Pittsburgh: Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop ("The O") (November 2012)

It is impossible to tell the story of The Original Hot Dog Shop – The “O” – without speaking about its’ founder Sydney Simon. Mr. Simon was a man with incredible heart and character. He was a model for being strong and courageous while facing overwhelming life challenges. He was a resilient and loving man who served people. He came from a humble background growing up  in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh. He was the son of an immigrant mom from Lithuania and a hard working, blue collar father. Syd’s work in the food industry began while he was in high school as he served a Deli in Highland Park for fifteen years. When the Deli closed, Syd with his brother Moe ,decided to open their own store, and where would a better place be selling Hot Dogs than in the shadows of Forbes Field during the summer of 1960? Today, Forbes Field is a memory to those over 45 years old in the Oakland community, yet Syd’s store still stands today in its original location at the corner of Forbes Ave and South Bouquet Street. The Original Hot Dog Shop started out as “Original Franks and Burgers” Syd and Moe used an old cigar box to hold cash and make change. They developed a secret recipe for their hot dogs and over time began to expand the menu with fries, pizza, and sandwiches.  Eventually, he expanded the store by adding more seating and an upstairs bar. Over the years Syd would open new locations in onroeville, Falls Church Virginia, two sites at Carnegie Mellon University, another in Plum Borough, and one on East Carson Street on the South Side of Pittsburgh.  The Original Hotdog Shop was Mr. Simon’s dream and through it he served everyone. Syd adored his wife Esther (Essie), who he memorialized in the neon sign outside the Original Hot Dog Shop,  and was a loving father to his children. Needless to say, the Oakland Community has changed since Syd opened his store in 1960.  Yet, The “O” is a throwback in time. It is a place where people came to find a quality hot dog, burgers, friesc and friends.  Like its founder, the store continues to adapt and survive amidst all of the radical change around it. Today, there is much more competition from other restaurants, Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium are memories, the Universities and Hospitals have massively modernized and expanded, yet, the Orginal Hot Dog Shop remains a vibrant token of a bygone era where Syd’s dream and spirit remains layered thick like the Earth itself.