After nearly 80 years of sliding chili-cheese dogs across the counter, Richmond's Caspers Famous Hot Dogs on Macdonald Avenue is getting ready to turn off the neon. The family-owned chain has sold the property, and while the corner spot is expected to keep serving hot dogs under new ownership, longtime regulars say the tiny counter has been holding down that block for generations.
According to The Mercury News, the Richmond location will serve its final Caspers dogs on May 16, before reopening under the new name Corky's Famous Hot Dogs. The closing date and rebrand plans are based on local reporting and owner statements.
Company general manager Paul Rustigian, grandson of Caspers co-founder Paul Agajan, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the Richmond shop had been underperforming, and the family decided it was time to sell. "It's a bittersweet thing to close a location that is as historic as this one," Rustigian said. The Macdonald Avenue outpost has been working the same corner since 1947.
New Owner Plans To Keep Dogs On The Menu
The property was purchased by Courtland "Corky" Booze, a longtime Richmond resident and former city council member, according to the City of Richmond. Booze has been a familiar face at the counter for years and has said he plans to open his own hot dog restaurant in the space. Owners have so far declined to share the sale price or full staffing plans as the transition moves forward.
Caspers' Place In The Bay Area Food Landscape
Caspers' official site lists the chain's remaining East Bay locations in Dublin, Hayward, Oakland and Pleasant Hill, and notes that the family still runs a sausage plant in San Leandro. Regional coverage has tracked how old-school hot dog counters and related chains have thinned out in recent years, reshaping the Bay Area's classic dog scene. Letting go of the Richmond site is the latest sign of that slow retreat.
Anyone who wants one last Richmond Caspers dog has until May 16 to make the pilgrimage. The new owner has said he intends to keep hot dogs front and center under the Corky's name. Caspers corporate representatives declined to disclose the sale price but told reporters the move is intended to shore up the chain's long-term sustainability, according to The Mercury News. Fans who grew up on a Caspers chili cheese dog say the sale stings, but they expect the familiar flavors to live on at the chain's remaining counters.
Whatever name ends up on the sign, that Macdonald Avenue corner is set to stay on Richmond's food map for now, a small but stubborn reminder of the city's long-running love affair with a no-frills hot dog counter.
