[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 25358-25359] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECOGNIZING DOLORES LARKIN, THE HOT DOG LADY ______ HON. GEORGE MILLER of california in the house of representatives Thursday, October 26, 2000 Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, recently the Contra Costa Times newspaper wrote an article about a person who has become a fixture in central Contra Costa County. Dolores Larkin has had an amazing career serving hot dogs at Caspers Famous Hot Dogs in Pleasant Hill, California. For more than 45 years Dolores has done more than serve hot dogs. For all these years she has had to listen to people in our community who have had problems or are down on their luck. It is not unusual to go into Caspers and see Dolores counseling someone about their kids or talking to her own kids. Whenever you walk into Caspers, she always has a smile for you. That is why so many people go out of their way to get a dog at Caspers. Mr. Speaker, I should know; I have eaten as many Caspers hot dogs as any person in the county. I started eating hot dogs at Caspers in Richmond. There was a rumor when we were young that the record number of dogs eaten in one sitting was 19. On a challenge I tried to break it and got to 14. Even today the debate goes on as to where the best hot dog was served. Was it Chris's in Oakland, Doggie Diner in Oakland and Richmond or Kaspers with a ``K''? Mr. Speaker, time turned out to be the test; most of the others are gone now--they just could not compete with the great people at Caspers, especially Dolores who has been a great friend to so many in the community. It is wonderful to see her get this recognition. I submit the following article from the Contra Costa Times: Hot Dog Lady's a Fixture at Pleasant Hill eatery (By Katie Oyan) Pleasant Hill--Dolores Larkin rarely goes unnoticed. People point and stare at her in the grocery store, at the doctor's office--even once when she was vacationing in Hawaii. ``Kids will say, `Look mom, it's the hot dog lady!' '' she said, ``It used to embarrass me, but it doesn't anymore. I like it.'' In November, the 68-year-old great-grandmother will celebrate her 45th anniversary as an employee at Casper's Famous Hot Dogs, a popular hang-out and fast-food joint on the corner of Vivian Drive and Contra Costa Boulevard. The Concord resident doesn't sling dogs for the money. In fact, the only bad thing one of her managers, Ron Dorian, could say about Larkin is that she sometimes forgets to cash her paychecks. Instead, the ``hot dog lady'' said she has stuck around for the company. ``I like my customers--that's why I'm here,'' said Larkin, wearing her long, dark hair in a pony-tail and bubble-gum pink earrings to match her Casper's apron. Over the years, Larkin has made Casper's her second home. Of her five children, 10 grandchildren and six great- grandchildren, seven of them have worked with her at the restaurant, and some still do. To family, she's known as ``Grandma hot dog.'' Before coming to Pleasant Hill, Larkin spent five years at the Casper's on First Avenue in Oakland. In 1960, her boss sent her to the Pleasant Hill Casper's to train employees before the restaurant's grand opening. She has been there ever since. And so have many of her customers. Bob Wescott, a retired military pilot and researcher, has been a regular for so long, Larkin gave him his own key. Five days a week, he opens the store and starts the coffee, getting a cup ready for Larkin when she comes in. ``Another gentleman and his wife did it for years, but they got too old and said they couldn't do it anymore. I guess I just happened to be there,'' Wescott said. A couple of retired Pleasant Hill police officers also lend Larkin a little volunteer labor. They come in each morning and restock the restaurant's paper cups and lids. If there are any light bulbs that need replacing, they do that, too. ``Everyone thinks the world of Dolores,'' Wescott said. ``That's why we do it. She's just an awful nice person, that's all.'' One of the first fast food chains in the Bay Area, Casper's migrated to the East Bay from Chicago in 1934. In addition to the one in Pleasant Hill, there are 10 Casper's restaurants-- in Albany, Richmond, San Pablo, Walnut Creek, Dublin, Concord, two in Oakland and two in Hayward. Among the other stores in the chain, the Pleasant Hill Casper's is known as ``the country club'' for its friendly, comfortable environment, Larkin said. Devoid of a playland or flashy banners, a couple of counters and a handful of wooden tables give the restaurant its old fashioned appeal. ``Floy,'' the philodendron in the front window, is named after a coworker who died about five years ago. ``We raised our kids together,'' Larkin said. The Pleasant Hill Casper's is also the most successful in the chain, selling about 200,000 dogs a year. [[Page 25359]] People go out of their way to stop there for a $2 or $3 meal. Larkin said the most popular item is the Casper's dog, a natural-casing frankfurter that comes on a steamed bun with mustard, relish, tomatoes and onions. Employees also serve 10-inch spicy polish, smoked Cajun and turkey frankfurters. Red Skelton is the most famous person Larkin can remember serving. He came in two or three times, she said. Congressman George Miller stops in once in a while, too. In her spare time, Larkin makes cakes for her friends' birthdays and weddings. Her other hobby is ``kids.'' ``My last girl was born on my day off, she said. ``I worked all nine months.'' About 10 years ago, a mathematician who dropped in for a hot dog figured out that if someone were to line up end-to- end all the hot dogs that Larkin has served, they'd stretch from here to San Diego. By now, they'd probably stretch halfway back again. ____________________