It’s over. After nearly a century of serving hot dogs to the Bay Area, Kasper’s has finally shut down.
The two remaining locations, Oakland and Concord, went quiet last week for good. There was no big announcement, no farewell post, just a note passed around by locals who’ve been eating there since before Wi-Fi existed.
The chain opened back in 1930, when Kasper Koojoolian, an Armenian immigrant, sold hot dogs in Chicago. By 1930, he’d opened a tiny shop on the corner of Fruitvale and MacArthur in Oakland. Simple menu. Paper napkins. No gimmicks. Just hot dogs, mustard, onions, and maybe a Coke…