Chicago-style hot dogs from ex-Fresno restaurant owner coming to downtown Pismo Beach

More than half a year after a fire badly damaged his Fresno Italian restaurant in November, Louie Maglieri made the call: He would not reopen in Fresno.

But it wasn’t just because of the fire.

Maglieri, the owner of Oggi Cosi Si Mangia for the past 18 years, was in the process of relocating his life and business to Pismo Beach after what he described as a failure by the Fresno officials to fix persistent issues with the local homeless population.

“The lack of support that I have received from the city, the mayor’s office and the police department has forced me to come to the conclusion that I will no longer reopen in Fresno,” Maglieri wrote in a May 29 Facebook post .

Now, Maglieri said he’s looking forward to a new start on the Central Coast.

His latest venture is already underway: Louie the Lip’s Weenie World, a walk-up Chicago-style hot dog restaurant located on Pomeroy Avenue in downtown Pismo Beach in a spot formerly occupied by Shark Bites.

Maglieri, a Chicago native, said he’s confident his 50 years in the restaurant business will serve him well as he looks to revive the hot dog restaurant he originally launched in Santa Clarita decades ago — and potentially another upscale restaurant down the line.

“I eventually I want to do a fine dining place, but I always liked this, and I liked this concept — I think it’s great,” Maglieri said. “There’s an actual world of hot dog connoisseurs.”

Hot dog restaurant owner optimistic about new location

Maglieri said he was excited to open in a smaller location that sees more foot traffic day and night than his previous home.

In Fresno, Maglieri said even before the fire, he was struggling to deal with homeless encampments that routinely popped up around his business.

He said there were multiple instances of theft and vandalism associated with homeless encampments over the past year, amounting to 25 police visits between June 4, 2023, and June 4, 2024, the Fresno Police Department told The Fresno Bee .

Maglieri told The Tribune he was near closing escrow on the Fresno building after the fire, which would cost around $700,000 to repair alone, but found homeless individuals living in the vacant building.

That was the last straw, he said, canceling the purchase soon afterwards.

“I just had enough,” Maglieri said. “I just had enough, man.”

His frustration with the city and departure announcement drew a response from the Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer.

“The Mayor is disheartened to hear Mr. Maglieri feels the city of Fresno did not provide the service-level he expected to protect his fire-damaged business,” Dyer said in a statement. “We deeply value the legacy of Oggi Cosi Si Mangia in the Tower District. His restaurant was well known for serving some of the finest authentic Italian food around.”

Dyer noted that police had responded to Maglieri’s property 25 times in the past year, “15 of which were the proactive efforts of officers to ensure the property was remaining secure.”

He added that the city also provided “graffiti abatement services, debris removal and homeless assistance by our HART team.”

“I am certain I join many loyal Oggi’s patrons in my disappointment hearing that Mr. Maglieri has decided not to re-open his restaurant in the Tower District,” Dyer concluded. “We appreciate all he brought to the area over the years, and we will miss him.”

Maglieri said he was more hopeful that Pismo Beach’s significantly smaller footprint and reputation as a tourism hotspot will keep his new venture clear of damages and was glad to be settling in a spot he always enjoyed visiting.

What’s on the menu at Louie the Lip’s Weenie World?

Louie the Lip’s Weenie World was looking to open its doors by early July as Maglieri and his staff finished up the remodel of Shark Bites into a hot dog restaurant.

Taking its name from the nickname he earned while starting out in Chicago’s restaurant scene, the business’s name was supposed to catch eyes, Maglieri said.

“The name is ridiculous — Louie the Lip’s Weenie World is a silly name, but people like it and they remember it,” Maglieri said. “I remember I would sell so many t-shirts just because of the dumb name.”

Maglieri said he intends to sell all-beef Chicago-style hot dogs, filling a menu with a wide range of toppings including peppers, onions, relish, celery seed, tomatoes and pickles, all served on sesame seed buns.

In addition to hot dogs, Maglieri said he intends to serve shaved ice, cappuccino milkshakes, espresso, frozen chocolate bananas, meatball sandwiches and corn dogs for kids.

Customers can expect to pay around $7 for a hot dog — a fair price, Maglieri said, for authentic, quality food.

“I’m not just a hot dog place — this is good stuff like Italian, all-beef Chicago dogs sent from Chicago,” Maglieri said. “Everything’s coming from Chicago, and it’s high-dollar stuff.”

More upscale dining may be on the way for SLO County

As of Tuesday, Maglieri was looking for employees, and was readying himself for a big Fourth of July after doing opening test runs of the restaurant June 29.

Once Louie the Lip’s Weenie World is up and running, Maglieri said he was not opposed to trying his hand at upscale Italian dining — a niche in San Luis Obispo County he said he was eager to fill.

Maglieri said he has already started scouting locations in Arroyo Grande, but is mostly focused on his Pismo Beach location.

“Eventually I’ll do a fine dining again, but I’m tired,” Maglieri said. “I’m 65, almost, so I’m gonna enjoy this.”