CONCORD — One of Concord’s most old-school, no-frills food institutions is gone.
Kasper’s Hot Dogs, the tiny cash-only stand on Clayton Road known for snappy hot dogs buried in chili and onions, has permanently closed. The Concord location was one of the last two Kasper’s restaurants still operating in the Bay Area, and its shutdown marks the end of a brand that had been serving hot dogs locally for about 95 years.
The final Kasper’s locations — in Concord and on MacArthur Blvd. in Oakland — both stopped operating in mid-October 2025, according to family members of the longtime owners. The owner’s daughter confirmed the closures and said there are no plans to reopen
An East Bay original
Kasper’s is one of those places people argue about in the comments: Kasper’s with a K, or Casper’s with a C?
Here’s the short version.
Kasper’s started with Armenian immigrant Kasper Koojoolian, who began selling hot dogs in Chicago in the 1920s after fleeing Armenia. He later moved to Oakland and opened his first Bay Area stand in 1930 at Fruitvale and MacArthur. At its height, there were at least a dozen Kasper’s Hot Dogs locations around the East Bay.
Over time, different branches of the extended family spun off. One branch continued operating Kasper’s Hot Dogs. Another branch launched a similar chain under the name Caspers Hot Dogs (with a C) in the late 1930s.
Despite years of rumors about a feud, family members have said the split was basically amicable — two related businesses, two spellings, same basic idea: griddled dogs with snap, mustard, onions, and a pile of sauerkraut.
Concord’s Kasper’s, at 3474 Clayton Rd., was one of the last survivors of the Koojoolian side of the family. The shop was run by a relative in his 90s, according to reporting on the closure.
Inside, it still felt like mid-century East Bay: counter stools, paper boats, bags of chips, Orange Fizz drinks, and hot dogs loaded so high you needed two napkins and a plan. Regulars say it looked and tasted basically the same for decades.
Why it closed
The shutdown isn’t about rent spikes or a new condo plan, at least not in Concord. It comes down to age, grief, and timing.
The Oakland location was owned by Harold Koojoolian, who had been planning to retire. His wife passed away earlier this year. Without her, and with both owners in their 80s, the family decided it was time to end operations instead of trying to hand the store off.
That call affected Concord too. The Concord and Oakland locations were among the final Kasper’s shops still run directly by the family. When Oakland closed on October 15, 2025, Concord followed shortly after. By late October, both were dark.
What happens to the buildings?
In Oakland, the historic MacArthur Blvd. building has already been sold. A local nonprofit called Oakland Trybe is taking it over, SFGate reports. The group works with families and youth in East Oakland and plans to keep it a community food space, with a similar menu and even a commercial kitchen to serve neighbors.
Details about what becomes of the Concord spot on Clayton Rd. haven’t been publicly announced yet. Listings already refer to Kasper’s in Concord as closed.
Can you still get that style of dog?
Sort of.
Caspers Hot Dogs (spelled with a C) is still running in the East Bay, including locations in Pleasant Hill, Dublin, Richmond, Hayward, and Oakland.
But Kasper’s with a K — the one Concord grew up with — is done. In Concord, the nearly century-old store will be missed.
