Hot Doug's

Foie gras controversy

In 2006, Hot Doug's garnered media attention when it continued to serve various foie gras-based sausages and condiments following the banning of foie gras by the city of Chicago. The ban had been proposed by Alderman Joe Moore, inspired by Chicago chef Charlie Trotter's announcement that he had stopped serving foie gras on animal-cruelty grounds. Sohn flagrantly flouted the law by developing a "celebrity" dog made with foie gras, naming it after Moore and selling the "Joe Moore" during the ban. Sohn, the owner of Hot Doug's, was eventually fined $250 and 30 pounds of foie gras were confiscated from the restaurant. While Sohn may not have entered the argument to drum up sales, the restaurant did benefit from the controversy as it served as free publicity. Sohn was the first in the city to be fined, though a city spokesman stated that enforcement of the ordinance was "one of our lowest priorities". The ban was repealed in May 2008 and the foie gras items were brought back into the restaurant's rotating menu lineup. Hot Doug's specialty duck fat fries weren't affected by the ban.