By Timothy Inklebarger

Staff Reporter

Felony Franks, the self-proclaimed "Home of the Misdemeanor Weiner," will soon make its new home in Oak Park.

The restaurant, which hires ex-offenders, made headlines in 2011 when it opened at 229 S. Western Ave. in Chicago, displaying a controversial sign claiming, "Food so good, it's criminal," and depicting a hot dog wiener mascot in prison garb behind bars.

Deno Andrews, an Oak Park native and president of Felony Franks Restaurant Group Inc., said he hopes to have the new location, 6427 W. North Ave., opened by mid-November.

When the original store opened in Chicago, Felony Franks was prevented from getting a sign permit, largely due to opposition from neighbors and 2nd Ward Ald. Bob Fioretti.

Felony Franks sued and won on the sign issue, but the business ultimately closed about two years ago, "because the neighborhood could not sustain the restaurant there," Andrews said in an interview Friday.

The idea for Felony Franks, he added, started in 1995 when he and his father, Jim Andrews, owner of the original Felony Franks, ran a restaurant supply company on Randolph Street in Chicago.

"At the time, Randolph Street was not high-end," Andrews said, noting that it was tough to find employees to work in the area. He recalled that an ex-offender walked in one day from a nearby halfway house. The man worked for the father-son team for several years, eventually becoming a manager.

"Over the years, we hired many ex-offenders in that business, and then it became my family's mission," Andrews said, adding that Felony Franks aims to pay their employees, who do not necessarily need to have spent time in jail, more than minimum wage.

The business also provides educational classes on budgeting, saving money and investing.

Andrews said that despite criticisms that the name and marketing of the restaurant glorifies and exploits ex-felons, he believes it brings awareness to the company's mission.

"Ex-offenders were sentenced and served time and paid their dues, but they are also served with an employment life sentence, and that's just not fair," Andrews said.

A lifelong resident of Oak Park, Andrews, who has served on the village's Board of Health for six years, said he is happy to be setting up shop in the village.

Felony Franks, he added, is in the process of getting permits from the village, which has been helpful in getting the business up and running.

Contact:

Email: tim@oakpark.com