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