.

At some point in the late 1930s, though, a fissure formed within the frankfurter-slinging fam, and a branch of the network broke off to create Caspers with a C, a separate hot dog chain that has earned an equally beloved reputation in the San Francisco area. Despite a rumored feud, however, third-generation Caspers owner and relative Ron Dorian maintain that the split was amicable — and that the subtle name change was a way to "honor their shared legacy and have two separate companies going forward," per SF Gate. 

Although the loaded bites of the Kasper's Hot Dogs branch are officially no more, folks can still get their frank fix at the five Caspers outposts still remaining in the East Bay, and trust us, they're guaranteed to taste better than the hot dogs you make at home.