Carlsbad company president dies

By: PATRICK WRIGHT - Staff Writer

CARLSBAD ---- Fredrica Thode, Hot Dog on a Stick's president and chief executive officer known for her commitment to employees, died recently. She was 64.

Thode (pronounced Toad-ee) died Jan. 13 after battling an advanced case of Lou Gehrig's disease, or Amyothophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Thode, a Vista resident, spent 27 years with Hot Dog on a Stick, based in Carlsbad. Often referred to as Freddie, she became president of the 61-year-old company in 2001. The company has more than 100 locations that serve lemonade and hot dogs on a stick dipped in cornbread batter.


One company employee said Thode believed that taking care of employees was the key to taking care of customers. She was also known for her garden containing 400 roses. In Thode's honor, Hot Dog on a Stick made a $10,000 donation to the San Diego chapter of the ALS association.

Dan Smith, the company's chief operating officer, becomes the company's new president. No one has been named chief executive officer, according to a release.

Contact staff writer Patrick Wright at (760) 739-6675 or pwright@nctimes.com.