Hot Doug's in Chicago Is Closing This October

Beloved Chicago sausage institution Hot Doug's is closing its doors soon. The restaurant posted a message on its website about a "permanent vacation" beginning on October 4th and then tweeted that they would "serve our last encased meats 10/3."

Proprietor Doug Sohn confirmed to DNAinfo Chicago saying: "For me it's time," Sohn said. "There really is no overwhelming reason other than it's time to go do something else. ... The plan is not to own a restaurant anymore."

Sohn opened Hot Doug's back in 2001 and in the almost 15 years the restaurant's been open it has become a fixture of the Chicago dining scene. Hot Doug's has had a long-held place on the Eater Chicago 38 and is known for its legendary sausages and essential take on the Chicago-style hot dog. Sohn also published a book about Hot Doug's last year that traces the evolution of the restaurant's menu, is chock full of photos of sausage paraphenalia, and dives into some of the other unique Hot Doug's phenomena like NSFW tattoos and the restaurant's 2006 legal struggles against Chicago's then ban on foie gras. The restaurant will certainly be missed.

· Hot Doug's [Official Site]
· Hot Doug's Closing Permanently Oct. 3 [DNAinfo via Eater Chicago]
· All Hot Doug's Coverage on Eater [-E-]