#22: How The Sausage Gets Made In Chicago

This week’s podcast episode is a case study on the business of hot dogs in Chicago, a city that has strong opinions about encased meats.

From the distribution strategy to the raw economics of opening a hot dog stand in town, we're joined by food writer/Hot Dog University graduate (yes, that's a thing) John Carruthers from Revolution Brewing to talk about the larger culture around hot dogs and street food in general.

NOTES:

- What's the Hot Dog scene in Chicago in 2019? (4:35)- The monoculture around Vienna Beef in Chicago (05:55)- Behind-the-scenes at the Vienna Beef plant and why the stereotype about what goes into hot dogs isn't true (07:12)- The business of starting a hot dog stand in Chicago (12:10)- What to look for when you want a quality Chicago dog (16:13)- The Wild World of alternative meats  (20:18)- The culture around "no ketchup on hot dogs" in Chicago (21:30)- What is the best all-around hot dog spot in Chicago right now? (24:35)- The shift in restaurant culture from in-person to app-focused delivery (29:45)SONG OF THE WEEK - "Dennehey" by Serengeti (40:31)

This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at officehours.substack.com/subscribe