QUALITY OF LIFE IN

THE GREAT

LAKES REGION.

>>> CHICAGO'S

SAUSAGE

STAPLE

HOT DOUGS IS SHUTTING ITS

DOORS IN OCTOBER THIS AFTER

SERVING UP

GOURMET HOT

DOGS

FOR LOYAL PATRONS

FOR MORE

THAN A DECADE.

THE

SELF-ACCLAIMED

MEAT

ENCASED

EM--

EMPORIUM TO

TRY.

THEY HAVE CUSTOMERS

LINED

UP

OUT THE DOOR AND THEY

NOW

ARE LAMENTING THAT THE NEWS

THAT HOT

DOUG'S WILL BE

NO

MORE.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE

RESTAURANT IS DOUG.

DOUG WELCOME BACK TO

"CHICAGO TONIGHT."

PLEASURE TO BE HERE, THANK

YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> YOU HAVE OWNED HOT

DOUG'S

SINCE 2001 YOU HAVE BEEN

WORKING BEHIND THE COUNTER

ALL THOSE YEARS.

>> CORRECT.

>> WHAT'S BEHIND

YOUR

DECISION TO CLOSE?

>> THE BEST WAY TO

EXPLAIN

IT IT'S TIME.

IT'S TIME TO DO IT.

I JUST HAD A

GUT

INSTINCTS.

IT HAS

BEEN

INCREDIBLE

JOURNEY.

I'VE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.

BUT NOW I WANT TO GO DO

SOMETHING ELSE.

PLEASE DON'T ASK ME WHAT

THAT SOMETHING ELSE IS I

HAVEN'T THOUGHT IT THROUGH

THAT FAR.

>> BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE MAKE

THIS KIND OF DECISION WOULD

SAY I AM BURNED OUT.

ARE YOU BURNED OUT?

>> I AM NOT.

BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO GET

TO THAT POINT.

I STARTED A LITTLE BIT, A

LITTLE SINGLE HERE AND

THERE.

I STILL LOVE GOING, IN I

STILL LOVE DOING WHAT I DO.

BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET TO

THAT POINT WHERE I DREAD

GOING IN AND

BITTER ABOUT

WHAT I DO BECAUSE THAT WOULD

JUST REFLECT

BADLY.

I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

>> LET'S BACK UP.

WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA TO

OPEN THIS STORE IN THE FIRST

PLACE, THIS RESTAURANT?

>> A FRIEND OF MINE HAD A

BAD HOT DOG ONE DAY.

THAT'S REALLY THE

TRUTH.

PAUL KELLY HE GETS MAD

EVERY

TIME I SAY A FRIEND AND I

DON'T MENTION HIS NAME.

HAD HE A BAD HOT

DOG

ONE

DAY

WE STARTED GOING TO THE

DIFFERENT HOT DOG STANDS AND

I DECIDED WELL, LET'S GO TRY

THIS.

>> AND

YOU

-- I RECALL

YOU

SAID YOU WOULD ALL SORT OF

LIST THE THINGS THAT

RESTAURANTS WERE DOING

WRONG.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THINGS

THEY WERE DOING WRONG?

>> THINGS LIKE I DON'T

KNOW

COLD HOT DOGS,

STALE BUNS

,

BAD TOMATOES

, YOU CAN MAKE A

BAD HOT DOG WE FOUND OUT

QUICKLY.

A LOT OF PLACES WERE DOING

GREAT JOBS BUT A LOT OF

PLACES DOING NOT SO MUCH.

>> REMIND US WHAT YOU WERE

DOING BEFORE YOU OPENED

THE

RESTAURANT?

>> I WAS A COOKBOOK

EDITOR.

>> YOU HAD GONE TO

KENDALL

COLLEGE.

>> I DID.

>> CULINARY ARTS.

>> EXACTLY.

>> WHAT WERE YOUR

EXPECTATIONS WHEN YOU FIRST

DECIDED TO OPEN THIS STORE?

>> I WAS TRULY HOPING TO BE

OPEN FOR SIX MONTHS.

WHICH IS STANDARD FOR A

RESTAURANT.

I WANTED TO

SERVE A REALLY

GOOD CHICAGO HOT DOG.

THAT WAS OUR FOCUS FROM THE

BEGINNING IT'S MY FOCUS NOW.

THEN IT KIND OF

EXPANDED

FROM.

THERE I KNEW WE COULD DO

THESE OTHER SAUSAGES.

BUT I REALLY WANTED TO HAVE

A PLACE THAT I WANTED TO GO

TO EVERY DAY OR THAT I WOULD

WANT TO BE A

CUSTOMER AT.

>> YOU KNOW HAVE YOU ALL

THESE ESOTERIC

CHOICES IN

TERMS OF THE MEATS AND

EVERYTHING.

WHAT IS -- IS THERE A

GO-TO

HOT DOG THAT LIKE 40% OF

THE

PEOPLE WILL ORDER OR

SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

>> I GET ASKED ALL THE TIME

WHAT'S THE BIGGEST SELLER.

>> IT'S THE CHICAGO

HOT DOG.

OUR MOST

NOTORIOUS SAUSAGE

IS THE

FLAGRAU

SAUSAGE THAT

WE GOT IN A LITTLE BIT OF

SAUSAGE.

>> YOU PROBABLY PAID THE

FINE AND YOU KEPT SERVING

IT?

>> NO.

ONCE I REALIZED THAT THE

HEALTH DEPARTMENT DIDN'T

HAVE QUITE THE SENSE OF

HUMOR THAT I DID I WAS LIKE

OH, YOU ACTUALLY HOLD ALL

THE MARBLES WE'LL

STOP

SELLING IT FOR THE TIME

BEING.

THEN THE LAW WAS OVERTURNED

AND PEOPLE SAY YOU FOUGHT

THE LAW AND YOU WON.

NO, I

IGNORED THE LAAND YOU

STILL WON SO THAT WORKED

OUT.

>> FAVORITE MOMENTS,

FAVORITE MEMORIES?

>> YOU KNOW,

BOY

, NOT WHEN

IT BURNED

DOWN.

>> FIRST ONE.

>> FIRST ONE BURNED DOWN

THEN YOU MOVED TO THE

CURRENT LOCATION.

>> EXACTLY.

13 AND A

HALF YEARS WITH AN

EIGHT MONTH BREAK.

YOU KNOW, THE REGULAR

CUSTOMERS WHO I HAVE GOTTEN

TO KNOW OVER THE YEARS.

COUPLE WHO HAVE COME IN

WHO

WEREN'T MARRIED THEN

AND I'M

NOW HAVING CONVERSATIONS

WITH THEIR KIDS.

THAT'S THE COOLEST

THING

THAT THE PEOPLE I'VE GOTTEN

TO KNOW OVER THE YEARS.

>> OKAY, IT'S TIME FOR

THE

-- ASIDE FROM THE REGULAR

CUSTOMERS BIG NAME CELEBS

WHO HAVE DROPPED BY?

>> A LOT OF LOCAL CHEFS WHO

NOW OWE ME

LUNCH EVERY DAY

FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

[LAUGHTER]

YOU KNOW

WE CERTAINLY HAVE

HAD SOME, SOME MOVIES STARS,

SOME SPORTS STARS IN THERE.

IT'S BEEN OKAY,

I'LL ADMIT

IT DAVE KINGMAN MADE

ME FEEL

LIKE I WAS 12 YEARS OLD

AGAIN WHEN HE CAME IN.

THAT WAS EXCITING.

>> I'M

EXPOSING

MY

IGNORANCE?

>> THE

GREAT CHICAGO CUB

CIRCA

1984.

>> I'M A SOX FAN MY

APOLOGIES OUT THERE TO

THOSE.

>> WAIT,

WAIT

, NO ONE TOLD

ME THIS IN THE

PRE-INTERVIEW.

>> YOU ARE WELCOME TO LEAVE

ANY TIME YOU WANT.

[LAUGHTER]

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR REACTION

TO THE

PUBLIC RESPONSE.

>>

TO CLOSING?

>> YES.

>> IT'S A LITTLE

OVERWHELMING.

AS THROUGH THE WHOLE TIME IT

HAS BEEN

INCREDIBLY HUMBLING,

INCREDIBLY

FLATTERING.

WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID THERE

ARE TIMES LIKE

THE VERGE OF

TEARS AND SOME OF THE THINGS

THAT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN IT'S

UNBELIEVABLY

GREAT.

>> OKA

Y, NOT

GREAT ENOUGH TO

GET ME TO STAY OPEN IF WAS

THAT YOUR FOLLOW UP.

>> THAT WAS

MY

FOLLOW-UP.

>> YOU HAVE

THIS DEAL WHERE

PEOPLE DID A TATTOO OF

YOUR

HOT DOGS LOGO

THAT THEY CAN

GET FREE HOT DOGS THE REST

OF THEIR LIFE.

WHAT ABOUT THOSE FOLKS?

>> WELL, IT TURNED OUT TO BE

THE REST OF MY LIFE.

EVERY

TIME SOMEONE ASKED BY

THE THE TATTOO IS PERMANENT

I AM NOT.

SO EVERYONE

HAD

FAIR

WARNING.

>> ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE

HAVE THESE TATTOOS?

>> I THINK WE'RE NORTH OF 90

NOW.

>> 90 PEOPLE WITH THOSE

HOT

DOGS.

>> ON MY ADVICE I WOULDN'T

GET ONE NOW.

AGAIN YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN.

>> SO WHY

DIDN'T YOU

FRANCHISE AND JUST LET

THE

FRANCHISE GO AND YOU RETIRE

AND JUST COLLECT THE CHECKS?

>> ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT

THAT APPEALED TO ME.

THE PART OF THE JOB I LIKED

THE PART OF THE REASON I

LIKED GOING INTO WORK EVERY

DAY WAS DOING WHAT I DO.

WAS TALKING WITH THE

CUSTOMERS, WAS MAKING STUFF

UP AS WE WENT ALONG.

WAS PLAYING

THE RECORDS AND

THE SONGS THAT I WANTED TO

HEAR.

IF I HAD MORE THAN ONE I

COULDN'T DO ANY OF THAT.

THEN I'M JUST IN CHARGE OF A

LOT OF STUFF AND

PEOPLE IT

JUST HELD NO APPEAL.

>> SO HAVE YOU HAD

ALREADY

YOU'VE HAD OFFERS TO BUY?

>> YES.

>> ANY SERIOUS OFFERS?

>> YOU KNOW

THERE'S

BEEN

LIKE PROBABLY LIKE 60

E-MAILS IN THE

INBOX.

>> ONE OF THEM

DAVID GEFEN.

>> DON'T KNOW.

MOST OF MY THOUGHTS ARE

WHATEVER NUMBER HAVE YOU IN

MIND ADD

THREE ZEROES AND

WE'LL START NEGOTIATING.

NO DESIRE TO SELL.

>> A LOT OF THE DECOR

IS

DONATED FROM CUSTOMERS WHAT

WILL YOU DO WITH ALL THAT?

>> I WAS ASKED THAT TODAY

A

BUNCH.

I DON'T KNOW.

IF ANYBODY REALLY

WANTS

ONE

WAIT A SECOND THIS COULD BE

MY RETIREMENT FUND.

[LAUGHTER]

NO, I'M

SURE, I

HAVEN'T

COMPLETELY THOUGHT OF THAT.

MY GUESS

IS

PROBABLY AUCTION

OFF FOR CHARITY AT THE END

OF THE RUN.

>> ANY CHANCE THAT YOU WILL

CHANGE YOUR MIND ON

CLOSING?

>> OF COURSE YOU

KNOW

I

COULD BE WALKING DOWN THE

STREET AND

AN ANVIL LAND

S ON

MY HEAD THAT HAPPENS ALL

THE

TIME NO.

IF I HAD THE FARM TO BET I

WOULD BET THE FARM, NO.

>> BECAUSE IT'S ON THE

INTERNET NOW.

>> AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT

THIS SEGMENT I THOUGHT WHAT

A GREAT

PUBLICITY STUNT TO

SAY TO INCREASE

BUSINESS AND

SAY I'M CLOSING.

>> ABSOLUTE RIGHT BASED ON

THE LAST THREE DAYS

ANY

RESTAURTEUR WHO REALLY WANTS

TO GOOSE UP BUSINESS ON

A

TUESDAY TELL PEOPLE YOU'RE

CLOSING.

NO THIS IS NOT

THE

WHO WE'RE

DONE OCTOBER 3rd.

>> IS IT GOING TO TAKE

AN

ANVIL FALLING ON YOUR HEAD

FOR YOU TO COME UP WITH YOUR

NEXT INCARNATION?

>> IT'S POSSIBLE.

>> HONESTLY WHAT DO YOU

THINK YOU MIGHT DO?

>> I HAVE NO IDEA.

I GENUINELY HAVE

NO IDEA.

MY ADULT CAREER HAS BEEN

QUITTING JOBS AND FRYING TO

DECIDE LATER.

I SHOULD PROBABLY GO GET A

JOB.

SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW YET.

>> WHAT ABOUT THIS, DOES

THIS GIG PAY WELL?

I COULD DO THIS?

>> NO

KIDDING.

>> I THINK DAVE KINGMAN

COULD DO THIS.

WE'LL TALK AFTER THIS

SEGMENT.

DOUG THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> PLEASURE, PLEASURE TO BE

HERE.

>> CONTINUED