I grew up in Richmond CA where there was a Casper's Famous Hot Dog restaurant within about 5 blocks of my home. It was an easy ride on my bike. I remember many times picking up 20-25 hot dogs when people would stob by the house unexpectedly. Mom would always send me down to pick them up. In those days I loved being the sixth or seventh person in line as the lady making the hot dogs would take everyone's order at the same time that could squeeze in the front door. I liked it as I had 20 or so with four different fixin's. I was always amazed at how she could take all those orders and never made a mistake,
Now I'm amazed at the difference in the cost of the hot dogs from the "old days" when they were only $0.19 each to the $3.89 I just paid yesterday. Wow.
My wife and I were traveling the other day and she indicated a Casper's hot dog would taste great so I entered Kaspers hot dogs in the GPS and I was amazed again at how many branches popped up. I knew I was close to one that is why I used that spelling rather than the Casper's we loved so much.
Years ago I had stopped into a Kasper's and got the low down on where the names came from and was surprized to see that Kaspers was the first hot dog place and Caspers came later by a family member after a falling out. If you notice there are no new francises of Caspers... a friend of mine took a franchse and they are not allowed to use the Casper's name.. his was Jake's Famous Hot Dogs. Caspers hot dogs are now sold at Costco but you have to take them home and coolk them. The oriignal Kasper's started in Oakland in the depression years, failed and he came back to make it a year or two later. It is the American way, if you fail at something, you merely pick yourself up and try again. Kasper was so sure his hot dogs were the best that he came right back and started again and the second time he was history... they are still here today and we love them just as much as we did in the old days. I wish you many more years of success with those wonderful dogs.
OUr band used to play at a place called "Mr. A's" in Pleasant Hill, CA and across the street was a Caspers Hot Dog restaurant that we still frequent but they no longer take evryone's order as you stand in line, in fact, they take them one person at a time and get some of those mixed up... part of the fascination was seeing them take 7-10 orders at the same time and keeping them straight. LIning up 10-20 dogs on their holder and putting mustard on two at a time by running the spoon down one then keeping it on through the next one, and remembering how many they had without mustard... relish, tomato sliced thin, and onions if you like them, and cheese or chili. I just like them with light mustart and relish, ad two slics of tomato. Have a great day.
I've tried Nathon's Hot Dogs and many others and none of them stack up to a Kasper's Hot Dog or a Casper's Hot Dog
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