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Business & Tech

Flooky's Hot Dog Stand Was a Landmark

Flooky's owner was a classic American entrepreneur, and his hot dogs were loved by kids in the neighborhood.


If you grew up in Sherman Oaks in the 1960s and loved hot dogs as a kid, you were probably familiar with Flooky's Hot Dog stand.

It first opened in 1965 when owner and hot dog maverick Stan "Mr. Flooky" Hoffenberg brought his trademark Chicago hot dogs to Ventura Bouvlevard in a big way.

Check out these rare photos of the original Flooky's Hot Dog stand on the corner of Cedros Avenue and Ventura Boulevard. The place was as distinctive looking as the man behind it: Stan Hoffenberg, a classic American entrepreneur, who along with his son Stuart Hoffenberg opened the first Flooky's in Sherman Oaks in time for the summer season.

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The "look" of Flooky's was unmistakable. Yellow and black stripes with an Arabian onion dome rooftop. There was a miniature golf course on the property during the first two years, which was eventually removed and became a batting cage (the area's first batting cage with pitching machines) and eventually that meant more Flooky's hot dog stands around the San Fernando Valley—even Nevada eventually had Flooky's franchises.

Hoffenberg's Flooky's franchise chain grew quickly. It was only when owners of land wanted to sell the property that he would close a Flooky's down. But new Flooky's stands kept opening all over the Southland.

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The Sherman Oaks Flooky's was special, as it was the first in the chain and always remained Hoffenberg's favorite.

"My dad was a real solid businessman and born promoter," Stuart Hoffenberg, who ran the Sherman Oaks Flooky's with his dad, said recently. "My dad would shake your hand and always say, 'Shake hands like a man.' That was his trademark phrase," added Hoffenberg.

Flooky's Hot Dog Stand became the most popular spot for after-school snacks and birthday parties in the Sherman Oaks area, along with the nearby Genie Land, which will be covered in an upcoming Sherman Oaks Patch story.

"Flooky's was an institution. So many people grew up with those hot dogs and many people relay their Flooky's stories to me on Facebook," said Hoffenberg.

 
A favorite memory for this author is how they would wrap your french fries up with your hot dog in the same wax paper. I thought that was very innovative and economical.

I also had my first chocolate phosphate at Flooky's. That was a popular drink in the Chicago area where Hoffenberg was from originally and Flooky's Sherman Oaks always had a Chicago influence about it. "My Dad loved Vienna hot dogs so we only served those. We never got into tacos or any other dishes really. Hot dogs were the star player at Flooky's" added Hoffenberg.


Stan "Mr. Flooky" Hoffenberg often drove around in a yellow and black custom painted Cadillac aptly dubbed "The Flookymobile." "My Dad loved going around our neighborhood and being recognized as Mr. Flooky" Hoffenberg said. "He was like a real life Super Hero to so many kids in our neighborhood. To me, he was just a guy who was a great dad and who worked tirelessly at his business" added Hoffenberg.

Stan Hoffenberg passed away at age 95 in 2009 and left behind a legacy of great hot dogs and happy memories for many Sherman Oaks kids.

"The batting cages at Flooky's became so vitally important to many of the Little Leagues and High School baseball teams that we had a huge crowd of people on weekdays when other nearby restaurants could never figure out our secret.

"The kids wanted to come to Flooky's to eat great food, play pinball machines (Flooky's was the first pinball arcade on Ventura Boulevard also) and to work on their baseball hitting skills. We covered all the bases so to speak," said Hoffenberg.


Flooky's Hot Dogs are still available at locations like their Woodland Hills store and a new revitalized Flooky's in Sherman Oaks is being planned by Stuart Hoffenberg.

"People are ready for Flooky's again in Sherman Oaks." Hoffenberg claims.
photo credits

1) Stan "Mr. Flooky" Hoffenberg, the owner of Flooky's Hot Dogs seen here in his Cadillac "Flookymobile."
2) Flooky's Hot Dog stand, seen here in 1967, two years after it opened in Sherman Oaks
3) Flooky's Hot Dog Stand was a Sherman Oaks landmark beginning in 1965. They had the first batting cage on Ventura Boulevard.
4) Flooky's had authentic Chicago style Hot Dogs and the french fries came wrapped inside the hot dog's wax paper.
5) Flooky's Hot Dog stand on the corner of Cedros and Ventura where Bookstar recently closed its doors.
All photos courtesy of Stuart Hoffenberg

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