Felony Franks could go out of business

Owner blames Fioretti for holding up sign permit

02/09/2011 6:25 PM

By Ben Meyerson
Editor

15 Comments - Add Your Comment


Felony Franks has its logo painted on the side of its building, but its sign hangs empty.

STAFF/File 2009

Felony Franks, the controversially-named, jailhouse-themed fast-food stand on Western Avenue is running out of cash and could be out of business by mid-March.

The restaurant’s owner, Jim Andrews, said business has been stagnant since an initial burst of publicity. According to Andrews, it’s because he doesn’t have a prominent sign. Instead, the old sign sits empty above the door.

He blames 2nd Ward Ald. Bob Fioretti, who’s made no secret in the past that he’s not a fan of the restaurant’s name. Fioretti refuses to sign off on his application to get a sign for the business, Andrews claims. Without the sign, Andrews said, “it looks like it’s closed.”

“The sign companies say, ‘A business with no sign is a sign of no business,’” Andrews added. “During the day, the place looks like it’s closed. At night, when we light it up, we get more business than we do during the day.”

Business has been bad lately, Andrews said. When he first opened—and got nationwide publicity because of his name and goal of hiring ex-cons—he said he was making about $30,000 a month. Today, he estimates to be pulling in less than a third of that, about $9,200 a month. Andrews’s been paying for the business’s payroll and expenses out of his own pocket and with profits from his other business, a paper wholesale company.

But he said he’s only got enough cash to keep Felony Franks open through late February or mid-March.

“Financially, Felony Franks is not making it,” he insisted. “I need a minimum of $18,000, $19,000 a month to break even.”

He doesn’t blame it all on Fioretti, noting that the economy has certainly been bad, but without a sign, it’s impossible to do business.

“At least then if you were going north or south on Western Avenue at 25 miles an hour then you’d say, ‘Oh, there’s Felony Franks, the place I saw on the TV,'” Andrews said.

Fioretti and his staff, Andrews explained, have asked him if he’d consider changing the name, or the logo. Andrews has balked at the suggestion.

“Do you know how hard I’ve fought for that concept? I’ve spent two years and almost $330,000,” he said. “If you had come up with the greatest marketing concept to sell franks and wieners, would you rename it Joe’s Hot Dogs?”

Andrews is also considering suing the city for restricting his First Amendment rights.

For the alderman’s part, Fioretti’s chief of staff, Andy Pierce, gave a brief statement that the sign application was still in the “permitting” process.

“We understand he has a pending permit application, and it is being reviewed by three departments. Those departments include buildings, zoning and business affairs and consumer protection,” Pierce said. “The pending permit is all that he has pending with the city right now.”


15 Comments - Add Your Comment



By Concerned from West Loop
Posted: 02/22/2011 4:55 PM

I don't think that these issues are related to Felony Franks. We have a problem with the Whitney Students smoking pot all over the neighborhood. Drug deals going down in the alleys around the school. This past year, we had Skinner and Whitney Young students throwing eggs at people in the park and around the schools. Worst yet, they were even throwing rocks at our windows.


By Trina Whiteside from Far-west side
Posted: 02/22/2011 2:38 PM

For those of you that are boycotting Felony Franks you are unfortunatly a victim of politics and mis-information. Hopefully you will never be a victim of someone who is not employed and forced to commit a crime bacause of lack of job opportunities with regard to their past. A BIG shout for Felony Franks!! An Ex-Offender


By Trina Whiteside from Far-west side
Posted: 02/22/2011 2:31 PM

In response to the comments I have read with regard to Felony Franks and their mission to curb recidivism and giving ex-offenders a viable opportunity to become gainfully employed and productive members of society; What is a name? Is it the name or is it a deeper than that? Is it really the fact that someone is trying to help what is "societies" cast-offs? Check the hard data about recidivism and you will see that this is, for some, the opportunity of a lifetime. Helping people help themselves.


By John from Felony Franks
Posted: 02/17/2011 4:38 PM

I’m confident that the people who claim that they like this marketing (exploitation) scheme would be strongly against if the restaurant was next door the children’s school. None of our politicians would dare to put this establishment next door to Skinner or Whitney Young. The owner lives in OakPark and he has another business in the west loop area on Randolph St. I doubt that his Felony Frank sign would get approved in those areas.


By livenexttofelonyfranks from livenexttofelonyfranks
Posted: 02/17/2011 4:29 PM

There have been many complaints at CAPs meetings about the drinking and loitering that takes place on Felony Franks property. There was also a shooting last month that took place in close proximity of this property. There are five schools in this area. Many children catch the in front of this establishment and the menu list items such as Felonies, Misdemeanor, Subpoenas, and Paroles. The children are asking for “FELONIES” when they leave school.


By Chocolate Milk Shake Republican from Loop
Posted: 02/14/2011 3:34 AM

Chicago; a screwed-up hypocritical social experiment of Liberal Democrat idiots. EXPERIMENT #1 - Have a 'group of folks' (code?) hanging out at 'FELONY FRANKS', and some freak out and it's a problem. EXPERIMENT #2 - Go to Weiner Circle and that freakin circus, w/ servers gracing the patrons with "chocolate milk shakes", people drunk, midgets, etc. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMrGe-dY-LA) and its a cultural 'got to see' Alderman, give them the damn permits already. Let em fail or suceed!


By Livin' in the hood for years from Near West Side
Posted: 02/13/2011 7:36 PM

Mr. Fredrico---Mr. Andrews really doesn't care about the hood. He hasn't been to a CAPS meeting. The beer store owner next door comes all the time and has complained about FF and has caught criminal activity in front of FFs on tape. If you were really interested in running for alderman, you should have starting your campaign by going to the CAPS mtgs and understanding the community you want to represent.


By Federico you just lost my vote from Westhaven
Posted: 02/11/2011 11:34 PM

Mr. Sciammarella, do you know anything about this part of the ward that you are running to represent? We have no problems with an eatery that employs ex-felons. What we do have a problem with is a business that is exploiting those ex-felons for a marketing ploy on Jim Andrews behalf because he couldn't just open up a decent hot dog joint with good food that happens to employ ex-felons. If you are so in favor of it, I suggest that you encourage Felony Franks to move to the South Loop.


By Permit Applied For 1/27/11 from Simple FOIA
Posted: 02/11/2011 5:24 PM

Courtesy of: http://webapps.cityofchicago.org/buildingpermit/search/applicationsearch.htm Application Status: 229 S WESTERN AVE. Description: NSI SIGNS TO INSTALL TWO (48"X 72") FACE REPLACEMENTS TO EXISTING SIGN STRUCTURE. SIGN TO BE LOCATED ON FRONT ELEVATION. ZONING REVIEW 2011-01-27: APPROVED. ELECTRICAL REVIEW 2011-02-08: DENIED. This data represents the last 18 months of historical permit information and was last updated on , February 11, 2011.


By Federico Sciammarella from South Loop
Posted: 02/11/2011 10:30 AM

I have spoken to Mr. Andrews and he has my full support, what he is doing is a wonderful thing. I am heading there today for lunch and encourage you to join me! This is our 2nd ward and we must help each other out.


By JBrown from Hyde Park
Posted: 02/10/2011 8:50 PM

I disagree with the above and I say so after having spent hours working on a documentary on FF. This isn't some zoo-showcase at all. After extensive interviews with the hard-working employees it was made immediately clear to me that they: 1) Were grateful for the opportunity, and were planning on using their experience to open their own establishments, and 2) They thought rightly that there's nothing in a name, and hoped to stay in business. Don't 'support the cause' and not the establisment


By Has NOTHING to do with the sign! from West Haven
Posted: 02/10/2011 7:56 PM

The commty of the Near West Side and West Haven had an open meeting in 8/2009 for FF. At this mtg, Andrews was invited to provide his goals, etc. The response was OVERWHELMING with people that live in the neighborhood. We FULLY support his good deed in employing ex-felons. We totally opposed the name, mktg. campaign, signage. As a result, everyone I know has purposely boycotted FF. He alienated his custmr base. If I were his emplyees I'd be pissed at him for not listening and causing job loss.


By JRD from West Side
Posted: 02/10/2011 12:55 PM

Please update your photo of this business. As it stands, this concrete block building is covered in signs, placards and canopies. A bad business with a distasteful name, a bad cartoon and an insulting zoo-like presentation of ex-offenders will not be successful and will go out of business no matter how many signs it has, no matter where signs are placed and no matter how large signs are. Please do not mistake misdirected animosity and delusions of grandeur for meaningful neighborhood news.


By claudea from united center
Posted: 02/10/2011 8:44 AM

Could it be because every time you went by there was always a group of folks just 'hanging out' in front of the building and that may be why folks didn't go in. Or other issues with the business that have been discussed at the local CAPS meetings? Nay...blame the alderman for the sign...that's easier.


By Anonymous
Posted: 02/10/2011 7:40 AM

This sums it up. http://archive.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/04/ald-not-biting-at-felony-franks-proposal.html