Last call for Hot Doug's: Chicago favorite to close Friday
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Hot Doug's closes its doors for good on Friday. Chicagoans have one last chance to eat at the legendary Avondale eatery.
Customers have been lining up around the block for the last week to get one last taste. Lawn chairs, card tables, poker chips, sleeping bags and booze have helped people pass the hours-long wait. Despite the rain on Hot Doug's final day, the line was already long early Friday morning. Some people had been in line since 5 p.m. Thursday.
The sausage and hot dog joint has been a local favorite for more than a decade. The so-called "sausage superstore and encased meat emporium" has a loyal following, serving up to 800 hot dogs of all kinds each day.
"One of our friends here was telling us that it's one of the 13 places in the world to eat before, like, you die," Taylor Pride said.
Owner Doug Sohn said the restaurant business can be brutal, but the experience has been "perfect."
"It's been awesome. It's unbelievably cool to have people, like, line up as early as the night before," Sohn said.
Some customers are trying Hot Doug's for the first - and only - time.
"I'm a big Chicago person. I didn't want a Chicago tradition to go away without us trying it," Dan Gelford said.
Sohn said he's looking forward to not setting an alarm clock. He and his girlfriend are looking forward to traveling and letting other people cook for them for a change.
