Felony Franks is, quite simply, a good thing. Owner Jim Andrews opened his hot dog stand in 2009 with the mission of giving felons a chance to prove themselves at a legitimate job. And promptly spent two years fighting with his alderman, Robert Fioretti, for the right to have a sign saying his business’s name. Alderman Fioretti, with that keen insight that marks Chicago’s political class, apparently believed that people might get the idea that there was a lot of crime in the vicinity of Jackson and Western if there was a big sign saying “felony” on it. (Since of course that was the only visual indicator that the area was not Winnetka.) Andrews eventually won that fight on first amendment grounds, and according to an article in Austin Weekly News, business has picked up since the place started looking more like a going concern with an actual sign, but the fight still strained his financial resources (minimal) and he doesn’t know how much longer it will last. So if you think it’s a good thing that ex-felons learn to be something non-felonious, go to Felony Franks— yes, the area looks a little sketchy, but we’ve been eating barbecue and who knows what all in sketchy places for years and the only trouble we ever got into was in Lincoln Park and involved two 80-year-old women and the syrup for our Belgium waffle— and spend some money there. You’ll get more for it than just a hot dog and fries (though they’re pretty good). [Austin Weekly News]
