Legendary San Francisco Bay Area Hot Dog Brand Caspers Famous Hot Dogs(R) Celebrates 75 Years With "The 75 Cent Event"

LAFAYETTE, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- Jul 01, 2009 -- Since 1934, the family owned and operated Caspers Famous Hot Dogs brand has been serving its secret recipe, foot-long frankfurters, to generation after generation of hot dog lovers. To commemorate the award-wining hot dog eatery's 75th Anniversary, and to show their appreciation to the legions of dedicated customers for their loyalty and patronage, the Caspers Famous Hot Dog family is hosting "The 75 Cent Event" scheduled for Tuesday, July 28th at all eight Bay Area locations.

During this special day-long celebration, customers will be able to get the signature "Casper Dog" for only 75 cents and everyone is invited to join in on the celebration. **

The Caspers Hot Dog legacy began with two Armenian immigrant families in Chicago, separately running their own businesses: Stephen Beklian and his wife Ardam running hot dog push-cars, and Paul and Rose Agajan were chef/owners of three Chicago-area restaurants. After they came to California, the Beklians and Agajans teamed up to work on a hot dog flavor formulation that has since been perfected into the secret recipe of the Caspers Famous Hot Dog brand.

When you take the first bite into an award-winning Casper Dog, you know it is the one and only Casper Dog by the signature "SNAP" and mouthwatering flavor.

"Once you've tasted a Caspers Famous Hot Dog, no matter where you are in the world, it's something you always remember," remarks Carol Rustigian, daughter of Paul and Rose Agajan. "We get customers in the stores all the time saying they were relocated to another city or country and upon return, the first thing they want to do is get a Casper Dog."

Economic Turbulence and The War Years

During World War II, the business grew in Oakland with the first stores on Telegraph and First Avenue even though times were very tough. "The war years were very hard on the business because there were rations of all kinds especially for gas and beef, two basic needs to run a chain of hot dog restaurants," remembers Margie Dorian, daughter of Stephen and Ardam Beklian.

Both daughters Margie and Carol remember that sometimes they did run short of hot dogs, but they did whatever they could to help out the young servicemen coming back from WWII. "One time we ran out of meat because of the rations, so Paul [Agajan] improvised and scrambled some eggs and put them into a bun instead just to make sure the young soldiers that were in the store had something hot to eat."

"There are all sorts of memorable stories about our customers over the years, but this one stands out to us about the times during the war," said Carol. "One evening, a young soldier who had just come back home from WWII ordered 12 hot dogs and 12 cartons of milk. My father Paul [Agajan], who was working that night asked, "Do you want me to make it to go?" The soldier remarked "no" and told him that he wanted to see it all together on the counter and eat it all at once. The soldier explained further that he vowed if he ever made it back home, he was going to place that exact order and sit and eat it all in the restaurant. And that's what he did and my father waited for him to finish before closing up for the night."

After the war in the '50s, '60s, and '70s, the company expanded and opened its signature restaurants in Richmond, Hayward, Pleasant Hill, San Pablo and Albany, Dublin and Walnut Creek, with the Agajan partners' new son-in-law George Rustigian taking over the day-to-day operations in the '60s.

"We are so thrilled to be marking this special occasion and a legacy that was started so many years ago," said Margie. "When my father and Uncle Paul started Caspers Famous Hot Dogs, there weren't any other chains of restaurants like ours; we were sort of the first fast food in the Bay Area."

By the 1980s the Caspers Famous Hot Dogs legacy had been established, and the next growth phase began with the establishment of its own state-of-the-art sausage manufacturing plant, SPAR Sausage Company (an acronym for Stephen, Paul, Ardam, Rose). Located in San Leandro, California, the sausage manufacturing center of California, SPAR gave the family the opportunity to perfect its secret recipe and become the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of Caspers Famous Hot Dogs. SPAR sells about 12,000 pounds of hot dogs to the Caspers restaurants per month, and packages and sells frankfurters to club and grocery stores throughout the West Coast. Today, both Caspers Famous Hot Dogs and SPAR Sausage Company are run by Jack Dorian, Ronald Dorian and Paul Rustigian, grandsons the original partners.

"We are looking forward to seeing our customer base grow again just like my relatives experienced for decades," said Jack Dorian, grandson of the Beklian partners, and President of SPAR Sausage Company. "This year we launched online sales of Caspers Hot Dogs which will hopefully take our legacy nationwide, and hopefully we can go global, something the founders would have been so excited to see."

The founders of Caspers Famous Hot Dogs understood that a great concept and brand, hard work and smart business decisions were the perfect recipe for success and the American dream. Today, with eight stores in the chain, Caspers Famous Hot Dogs has weathered many economic storms, and is proud to still be known as the best hot dog in the Bay Area.

Dedicated Employees

Caspers Famous Hot Dog employees are the most dedicated in the business and have contributed to the staying power of the company; Here are the top six:

--  Dolores Larkin since 1955 - Pleasant Hill - 54 years! (known as the
    Hot Dog Lady)
--  Rosie Garcia since 1969 - Walnut Creek - 40 years!
--  Gayle Doran since 1972 - Albany - 37 years!
--  Irene Diotte since 1987 - Pleasant Hill - 22 years!
--  Mari Simpkins since 1988 - Richmond - 21 years!
--  Lucy Ornellas since 1989 - Pleasant Hill - 20 years!
    

About Caspers Famous Hot Dogs

Caspers Famous Hot Dogs® is a family-owned and operated, quick serve restaurant business that has been the hot dog lover's favorite since 1934. The award-winning Casper Dog with its signature "SNAP" is a tasty, old-fashioned style hot dog made from a street vendor recipe that originated in Chicago. Garnished with freshly cut tomatoes and onions as well as mustard and relish, this affordable delicacy is handcrafted on a feather-light, steamed bun.

About National Hot Dog Month

July is National Hot Dog Month and according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, it is estimated that over seven billion hot dogs will be eaten by Americans between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During the July 4th weekend alone (the biggest hot-dog holiday of the year), 155 million will be downed.

About SPAR Sausage Company

Established in 1989, SPAR Sausage Company® is the exclusive maker of Caspers Famous Hot Dogs® and its signature line of products. The cornerstone of SPAR's success is the blending of Old World traditions, cutting-edge technology and comprehensive food safety practices to create the finest selection of natural casing, gourmet sausages and frankfurters.

** Available one (1) per customer and while supplies last. Call each location for store hours.

Interviews and Photos are available upon request

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Contacts
Caroline Rustigian-Bruderer
K-Line & Company
Email Contact
310.428.3556 (mobile)

Beth Rustigian Broussalian
K-Line & Company
Email Contact
(949) 929.7211 (mobile)