Who could resist? They were meant to catch the eye. Perhaps the most notable thing about any of the Doggie Diners was that 10-foot-tall, 300-pound, grinning dachshund sporting a white chef’s hat. His bowtie so jaunty, his wide-eyed, pointy-nosed grin so . . . odd? OK, oddly charming. Maybe inviting, I guess. “Hotdog, coke, and fries, please.”
Doggie Diner was one of the first fast-food chains to sprout up in the Bay Area after WWII. It was started by New York transplant, ice cream shop owner and amateur boxer, Al Ross. He wanted to sell “wiener dogs,” and in 1948 opened his first stand in Oakland (19th & San Pablo Avenues), where sailors could grab grub on the run. It was a big success.
From then until 1986, when the last location closed in the Sunset District, Doggie Diners dotted the Bay Area. At their peak, there were 30 of these eateries with their formica counters and vinyl stools, stretching from the East Bay to the heart of the City. Doggie Diners could be found in Emeryville, Richmond, Hayward and in SF neighborhoods such as the Marina, Mission, Civic Center and Sunset. The 3-dimensional fiberglass laminate dachshund heads measured 7-10 feet in height and could rotate on their poles. They were designed in the early 1960’s by graphic artist, Harold Bachman. Needless to say, the mega-sized Doggie heads became quirky advertising landmarks across the urban landscape.
Al Ross sold Doggie Diner in 1979. The restaurants operated until 1986, but the chain eventually bowed to competition from budget-priced, fast-food giants like McDonald’s. The Doggie heads were removed one-by-one and put into storage or sold to private collectors.
Today, Doggie Diner restaurants are a thing of the past.
Well, almost. From time to time, a trio of Doggie Diner heads (named Manny, Moe, and Jack by their owner, John Law) travel in a flatbed trailer and pop up on Treasure Island. Sometimes they appear in local parades or at local events.
And then there is one more. Located a block from his original home, this Doggie Diner head can be found atop a pole stuck on the road median near Sloat Boulevard and 45th Avenue. He no longer spins, but he is close to the San Francisco Zoo and Ocean Beach.
Restored and saved by neighborhood activism, the lone Doggie head was dedicated in 2006 as San Francisco Historical Landmark #254. In the ground at the pole’s base lies a metal plaque, handy for those who know nothing of the iconic Bay Area mascot.
The plaque reads:
“WELCOME TO OCEAN BEACH
This sign stood outside the last operating Doggie Diner restaurant (later, ‘Carousel’) on the N.E. corner of 46th Ave. and Sloat Blvd.
Designed in 1966 by graphic artist Harold Bachman (1921-2005) for the popular unionized Bay Area drive-in chain, the Doggie’s whimsical style (shades of swing and early auto age cartoons) has delighted generations of visitors to Ocean Beach.
A massive grassroots preservation effort, chronicled nationally in the “Zippy the Pinhead” comic strip, led to its acquisition by the City of San Francisco (Dec. 2000).
Toppled by wind April 1, 2003, it was restored by the Department of Public Works, returned to its post by Independence Day, and relocated to this median in January, 2005.”
And so it goes. See more photos of Doggie Diner heads here.