Beloved Hot Dog Richie's closes in Palatine
A beloved hot dog stand that served Palatine for more than 40 years closed abruptly last month amid foreclosure proceedings.
According to court documents, First Community Financial filed for foreclosure on Hot Dog Richie's, located at 220 N. Northwest Hwy., in April 2014.
The bank's complaint states the restaurant's owners failed to make required payments on a $340,000 mortgage obtained in 2009.
After several appearances before a Cook County Court judge, a final order of foreclosure was issued on May 20.
That order came with a stay of execution, a period of time that apparently ran out on Oct. 30, when an eviction notice was affixed to the restaurant's front door by the Cook County sheriff's office.
Restaurant owner Jason Marzullo could not be reached for comment. A representative from First Community Financial did not return calls for comment Wednesday.
Since the eviction notice went up, the restaurant's phone number has been disconnected and no updates about the restaurant's status have been posted to its website, www.myhotdogrichies.com, or Facebook page.
As of Wednesday afternoon, fourteen people have commented on the Facebook page asking for information about the restaurant's closure.
The only response from the Facebook page's administrator claimed the closure was only temporary.
"I'm not sure I'm allowed to disclose the reason, I am just one of the cooks," the Facebook post from Oct. 25 reads. "But the current news is it's only for the time being. That's all I'm comfortable saying in a public forum."
In the weeks since that post, nearly all of the equipment, seating and tables from the restaurant visible from the outside have been removed. Exteriors signs have been cleared.
The restaurant received its share of accolades over the years.
Perhaps its biggest accomplishment came in April 2014, when it was inducted into the Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame.
In addition to its long relationship with the Chicago-based sausage maker, Vienna Beef Senior Vice President Bob Schwartz said at the time that Hot Dog Richie's was also inducted because of its support for local causes.