In Planned Remodel, Hot Dog on a Stick Keeps it Retro

The red Hot Dog on a Stick shack just south of the Santa Monica Pier on Ocean Front Walk wants to beef up.

The little stand on the boardwalk will be rebuilt and expanded by about 200 feet, according to plans submitted to the city, but, like the company's striped uniforms, won't lose its retro vibe.

The company's vice president Laurie Sonia said it will be the biggest remodel Hot Dog on a Stick has done to its original location to date.

Opened in 1946 as Party Puffs (the name didn't stick) by owner Dave Barham—who played volleyball and ran on the local beach—the Santa Monica spot is the original.

After Barham perfected his fare in Santa Monica, using his mom’s cornbread recipe, he hitched portable hot dog stands to his Lincoln Continental and traveled to fairs. That's where he was inspired to design the carnival-style uniforms still worn by employees today, according to the company website.

The new Santa Monica Hot Dog on a Stick will pay homage to the company's past with five new posters chronicling its history displayed on the north and south sides of the building. The existing signs and two menu boards will be reused, according to the Architectural Review Board report.

While it will look much the same, the new structure will replace the existing brick and painted wood with sand finished stucco, clear glazing and a metal door.

Michael Riley, one of the architects involved in the redesign, told the Santa Monica Daily Press that the remodel aims to address "21st century concerns."

Sonia told the local newspaper the changes are about making it "more current and modern internally for our employee-owners... it will also make it a better experience for our customers. They’ll get through the line more quickly, get helped more quickly."

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