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Hot Dogging It
Hob Nob relishes All American hot dogs
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Hob Nob owner Rick Atwell holds one of his renowned Casper hot dogs with all of the fixings along with an A&W Rootbeer - photo by HIME ROMERO

Hob Nob’s renowned Casper hot dog comes with mustard, relish and onions, “and anything else you want to put on it,” quipped owner Rick Atwell.

However, the secret to the hot dog stand’s long-term success and faithful following is the heaping side of customer service that comes with every order.

Atwell emerges from the cone-shaped kitchen, a white apron tied around his neck and waist. He’s been busy preparing for the lunchtime rush, cutting produce and cooking hot dogs as the clock ticks closer to the 11 o’clock opening. The distinct smell of onions follows him out of the kitchen.

He offers his hand, a sliver of time and a small glimpse into this mom-and-pop shop’s history. Hob Nob has been located near the corner of North Main Street and Northgate Drive for 56 years.

Atwell has owned the business for the last seven-plus years, keeping it viable through a dramatic economic downturn. He purchased the building from the late Bob Lange, a longtime friend who often went by “Hob Nob Bob.”

Lange lured Atwell home with a business proposition. He believed Atwell’s business savvy – he owned a car dealership in Oregon at the time – and passion for people could help Hob Nob navigate the recession.

He was right.

The Ripon native returned to the Central Valley to sling Casper hot dogs and frothy root beer floats. While other locally-owned restaurants have closed their doors, Hob Nob has thrived with the tireless Atwell at the helm.

Hob Nob has achieved 4.5 stars on Yelp, based on nearly 40 reviews.

“I had been looking for a reason to come home – I grew up in Ripon – and when Bob called me it seemed like the perfect opportunity,” Atwell told The Manteca Bulletin in a 2011 article celebrating his three-year anniversary. 

Hob Nob enjoyed a record year for gross sales in 2014. Atwell credits that accomplishment to the hot dog stand’s prime location, the level of customer service he expects of himself and small staff, and a simple but unique menu.

Hob Nob sells Casper hot dogs and polish dogs (with multiple variations of each … Cajun Dog, anyone?), nachos, ice cream and homemade root beer floats. 

Atwell says his root beer floats are made with the original A&W Root Beer recipe – sparing local customers a 50-mile roundtrip drive to Lodi’s A&W Root Beer.

“Why would you want to drive out of town for the same thing?” he said.

Hob Nob caters to the traffic that flows up and down one of Manteca’s main thoroughfares, and to the pocket of people who frequent Casino Real and The Pub. 

It’s a busy life, to be sure, but Atwell appreciates the pace. It lets him know that his restaurant is coveted by the community after more than 50 years.

The success hasn’t gone to his head, either. Atwell is no hot dog.

He often works six days a week, opening and closing the stand. He takes time to greet each customer that stops by, realizing that they’ve come for the hot dogs and cold treats but they stay for the service. 

Hob Nob is located at 1315 North Main Street in Manteca and it is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, contact 209.825.2657.