A long-standing hot dog institution in California has closed its doors after eight decades of serving customers, marking the end of an era for one of the region’s most recognisable food brands.
Caspers Hot Dogs shut down its Richmond, California location on Friday, May 8, ending what had been its oldest remaining outlet in the state.
The restaurant was best known for its signature “Caspers with Everything” hot dogs, served in steamed buns topped with tomatoes, onions, mustard and relish.
Speaking about the closure, Richmond manager Eric Strong said he was saddened to leave a workplace that had become like a second home over two decades.
“Business has been slow, and it’s just sad. It’s just the times. I don’t know why, it just has been,” Strong said.
He added that the biggest highlight of his years at the restaurant was the customers.
“I got a lot of memories, good memories with my customers. They’re fun to make hot dogs for,” he said.
Strong also confirmed that while the location has closed under Caspers ownership, he intends to remain on staff under new management.
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According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the property has been sold to longtime customer and former Richmond City Council member Cortland “Corky” Booze, who plans to reopen the site under a new name, Corky’s Famous Hot Dogs, while maintaining the original menu.
“The new owner is going to retain some [things]. Some people are going to stay, and some people are going to leave. And I’m planning on staying,” Strong said.
Caspers general manager Paul Rustigian, grandson of co-founder Paul Agajan, described the closure as bittersweet.
“We did well in this community and feel proud about what we accomplished,” Rustigian said.
The chain was founded in 1934 in the San Francisco Bay Area by Agajan and Stephen Beklian and has remained a regional staple for generations.
The Richmond outlet had been the oldest surviving Caspers location until its closure. The company still operates four other branches in Dublin, Hayward, Oakland and Pleasant Hill.
The shutdown comes less than a year after Caspers closed another branch in Hayward in June 2025, continuing a gradual reduction in its physical footprint across Northern California.
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