Felony Franks won’t relocate to Evanston
BY BOB SEIDENBERG bseidenberg@pioneerlocal.com July 17, 2012 7:54PM
Felony Franks founder Jim Andrews (standing, right) tells Evanston 2nd Ward residents that the restaurant reaches out to ex-offenders, giving them jobs and helping them build productive lives. He says Evanston is one of the towns where the business is considering a relocation, after closing in Chicago five weeks ago. | Bob Seidenberg~Sun-Times Media
Updated: July 19, 2012 3:52AM
EVANSTON — Felony Franks owners will look elsewhere than Evanston to revive their controversially named restaurant after an official said community support hinges on the business changing its marketing program and name.
Larry Musgrave, operational manager for Felony Franks, said Tuesday that Evanston 2nd Ward Alderman Peter Braithwaite made the request the day after a stormy ward meeting July 12 in which Braithwaite invited the business owners to talk about the possibility of locating in his ward, in the Dempster-Dodge area.
At the meeting, some residents voiced outrage over the possibility of the restaurant locating in Evanston, suggesting the area’s demographics were at play in steering the owners to the 2nd Ward. The eatery lists such dishes as “Custody Dog” and “Chain Gang Chili” as menu items.
“As a resident I’m kind of offended,” Jesse Williamson told Felony Franks owners and officials, reacting to the proposal. “You’re going to come to my ward and sell hot dogs after something” with jail connotations, he said. “We have a big enough problem with youth walking around with clothes half down.”
Following the meeting, Felony Franks owner Jim Andrews called Braithwaite, Musgrave said Tuesday, and “Peter said unless we change our name they can’t let us in.”
Braithwaite confirmed Monday that he had contacted a restaurant representative after the meeting and reiterated his concern about the restaurant’s name and marketing approach, as he had also done at last week’s ward meeting.
He said his name-change suggestion was presented as an option, though, rather than a flat-out condition.
For the business “to have the support of residents and myself, we wanted to see a change in the name and marketing,” he said.
Braithwaite said the business’s work with ex-offenders is what drew him to the proposal and led him to invite them to present their proposal at the community gathering.
“My concern is the population they’re trying to assist,” the alderman said. “It’s just a little bit stigmatizing.”
Under the Felony Franks model, the restaurant hires ex-offenders and also puts them through a six-month culinary training program leading to certification, said Musgrave.
He said the goal of the training is to ready employees for a job in the restaurant field or some other business.
In addition, the business offers legal services, helping ex-offenders obtain a certificate of rehabilitation, different from expungement, “that says you have been rehabilitated as a matter of law,” said attorney Jack Coladarci, assisting the business.
Musgrave said the reason Felony Franks representatives don’t want to change the name of the restaurant is that it is central to the business’s theme — which paradoxically seeks to draw attention to the ex-offender.
“The ex-offender usually sneaks around and wants to hide from his felony,” he said, “because when you go to get a job you have to lie. We are the opposite: Tell them you have a felony, tell them you have messed up but you got your life together.”
The menu, in a lighter way, highlights those themes.
In contrast to officials’ statements, which were hazy, Musgrave said Andrews and team were led specifically to consider a 2nd Ward site.
Musgrave said Felony Franks representatives met for coffee with city Economic Development Coordinator Paul Zalmezak after the city first contacted them. At the meeting, he said Zalmezak showed the group around downtown. Musgrave said Zalmezak also gave them a tax increment financing district map, suggesting they might want to check out Evanston Plaza. Zalmezak could not be reached Tuesday for his version.
“That’s how we got there,” he said. In addition, the group was interested in assistance that might be available in the newly declared TIF district.
Since the meeting with the city, Musgrave said Felony Franks has been contacted by an official from at least one far northern suburb, expressing interest in the business. He maintained that he also has been contacted by Chicago, indicating that the business may move back into the city, where it closed five weeks ago in a long-running sign dispute.
“We’re going to keep on going,” he said. “Evanston is a beautiful city, but it’s just the same as most other cities. They’re asleep and they don’t want to open their eyes and confront a real problem, which is crime, especially among the 18- to 30-(year-old) group.”
He believes once the first Felony Franks is open, they’ll be plenty more.
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