LINCOLN PARK — It was a "phenomenal" weekend for Wiener's Circle, the hot dog joint that dressed up as the fictional restaurant from the 1988 film "Coming to America" for Halloween, according to Scott Brooker, the restaurant's general manager.
People from all over the city flocked to the restaurant at 2622 N. Clark St. over the weekend to get a chance to dine at McDowell's, snapping photos of the staff in McDowell's uniforms and the McDowell's sign with the golden arcs — not golden arches.
Even Eddie Murphy, the star of the film, and Arsenio Hall, who plays Murphy's sidekick, were amused, sharing news of the Clark Street restaurant on social media.
I'm buying! RT @stoomey: Hey, @ArsenioHall. A McDowell's just opened in Chicago. Let's get a Big Mick this weekend. https://t.co/ORnHCsNWLf
— Arsenio Hall (@ArsenioHall) October 30, 2015 Chicago! #halloween #comingtoamerica #wienerscircle
Posted by Eddie Murphy on Friday, October 30, 2015
"That was pretty awesome," Brooker said of the celebrity love.
Brooker said there was a range of reactions. Fans of the film thought the costume was "incredible," while younger folks who hadn't seen the movie initially thought Wiener's Circle was closing, and were relieved to find out that it was merely a Halloween getup, he said.
Mina Bloom says the staff really got into character for the change:
Charlotte, an employee of 13 years who declined to provide her last name, said the phone was ringing off the hook all weekend long.
"They were calling us and calling us, saying when did you change your name to [McDowell's]?"
The manager of the McDonald's located across the street did eventually come over to see what the fuss was about. Charlotte said the manager thought it was a creative idea.
Manuel Diaz, an employee of 25 years, said it wasn't the busiest weekend in Wiener's Circle history, but it was very busy nonetheless.
The idea came from the new owners, a group of five local investors who bought the 33-year-old restaurant in September.
The transformation lasted Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the restaurant returning to business as usual Monday morning.
For the uninitiated, McDowell's is the restaurant where Eddie Murphy's character Prince Akeem works in the film. The restaurant's owner, Cleo McDowell, opened it to rip off the McDonald's across the street by offering items like the "Big Mick" instead of the "Big Mac" and having a similar logo.
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