Chicago, IL - Duks Red Hots - 36x28

Art Type: Archival Pigment Ink Photograph
Frame Style: Wood Frame
Frame Size: 36" x 28"

Works are framed for the highest quality possible. Each print is hand signed.

Custom Requests
Don't hesitate to contact me if you have a need for a special size or framing finish. We can discuss all options.

636 N Ashland Ave
East & South Facades

41°53'36.6" N 87°40'2.28" W

For over six decades, the iconic hot dog stand with bright lights and red and white stripes has been a stalwart member of the Ashland Avenue landscape, feeding several generations of regular customers, neighbors, and passersby.

Interior view of the iconic Duks with fan favorite, Carol, working the grill.

Mervyn Dukatt and Donald Marselle, founders and cousins, unveiled the West Town stand in 1954. Subsequently, the business flourished to include over a dozen locations throughout Chicago, of which the original West Town eatery is the last standing.

When they opened the first of what became for a time, a chain of hot dog stands, Donald Marselle and Mervyn Dukatte, inspired by the marketing potential of combining their first and last names, respectively, opened Donald Duk's Red Hots. The signage even featured a Disneyesque duck in a bow tie and chef's hat.

In the early 1980s, Walt Disney Productions took notice and filed a lawsuit against Donald Duk's Red Hots Inc., charging trademark infringement in order to protect one of its most important trademark names, Donald Duck. Eager to get on with business, Donald Duk's Red Hots Inc. decided to shorten the restaurant’s name to Duk's Red Hots.

Modern Relish
The updated brand, for better or worse.