Burglars target iconic hot dog joint, The Wieners Circle, in Lincoln Park
CHICAGO (CBS) — Burglars targeted an iconic hot dog joint in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood early Monday morning.
Windows were smashed at The Wieners Circle, located at 2622 N. Clark St.
Around 3:45 a.m., police said a group of at least three people broke the glass door of the business. The suspects took a large object, possibly a safe or ATM from inside.
"Basically, it was a smash and grab," said Wieners Circle social media manager Ragen Eggert. "A car, a group of people, came and broke into The Wiener Circle at about 3:30 in the morning, smashed the window with a crowbar, and just came in and just stole our ATM."
Police said the suspects left in a black SUV and drove south on Clark Street.
According to a restaurant manager, this is the second burglary in two weeks.
Eggert said the Wieners Circle was also broken into last Sunday—along with other nearby businesses including Taiyaki Chicago, 2618 N. Clark St., and Molly's Cupcakes, 2536 N. Clark St. The thieves jumped a fence, broke into the Wieners Circle with a crowbar, and broke the registers on the occasion a week ago Sunday—but did not get away with anything the first time around, Eggert said.
No arrests have been made in either incident. Police are investigating.
Meanwhile, Eggert said The Wieners Circle now needs to board up its windows and doors.
"I mean, it is frustrating, but I mean, I feel like it's been happening all over, and it's like we kind of just—not like we expected it but like, we just, you know, it's like a chain of reactions. We kind of just—it's just is like whatever now in Chicago, you know?" Eggert said. "Thank God nobody was here, thank God it was a time when we were closed, and, you know, nobody got hurt—and that's all that really matters."
The Wieners Circle made light of the situation—joking on social media, "Note to all you hamburglars, we have hired a guy named Hakeem from Zumunda, come back and he will be forced to trash you with a mop handle if you come back." That, of course, was a reference to the movie "Coming to America."