For over six decades, a small hot dog stand with old umbrellaed picnic tables outside has been a stalwart member of the Ashland Avenue landscape feeding several generations of regular customers, neighbors and passers by.
Mervyn Dukatte along with original partner Donald Marsalle started the Donald Duk’s Red Hots back in 1954. By ’57, they had four locations with three more on the way when Walt Disney Productions from California filed a trademark law suit against Donald and Duk. Eager to just get on with their business, Dukatte and Marsalle decided to shorten the name to Duk’s Red Hots. Sixty years later the flagship stand on Ashland remains today; and Vienna® Beef has chosen to pay homage to their loyalty and perseverance by inducting Duk’s Red Hots into the Vienna® Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame.
With manager, Carol Chavez running the show for the past ten years, Duk’s has continued to provide Vienna® Beef hot dogs, polish sausage, burgers and pickles; complimenting other menu creations and sandwiches to their large north side customer base. Carol and Duk’s have been involved in the Humble Heart program of feeding the homeless; while Merv has had continuous involvement with animal protection and sheltering programs.
Duk’s has quietly been one of Chicago’s ‘gold nugget’ great old hot dog stands doing their thing for over sixty three years and counting. It is with great admiration and pride that all of us at Vienna® say congratulations to Merv and Carol, and send best wishes for much continued success.
