Hot Doug’s closing for good in October

Hot Doug’s closing for good in October
Doug Sohn announced Hot Doug's will "serve our last encased meats 10/3."
Hot Doug’s closing for good in October
Doug Sohn announced Hot Doug's will "serve our last encased meats 10/3."

Hot Doug’s closing for good in October

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No more foie gras dogs. No more duck fat fries. And no more free hot dogs for tattoos.

Tuesday Doug Sohn, owner of Hot Doug’s, announced the famous Chicago hot dog joint would be taking a “permanent vacation” starting Oct. 3.

Sohn posted the news to the Hot Doug’s website:

Oh by the way, permanent vacation begins Saturday, October 4.

And on twitter:

Sohn said it’s just that time.

“That’s really all I got,” he said. “I’m happy, healthy. It’s just time to go and do something else. I didn’t really think that through and I don’t know what it is. But it’s just the right thing for me to do. Oct. 4 just seemed to be the right date.”

When I asked what are you going to do, he said “Well, it’s really only been a couple of hours, but this radio gig, how is that?”

When I asked what’s going to happen to all the people with the tattoos he said quote:

“The caveat of the tattoo is that it’s permanent but I am NOT,” Sohn said. “That was always fully stated. I think we have over 90 and now they have Hot Doug’s tattoos.”

Monica Eng is a WBEZ producer and co-host of the Chewing The Fat podcast. Follow her at@monicaeng or write to her at meng@wbez.org

Follow Louisa Chu @louisachu.