FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

We receive a lot of e-mail and get asked many questions. Some of the questions are similar and many are based on assumptions about what Hot Dog Chicago Style is all about. We put together this FAQ to answer the commonly asked questions and to dispell some of the misconceptions. We enjoy receiving your e-mails and have come to realize, despite what your teachers told you, that there is such a thing as a "stupid question".

Q: A:	Is Hot Dog Chicago Style a real business? No. We created the website to share our passion about Chicago Dogs. Sure, it would be great if we could turn this into a multi-million dollar business, but that seems unlikely. Our best bet is to sell the movie rights or sign a book deal.
Q: A:	Are you college students? No. Although we live in Madison, WI (home to the University of Wisconsin), we are not students. We have real jobs as Quality Assurance Engineers at a medical device company.
Q: A:	Do you have any local retail stores in my area? In a perfect world, the first FAQ should have adequately answered the question. Just in case our earlier answer was not clear, we will say it again...Hot Dog Chicago Style is NOT a business.
Q: A:	How can I order your products? Since we are not a business, you cannot order anything from us. We receive many e-mail inqueries about purchasing our hot dogs, buns and related condiments. I guess if we had products to sell, we would be well on our way to creating our hot dog empire. Hey, if any companies out there want to pay us $$ to private label their products under the "Hot Dog Chicago Style" brand, please let us know.
Q: A:	Has Oprah called yet? No. Oprah Winfrey has not called, and we have no reason to believe that she will...especially since it took many years for Oprah and David Letterman to hookup.
Q: A:	Where can I buy poppy seed buns? That depends on where you live. If you live in Madison, you can find great poppy seed buns at Woodmans (they also have everything else you'll need to make a Chicago dog). If you live in the Chicago area, just about any grocery store stocks poppy seed buns (including S. Rosen Mary Ann buns). If all else fails, talk to the bakery at your local grocery store. Most bakeries will be happy to add poppy seed on their buns. You may have to order a couple of days in advance.
Q: A:	Why haven't you reviewed all of the classic dog joints in Chicago? Remember, we don't live in Chicago. If we lived down there, we would certainly have the luxury of reviewing more places. Whenever we make it to Chicago, we try to do a review. We also take a road trip south every spring to do some reviews. So far, our personal best is 14 reviews in one day.
Q: A:	What exactly is a Sport Pepper? A "sport pepper" is actually a pickled Serrano pepper. The quality and heat vary considerably so we'd recommend staying away from any canned Serrano's you may find in the Tex-Mex section of the grocery store. Most Italian Deli's carry sport peppers.
Q: A:	How can I advertise on your website? You can't. Sorry, but we do not accept advertising. Although HotDogChicagoStyle.com receives thousands of hits per month and could easily profit from selling advertising, we are dedicated to keeping the site ad free. In-your-face advertising is a great way to lose visitors.
Q: A:	Is it possible to buy into your franchise? Huh? What franchise? I guess if you would like to send us $10,000, we would be happy to give you absolutely nothing in return except a Hot Dog Chicago Style T-Shirt as our way of saying "Thank You".
Q: A:	Can you help us with a hot dog costume? For some reason, hot dog costume related questions seem to be popular. No, we don't have a hot dog costume you can borrow and no, we will not help you make one! In our opinion, dressing up like a hot dog when it's not Halloween is wrong on so many levels.