Pentagon Hot Dog Stand, Cold War Legend, to be Torn Down

American Forces Press Service ^ | Steven Donald Smith

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2006 -- The hot dog stand in the Pentagon’s center courtyard, which has long been a source of Cold War intrigue, will be torn down in the coming months and replaced with a new eating facility.

The hot dog stand in the Pentagon’s center courtyard, which has long been a source of Cold War speculation, folklore and legend, will be torn down in the coming months. During the Cold War, the Soviets reportedly thought the hot dog stand led to a secret underground bunker. Photo by Steven Donald Smith  '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

“Rumor has it that during the Cold War the Russians never had any less than two missiles aimed at this hot dog stand,” Brett Eaton, an information and communications officer for Washington Headquarters Services, said while standing in front of the building. “They thought this was the Pentagon’s most top secret meeting room, and the entire Pentagon was a large fortress built around this hot dog stand.”

Reportedly, by using satellite imagery, the Soviets could see groups of U.S. military officers entering and exiting the hot dog stand at about the same time every day. They concluded that the stand was the entrance to an underground bunker. “They (Soviets) thought the officers were going to get their top secret briefings in a protected area, but really they were just going to get lunch,” Eaton said with a chuckle.

The legend surrounding the hot dog stand is even spun by official Pentagon tour guides during public tours of the building. “It's rumored that a portion of their (Soviet) nuclear arsenal was directed at that building, the Pentagon hot dog stand,” tour guides tell visitors as they pass the stand. “This is where the building earned the nickname Cafe Ground Zero, the deadliest hot dog stand in the world.”

To Eaton’s knowledge, this tale has never been officially substantiated by Russian officials.

The Pentagon was declared a national historic landmark in 1992, and because the courtyard is one of the five historically protected features of the building, the hot dog stand must be replaced by a building of roughly the same size, and exactly the same shape as the Pentagon, Eaton said.

“In general, the design will kind of replicate what we have here right now, but it’s going to be much more modern and a lot bigger. It will really give us an efficient food service delivery system for the Pentagon,” said David Gabel, the renovation program manager for Pentagon renovation and construction.

The new building will cost about $1.2 million to complete, he said.

In addition, the wooden owl atop the current hot dog stand to ward off birds must be preserved and placed on the new structure.

The new building will be the third permanent eatery on the spot. “This one was put up in the late 1980s,” said Jeff Keppler, business manager for the Pentagon concession committee.

The current facility has not been used for a few years. Serving in its place was a sandwich and pizza seller that operated out of a trailer next to the building.

The new eating facility will have indoor seating for about 50 people and will offer catering services. It is tentatively scheduled to open next September.

“I’m really looking forward to the new building,” Keppler said. “It’s going to be great for the population of the Pentagon to have a year-round facility that will have indoor seating, restrooms, with breakfast and lunch available Monday through Friday.”

The Soviet Union is a thing of the past, but the hot dog lives on in America.

Related Sites:
Washington Headquarters Services
Pentagon Renovation and Construction

Brett Eaton, an information and communications officer for Washington Headquarters Services (left), Jeff Keppler, business manager for the Pentagon concession committee (center), and David Gabel, the renovation program manager for Pentagon renovation, stand in front of the Pentagon courtyard hot dog stand Sept. 20. Photo by Steven Donald Smith   Download screen-resolution    Download high-resolution

The wooden owl atop the current hot dog stand in the Pentagon’s courtyard will be placed on the new building that will replace the current structure. Photo by Steven Donald Smith   Download screen-resolution    Download high-resolution

[SandRat]

Honest!!!

This is a real and true story!!!!

[SandRat]

Sometimes reality makes for the best HUMOR!

[WestVirginiaRebel]

They hid the secret messages in the saurkraut.

[Publius]

The Soviets were especially upset that our hot dogs were longer than theirs.

[art_rocks]

Is this where the new Rove weather machine will be?

[tet68]

Headline: New secret Command and control facility to be built at Pentagon, Operation Hot Dog, to cost 1.5 million.
The nuclear hardened site, known as "The Stand" will house
some of the Pentagon's most delicious secrets.

[tet68]

The Soviets were especially upset that our hot dogs were longer than theirs.

So then Reagan said, "Ok send them 50,000 of the largest condoms you have , and by the way, mark them "Small".

[Cheburashka]

I wonder if the owl would have scared away incoming missiles.

[Horatio Gates]

“It's rumored that a portion of their (Soviet) nuclear arsenal was directed at that building, the Pentagon hot dog stand,”

LOL...the original way to nuke your wiener instead of using the microwave

[surely_you_jest]

Ate more than a few dogs at that stand, in my day. Sorry to see it go. * sigh *

[Kirkwood]

And the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile was equivalent to James Bond's Aston Martin. A few differences: No guns or missles, it only shot weiners. Instead of squirting oil it would squirt mustard. The bullet proof shield was made out of stale buns. The idea of an ejection seat was nixed and instead the seat slid away and dropped the occupant into a tub of hot water.

[LasVegasMac]

I wonder if the owl would have scared away incoming missiles.

Of course not, silly.

Not that it mattered much.

Everyone was deep in the super-hardened, underground, withstand anything KMR.....

....Ketchup / Mustard / Relish facility.

don't mind if I giggle, ok?

[Jet Jaguar]

Neat story!

[Viking2002]

Aw, man. I used to eat there, believe it or else. Really. I was a civilian security manager there in the late 90's. I got married and lived in a ratshit apartment behind the Navy Annex while I was there.

[Arm_Bears]

Years ago, I was employed by a Beltway Bandito firm that did work for the Defense Department. The project I was assigned to was Black, and I had a Top Secret security clearance supplemented by many compartments.

I rented an apartment near Capitol Hill, and one of my co-workers happened to live in the same building. She was absolutely certain that the Chinese restaurant down the street was a haven of hostile espionage.

When I asked her why, she replied that the place was like a mausoleum during Congressional recesses, but that you couldn't get near it when Congress was in session. Obviously, the Reds were monitoring Congressional activity.

I suggested that her observations might be explained by the fact that with Congress in session, hundreds of staffers working late were ordering take-out. She didn't buy it and, I'm sure, is convinced to this day that something unsavory was afoot.

[leda]

They thought this was the Pentagon’s most top secret meeting room, and
the entire Pentagon was a large fortress built around this hot dog stand.

uh, yeah, top secret meeting room ... lol! :D
i ate plenty of hot dogs there tho! my parents always had
to fuss at us when we tossed bread crumbs to the pigeons.
they both worked there for many years.

[MediaMole]

Too bad they won't move the stand. It would make a great exhibit and snack bar at one of the service museums.

[jocko12]

All the demwits want is a bigger BEANO'S.

[Doctor Raoul]

It's Bush's fault...

[Non-Sequitur]

The new building will cost about $1.2 million to complete, he said.

One point two million dollars????? For a freakin' hot dog stand????