Felony Franks Employs Ex-Cons

Taco trucks are so passé. Want to really pull customers into your food gimmick? Talk to Jim Andrews, owner of Felony Franks, a Chicago hot dog stand where the mascot is a wiener in prison stripes.

But Slashfood.com reports that Andrews’ joint isn’t an empty pun. Felony Franks – which serves up specialties like the Misdemeanor Weiner, the Chain Gang Chili Dog and calls its side orders "accomplices" – employs 10 full time ex-convicts. Andrews runs the charity The Rescue Foundation, which works to give ex-cons a second chance and is doing just that with his restaurant.

But some think the restaurant is just exploiting the rough reputation of the city’s west side neighborhood where Felony Franks is located and is exacerbating the problem.

We think Felony Franks is actually doing the opposite by giving these ex-cons a second chance and taking the stigma of jail time away from those who want to start having a productive life.

And the product itself? Andrews says sales are doing gangbusters, and the slogan may tell us why: It’s not just for a good cause, it’s "food so good, it’s criminal."

Photo courtest Joe M500, via Flickr.