- Credibility:
ANDERSONVILLE — Hot G Dog, the spinoff of the wildly popular Hot Doug’s, has closed its Andersonville restaurant and will look to open in a new location next year — if the food industry recovers from coronavirus-caused hardships by then.
The restaurant announced on Facebook Tuesday that it will not reopen its doors after it closed due to the coronavirus stay at home order. Hot G Dog could open in a new location next year, but that’s only if restaurants are back to full service, business managers said on Facebook.
“COVID-19 had a big impact on our sales to the point were the business was not self sustainable,” the Facebook post reads. “We are hoping by next year that the food industry recovers fully for us to be able to reopen.”
Hot G Dog was not allowed to renew its lease at 5009 N. Clark St., the storefront it called home since 2015, according to the announcement. That may because Dispensary33, the marijuana shop two doors down from Hot G Dog, is seeking to expand at the location.
In early March, Dispensary33 announced intentions to expand, possibly taking over the neighboring nail salon and Hot G Dogs. Last month, the pot shop filed a zoning request to expand into the storefront occupied by Jenny’s Nail Salon, but not Hot G Dog.
Octavio Garcia, co-owner of Hot G Dog, told Block Club in March that he was aware of Dispensary33’s intentions. The business was already seeking to relocate, as the shop, on the border of Uptown and Andersonville, had grown too expensive for the hot dog shop.
Garcia said rent has been rising and he’d been thinking of buying a place for his business. At first he looked in the neighborhood, but prices were too high, he said.
“We planned on moving already,” Garcia said. “We were looking to buy in the area, but that neighborhood is expensive. It’s almost as expensive to rent as it is to buy.”
Garcia could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Hot G Dog is a spinoff of the hugely popular Hot Doug’s, the Avondale hot dog business that shuttered in 2014. The Garcia brothers, who worked as line cooks at Hot Doug’s, went on to open Hot G Dogs in Andersonville — with Doug Sohn’s approval and blessing.
The business closed in mid-March due to the coronavirus and efforts to contain its spread.
Hot G Dog is just one of many Chicago restaurants to suffer from the coronavirus and measures like the stay at home order. The city could lose as many as 1,500 independent restaurants due to the pandemic, according to one report.
“I wanna thank everyone Andersonville for supporting our business and the rest of Chicago as well,” Garcia said on Facebook. “Hopefully will see you guys next year.”
Read all of Block Club’s coverage of businesses closing because of coronavirus.
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