Kasper's Friendly Hosts

by Maryann Miller

The clock mounted to the gold- and orange-striped wallpaper says Time for Kasper's. I take a seat nearby, at the far end of the wooden counter, ordering only a root beer.

"No hot dog!" the woman calls out to her colleague, who looks a little disappointed.

I later discover I've placed my order with Manager Joann Taylor, who's been with Kasper's for 21 years. What's kept her at Kasper's so long, and why is she filling in for someone on her day off?

"I think it's that he's such a nice person to work for," she says about Owner Harold Kajoolian. "He's such a good boss," she says decidedly.

Joann introduces me to two regulars, Art and Michelle, who've just spent hours reminiscing about all the people they've met at Kasper's.

"We've been sitting here since two o'clock, talking about Wayne and George and 'The Mouth,'" Michelle confides.

Art and Michelle even worked together at Kasper's over the years.

Joann points to Art and says, "He's been coming in here since 1971."

Almost as if on cue, two more regulars saunter in and take their seats at the counter. A small commotion occurs as old pals greet each other then return to their stories and their hot dogs.

Stories abound with this group. They are quite familiar, full of inside jokes, and seem genuinely fond of one another. They share war stories about "The Parking Gestapo" and complain about parking tickets in Oakland before moving on to happier subjects.

"That's Bob," Michelle says, introducing me to a member of the "Coffee Klatch." "He has a genius IQ." Then Michelle quickly adds good-naturedly, "But I know how to outsmart him," and everyone chuckles at her joke.

"Bob used to work at the JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), and he's an inventor," she says.

Michelle continues with her introductions as if she's holding court, moving down the counter to Kent and Charlie.

"These guys know how to fix anything!" Michelle brags.

"Kent over there is a Park Ranger," she says. "He's a computer whiz and a legal whiz."

Kent, who appears humbled by Michelle's introduction, continues to sip his soda. When Michelle is out of earshot, his friend Art leans over to me.

"She was known as 'The Troubadour,'" he says of Michelle. "She did a lot of singing at parties," Art adds, as if explaining Michelle's ease at being the center of attention.

Kasper's has had plenty of infamous visitors over the years.

"We have had a lot of people come in," Joann tells me. "Judges and lawyers and commissioners."

"Bill Cosby was filming a movie up at the Dunsmuir House, and he sent his crew down here to get chili-cheese dogs," Joann tells me proudly.

"Tupac Shakur used to come in all the time. I've known him since 106th," Joann says, referring to that Kasper's location.

There have been many Kasper's locations since 1930, from Kasper Kajoolian's first stand near 55th and Shattuck to his thriving stand on Fruitvale Avenue, where one could find tasty Chicago-style hot dogs and friendly service. When the MacArthur Freeway (I580) was built in the sixties, Kasper's relocated to its present location on MacArthur Boulevard. Now, it is operated by Harold Kajoolian, Kasper's son.

"You should ask some of these people. They remember when it (MacArthur Boulevard) wasHighway 50," Kent says.

Art launches into a brief history of the neighborhood.

"The reason there are so many hotels along MacArthur Boulevard," Art explains, "was that it used to be the main way in and out of town."

Art, originally from Wyoming, considers himself a "misplaced cowboy." He knows many of the faces around Kasper's as well as many facts about the neighborhood. He should. Art was once the President of the Dimond Improvement Association. Now he stops by the old neighborhood to help neighbors cut their grass. He says it gives him a good excuse to drop by Kasper's.

"Hey Ralphie," someone calls out to another regular strolling in on a sunny Saturday afternoon for coffee and a dog.

So, what keeps bringing them back to Kasper's?

"It's the people," Michelle says matter-of-factly. "We're like a family."

"It's the camaraderie of the people we've begun to know over the years," Art agrees.

But Charlie sums it up best. "It's like a non-alcoholic bar," he says with a wink, referring to that other gathering place where everybody knows your name.

Meet the regulars at Kasper's, 2551 MacArthur Boulevard, Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 530-2308.