Happy National Dog Day!

In honor of National Dog Day, here's the story behind San Francisco's most iconic Doggie.

The landmark Doggie Diner head is located at the intersection of Sloat Blvd and 45th Avenue in the Outer Sunset, just one block from where the chain's last operating location stood on the northeast corner of 46th Avenue and Sloat Blvd.

Doggie Diner was a popular Bay Area fast food chain that served up hotdogs and hamburgers. The business was started by Al Ross, and the first location opened in Oakland, California in 1948. The Doggie Diner's most notable feature was the 7-foot-tall daschund head dressed in a chef's hat, button-up shirt and bowtie, that towered above the streets and enticed customers to stop in for a bite. The doggie heads were designed in 1966 by Harold Bachman, a Bay Area billboard designer.

Doggie Diner at 18th & Mission Streets, Oct 1979. (OpenSFHistory / wnp72.6297)

After nearly 40 years in business, Doggie Diner closed their last operating location on the northeast corner of 46th Avenue and Sloat Blvd in San Francisco in 1986. They just couldn't compete with bigger fast food chains like McDonald's and Burger King. But the Doggie Diner left an indelible impression on San Franciscans, and in 2001, the City of San Francisco refurbished one of the doggie heads and put it on display at the intersection of 45th Avenue and Sloat Blvd. It was designated a San Francisco Landmark on August 11th, 2006.

For the many people who still wax nostalgic for the Doggie Diner days, I have some exciting news. The Doggie Diner is trying to make a comeback! To learn more, check out https://www.doggiediner.info/.

Three Doggies named Manny, Moe and Jack on display at 800 Avenue I on Treasure Island, April 10, 2021.

Check out this video for more Doggie Diner nostalgia.