WICKER PARK —Devil Dawgs is coming to Wicker Park and hopes to be open by Labor Day, according to its owner, Alan Katz.
The news of the Lincoln Park-based hot dog and hamburger joint's arrival was announced earlier this week in the form of a mural in the window of its future spot.
Neighbored by Fringe Salon and the boozy Taco Bell to the north and Decibel Audio, a turntable and speaker shop to the south, the storefront at 1431 N. Milwaukee Ave. was previously home to Eye Want Eye Wear, a longtime retail staple that relocated to Chicago Avenue last year.
A permit for an estimated $136,000 project to convert the existing vacant storefront into a Devil Dawgs was issued on Sunday, according to an Everyblock post.
Devil Dawgs is owned by Culinary Institute of America-trained Katz, who caters to the college crowds at his original location near DePaul University and in the South Loop near Columbia Collage and Roosevelt University.
Katz said he hoped to open by Labor Day weekend.
"We felt it was a great location. It will be our largest yet, at 2,000 square feet," he said.
Menu highlights will include the "Wicker Dog," a charbroiled hot dog; a chopped salad, plus milkshakes and slushies for the kids. All dishes will be made with local produce, Katz said.
There are no plans to serve alcohol.
Phil Raimondi, owner of Hollywood Cleaners, across the street from the future Devil Dawgs, said he was not sure yet how he felt about the new addition to the neighborhood.
"No comment. I'll tell you when I taste the Devil Dog," Raimondi said.
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