Letters to the Editor: I have fond memories of working at Hot Dog on a Stick. I hope it lives on.
-
Click here to listen to this article - Share via
See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred
- For a 14-year-old in the late 1970s, a first job at Hot Dog on a Stick in Glendale Galleria meant pounding lemons, mixing cornmeal and basking in food-court spotlight.
- With $1 corn dogs and lemonade, founder Dave Barham kept inventory lean but wages generous, paying teenage staff well above minimum and offering steady raises across California mall locations.
- Decades later, the former worker hopes the bright uniforms, blaring music and worker-friendly ethos of this iconic California fast-food joint endure, even if its future is centered in Las Vegas.
To the editor: I was 14 when I got a job at the Hot Dog on a Stick location in the Glendale Galleria, which had recently opened circa 1977 (“Hot Dog on a Stick comeback road map: New owner, rapid expansion and lobster — on a stick,” July 22). Back then, all you could buy was a corn dog, cheese stick and/or lemonade, each costing only $1. I pounded fresh lemons and used a power drill to mix the cornmeal while wearing the short shorts, tank top and tall hat that the establishment supplied.
There were only female employees at the time, and we worked in bright light on a raised platform with mirrored walls — clearly, we were on display. We played contemporary music that blared across the food court. It was more fun than work.
I knew founder Dave Barham. He treated the girls with respect and kindness and paid us above minimum wage with regular, consistent raises. There were Hot Dog on a Sticks in almost every mall, so I was allowed to work at other outlets during summer break (when I wanted to be by the beach).
By the time I was a junior in high school, I was making $17.50 an hour. Even in my teenage brain, I understood that Barham saw that his empire was profitable mainly due to the minimal inventory, so he invested in paying his employees a good wage.
I hope this iconic California “fast food joint” lives on, even if it’s in Las Vegas and nowhere near a beach.
Heidi Simmons, Coachella Valley
