thomasec wrote:Article

Wait a second....Bari delivers to the Loop?!?!

How did I never know this?

eatchicago wrote:

thomasec wrote:Article

Wait a second....Bari delivers to the Loop?!?!

How did I never know this?

A coworker of mine coordinates an occasional Bari order up to the Hancock building. I sweet-talked my way into the group that does an order. I crave the prosciutto and fresh mozzarela sandwich with eggplant.

I didn't know that either - what's the minimum?

doug has great potential to expand and grow if he wants to; there is obvious demand for his product

Bari has long delievered to the Loop. So does Manny's. Popular with Loop lawyers and traders (both dwindling groups these days...).

MBK wrote:doug has great potential to expand and grow if he wants to; there is obvious demand for his product

i once heard him joke about people suggesting additional business for him: catering, private parties, etc. he kept smiling and said, "not interested". i admire him for running the business exactly the way he wants to.

eatchicago wrote:Wait a second....Bari delivers to the Loop?!?!

Speaking of out of the box Loop deliveries, Moon's delivers to the Loop as well.

MBK wrote:doug has great potential to expand and grow if he wants to; there is obvious demand for his product

Expansion and growth has never been a part of Doug's business plan. If it were, he'd open for dinner, which he has declined to do. I get the impression from talking to Doug on numerous occasions that he's happy with the business just the way it is.

stevez wrote:

MBK wrote:doug has great potential to expand and grow if he wants to; there is obvious demand for his product

Expansion and growth has never been a part of Doug's business plan. If it were, he'd open for dinner, which he has declined to do. I get the impression from talking to Doug on numerous occasions that he's happy with the business just the way it is.

Much as I'd like to be able to get a fine sausage at 6 PM on a Sunday, I understand that Doug has a work-life balance he'd like to maintain - and hey, if a happy, relatively well-rested proprietor is what it takes to keep the business going, I'd rather deal with his somewhat inconvenient hours than not have it at all.

I have very mixed feelings about the issues raised in the story linked above. If the issue is quality (of service or food), I can respect Doug's desire to nix the delivery service. Delivery orders will likely overwhelm the joint, making the eat-in lines even longer than they already are. Bike messenger delivery service will almost certainly reduce the quality of the food that's being delivered, too. Fine, both concerns make sense.

But why does Doug care if the messengers are making a profit? It's not like they're not doing something to earn it. In fact, at $1/order, I'm guessing that they're not making very much, if anything. They're clearly providing a service and there seems to be decent demand for that service. It's not as if the messenger service's profit is coming out of Doug's cut.

But still, to start up this service, use Doug's name in the service's name and not even consult him before doing so was not a wise or considerate move -- and in spite of the disclaimers that they are not officially affiliated with Hot Doug's -- I'm guessing it's not legal, either.

=R=

But still, to start up this service, use Doug's name in the service's name and not even consult him before doing so was not a wise or considerate move -- and in spite of the disclaimers that they are not officially affiliated with Hot Doug's -- I'm guessing it's not legal, either.

Other than the extra strain the delivery service could potentially cause Hot Doug's, and all the implications of it, the use of the Hot Doug's name in the delivery service would be a big problem for me if I were the owner of Hot Doug's. Doug has spend a lot of time and energy creating a successful brand identity, and the potential for it to be tarnished by another service using my name, which I have no oversight or control over, would, to say the least, irk me. They could write as many disclaimers as they want that they're not affiliated, but I think there is real cause for concern over the dilution of a brand.

Other than the extra strain the delivery service could potentially cause Hot Doug's, and all the implications of it, the use of the Hot Doug's name in the delivery service would be a big problem for me if I were the owner of Hot Doug's. Doug has spend a lot of time and energy creating a successful brand identity, and the potential for it to be tarnished by another service using my name, which I have no oversight or control over, would, to say the least, irk me. They could write as many disclaimers as they want that they're not affiliated, but I think there is real cause for concern over the dilution of a brand.

Amen. Talk about an IP TM infringement lawsuit waiting to happen. Look st the banner that the bike is flying - they've even appropriated his logo, implying that they either have his blessing or are an actual part of Doug's business.

Poor Doug. Hope some sympathetic IP attorney reads this and helps him out pro bono. Good ones aren't cheap, and it's not at all fair that his livelihood is being compromised by Westlund and Michael.

sundevilpeg wrote:
Poor Doug. Hope some sympathetic IP attorney reads this and helps him out pro bono. Good ones aren't cheap, and it's not at all fair that his livelihood is being compromised by Westlund and Michael.

Hopefully it won't come to that. It sounds like both parties are reasonable.

ronnie_suburban wrote:
But why does Doug care if the messengers are making a profit? It's not like they're not doing something to earn it. In fact, at $1/order, I'm guessing that they're not making very much, if anything.

=R=

The earlier poster said $1/ a sausage, not order. Could the delivery service charge that much without the preestablished customer base and perceived quality of Doug's brand-something he has spent a lot of work and time developing? I got the impression, from the article, that Doug is primarliy upset because the guys started this without his cooperation or knowledge.

bnowell724 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:
But why does Doug care if the messengers are making a profit? It's not like they're not doing something to earn it. In fact, at $1/order, I'm guessing that they're not making very much, if anything.

=R=

The earlier poster said $1/ a sausage, not order. Could the delivery service charge that much without the preestablished customer base and perceived quality of Doug's brand-something he has spent a lot of work and time developing? I got the impression, from the article, that Doug is primarliy upset because the guys started this without his cooperation or knowledge.

The service was charging $1/sausage. I use past tense because, according to an update added to the linked Gapers Block article: "UPDATE: Hot Doug Drop has posted notice on its website that it's halting delivery temporarily. According to the statement on the site, "We're taking time off for Passover and working out some kinks with the Sultan of Sausage... Please be patient, as we may have angered the Big Dog." We'll keep an eye on developments in the coming days."

Just posted an update to the story:

Article

me3dia wrote:Just posted an update to the story:

Article

Gapers Block wrote:Westlund said that the response to news of the service has been overwhelmingly positive, with people requesting drop locations in other neighborhoods around the city, such as Wicker Park. He shared that interest in Hot Doug Drop had him thinking about a broader "bike concierge" service that could deliver delicacies from a number of restaurants -- Kuma's Corner, for instance, which suffers from the same high demand-to-space ratio problems as Hot Doug's. If something along those lines ever develops, we'll let you know.

As for Sohn, he reiterated that he has "absolutely zero plans" to expand in any way. "The part that I like to do, I couldn't do if I were bigger or more that one or a larger kind of set-up. You know, it's the day-to-day, talking to the customers, making up prices as I go along -- you know, that aspect of the job, that's the part I like. And I would totally forfeit all of that if I were to change anything for the bigger."

Regards,

Other press re Hot D's... last weeks 'The Onion'-the food reviewer said that the duck fat fries are over-rated and not worth the extra charge.

Elfin wrote:Other press re Hot D's... last weeks 'The Onion'-the food reviewer said that the duck fat fries are over-rated and not worth the extra charge.

was that in the April 1st edition of the Onion?

to me they are worth it, and I thought they were better than the duckfat fries @ the Bristol

And a Trib story:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nati ... 9125.story

jimswside wrote:

Elfin wrote:Other press re Hot D's... last weeks 'The Onion'-the food reviewer said that the duck fat fries are over-rated and not worth the extra charge.

to me they are worth it, and I thought they were better than the duckfat fries @ the Bristol

I prefer the standard fries myself...

SSDD

Elfin wrote:Other press re Hot D's... last weeks 'The Onion'-the food reviewer said that the duck fat fries are over-rated and not worth the extra charge.

I think it was a tough review. I saw the grade and was shocked, but I agreed with most of his points. I think the taste gets an A but the value gets a D+. The regular fries at Doug's are so good and less than half the price that it's just not worth it to me. That said, I also rarely go to HD on Friday or Saturday, anyway.

Duck Fat fries are $3.50 and easily equivilent size wise to a large order of the regular fries @ $2.25, Well worth $1.25 to me & my arteries.

My last visit cost $13 & was probably the best $13 I have ever spent.

gleam wrote:

Elfin wrote:Other press re Hot D's... last weeks 'The Onion'-the food reviewer said that the duck fat fries are over-rated and not worth the extra charge.

I think it was a tough review. I saw the grade and was shocked, but I agreed with most of his points. I think the taste gets an A but the value gets a D+. The regular fries at Doug's are so good and less than half the price that it's just not worth it to me. That said, I also rarely go to HD on Friday or Saturday, anyway.

I don't understand how it's possible for to give an A for taste and a D+ for value. Taste, in my opinion, is more than half of the value equation. If something gets an A for taste, it can get no worse than a B- for value, unless the prices are comically high, like $100 a sausage.

duck fat fries might be worth the $1.25 extra but i don't think they're worth the 1.25 extra hour wait on weekends

I have tried the duck fat fries twice. The first time, I wasn't too impressed. Tasted like regular fries. The second time, the fries had a little more flavor. But both times, I felt like if I didn't place the order, I wouldn't have known or tasted the difference.

Maybe next time I will order the regular fries and see if there is a difference!

BTW the both times I went to Hot Doug's, I got in line at around 10:10 and by 10:45, I am chowing down! The line gets a growth spurt at 10:25 - 10:30 just as the doors open. And both times, my bill was over $20! Not complaining, because it's worth it IMHO. And I would much rather spend $20 at Hot Doug's than at Urban Belly...

MBK wrote:duck fat fries might be worth the $1.25 extra but i don't think they're worth the 1.25 extra hour wait on weekends

Somehow I doubt the long lines on weekends are due to the duck fat fries.

My money's on it being a combination of a majority of customers only being able to make it on weekends due to 9-5 M-F jobs, and crippling hangovers that only delicious sausages & hot, fresh, hand-cut fries could cure.

If I didn't have one of the aforementioned 9-5 M-F's, or at least worked closer to California & Roscoe (my office is 6 miles away, by Union Station), I'd happily skip the duck fat fries and hit Hot Doug's for weekday lunches.

Kennyz wrote:

gleam wrote:

Elfin wrote:Other press re Hot D's... last weeks 'The Onion'-the food reviewer said that the duck fat fries are over-rated and not worth the extra charge.

I think it was a tough review. I saw the grade and was shocked, but I agreed with most of his points. I think the taste gets an A but the value gets a D+. The regular fries at Doug's are so good and less than half the price that it's just not worth it to me. That said, I also rarely go to HD on Friday or Saturday, anyway.

I don't understand how it's possible for to give an A for taste and a D+ for value. Taste, in my opinion, is more than half of the value equation. If something gets an A for taste, it can get no worse than a B- for value, unless the prices are comically high, like $100 a sausage.

The regular fries get an A for taste also. The duck fat fries, which aren't any better to me, are twice as much money. How does it not deserve a low grade for value?

gleam wrote:The regular fries get an A for taste also. The duck fat fries, which aren't any better to me, are twice as much money. How does it not deserve a low grade for value?

If you're grading on that kind of strict curve, on a sexiness exam where the classmates are Angelina Jolie, Anna Kournikova, and Padma Lakshmi, someone would have to get a failing grade. If they come to my class, they all get an A.

gleam wrote:The regular fries get an A for taste also. The duck fat fries, which aren't any better to me, are twice as much money. How does it not deserve a low grade for value?

I agree with this almost entirely - Ive had the duck-fat fries 3 or 4 times now, and theyve left me pretty much cold each time. IMHO (and purely IMHO), a low-grade for value, and also a bit overrated. The "normal" fries at Weiner and Still Champion that I had this week, for instance, were IMHO superior, and happened to be much much cheaper as well. And for "special fries", IMHO the beef-tallow-cooked fries at Top-Notch in Beverly are on a different level to Hot Doug's too, and I dont think theyre any more than normal price(though I dont actually remember what their price is, probably a couple bucks

For the record, while Iam criticising , I dont care much for Hot Doug's normal hotdogs etc either - I think there are quite a few places in Chicago that do a better (and cheaper) version. But the speciality sausages.. a few are misses IMHO, but the several speciality sausages that are "hits" are the things that make Hot Dougs a special place.

c8w