[wickedestcity]

i was driving around chicago the other day just for the sake of roaming the city(like i so frequently do) i noticed that chicago has many of the very succesfull mom and pop type of shops/businesses . the kind that expanded into 2-3 other store fronts or opened only a few more locations. the kind of businesses that have been around for a long time and established their name in chicago as part of chicago culture (to chiagoans at least).business that have in some ways been considered landmarks. places like;

-Jade Dragon Tatto
-Fantasy headquarters Costumes
- Waveland bowling
-Admiral Theater
-The Alley
-Harlem Furniture

so what other places can you think of??

 

[Rivernorth]

Maybe not famous for thier storefronts, but Empire Carpet and Luna Mattresses have catchy commercials that pretty much any Chicagoan can recite outloud

800-588-2300 EMPIRE

773-202-LUNA

 

[JB_Gold Coast]

Maybe not famous for thier storefronts, but Empire Carpet and Luna Mattresses have catchy commercials that pretty much any Chicagoan can recite outloud

800-588-2300 EMPIRE

773-202-LUNA

Yep....and I STILL can't get this one out of my head: "Save big money at MENAAAAAARRRRDS!!!"

 

[Latoso]

^I always save more money at Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet! Although I don't think that one exists anymore. Some other good ones:

Harold's Chicken Shack
JJ's Fish and Chicken
Brown's Chicken
Portillo's
Billy Goat
Jewel
Dominick's
Supermercados El Güero
Los Comales
Atotonilco
El Famous Burrito
Maxwell Street
The Weiners Circle
Demon Dogs

I could go on and on, but suddenly I'm hungry! :eat:

 

[NWside]

Victory Auto Wreckers!
Aronson "Home of the Credit Connection"
Moo and Oink.

 

[wickedestcity]

i forgot about Wolfys

 

[wickedestcity]

see places like jewel and dominics are far to corpratized already. those are chicago businesses but thats not the kind of place im talking about. im talking about manly places with only one very well known location type of place that has almost landmark statuse in in the eyes of chicagoans.(not realy officaly landmark but you know what i mean)

 

[DeMaFrost]

Call 866-4FELDCO

 

[ChicagoLover]

Torco auto dealers. Is their large sign still on top of one of the "cliff" buildings along Michigan? And Jay's potato chips. Peapod online grocery, although they are in a few other metros as well (yet based in Skokie all the same).

 

[JB_Gold Coast]

Victory Auto Wreckers!
Aronson "Home of the Credit Connection"
Moo and Oink.

I think it is hilarious that Victory Auto Wreckers is still using the same commercial they used in 1992 when I was in 7th grade.

The one that starts out with a guy trying to open his door but ends up pulling the whole damn thing off. Then you hear the voiceover: "That old car is worth money!"

The commercial concludes with the guy from Victory handing the dude $60 for his car and towing it away, LOL!

 

[Kevin J]

^JB: The Tribune recently did a story about that Victory Auto Wreckers commercial, and more specifically about the guy who appears in it. The commercial actually dates back to the early 80s and the guy worked for Victory at the time. He says he still gets recognized from the commercial all the time, even though he's in his 50s now. And, of course, he gets mocked relentlessly for the whole metal-lite look he was sporting in the ad.

The guy also said that the door falling off the car wasn't planned. It just happened, and he really had to jump to avoid having it fall on his foot.

 

[wickedestcity]

Z Frank Chevrolet Cars and Trucks

 

[JB_Gold Coast]

^JB: The Tribune recently did a story about that Victory Auto Wreckers commercial, and more specifically about the guy who appears in it. The commercial actually dates back to the early 80s and the guy worked for Victory at the time. He says he still gets recognized from the commercial all the time, even though he's in his 50s now. And, of course, he gets mocked relentlessly for the whole metal-lite look he was sporting in the ad.

The guy also said that the door falling off the car wasn't planned. It just happened, and he really had to jump to avoid having it fall on his foot.

UNBELIEVABLE! Any chance you can find that article? That commercial STILL gets air time.

 

[Kevin J]

UNBELIEVABLE! Any chance you can find that article? That commercial STILL gets air time.

I found it by googling. Turns out it was actually published in the Sun Times, not the Tribune. Just google "victory auto wreckers commercial."

 

[JB_Gold Coast]

I found it by googling. Turns out it was actually published in the Sun Times, not the Tribune. Just google "victory auto wreckers commercial."

I found this by googling:

http://www.bintgoddess.com/2003_08_01_bintlogarchive.html

Pretty funny little rundown of some Chicagoland classics.

Another one that haunts me: Bob ROOOAAARRRMAN's auto dealership commercials.

 

[Steely Dan]

and who can forget the infamous "eagle man" commercials.

"i've got something for you"


but yeah, that victory auto-wreckers commercial is probably the greatest chicago TV commercial of all time. it's been a part of TV landscape for my entire life, and it never seems to go away. they've been riding that shit for damn near 25 years now, christ.


as for a one of a kind chicago place that is a true local landmark, you can't forget Superdawg on milwaukee:

 

[Suburbanite]

^I always save more money at Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet! Although I don't think that one exists anymore. Some other good ones:

Harold's Chicken Shack
JJ's Fish and Chicken
Brown's Chicken
Portillo's
Billy Goat
Jewel
Dominick's
Supermercados El Güero
Los Comales
Atotonilco
El Famous Burrito
Maxwell Street
The Weiners Circle
Demon Dogs

I could go on and on, but suddenly I'm hungry! :eat:

Don't forget Church's Chicken. Only ate there once, a bit greasy but not bad.

 

[wickedestcity]

Ray's Music Exchange.............

 

[expat_marla]

living overseas, the first (and i mean FIRST) stop I make upon each and every return to Chicago is SUPERDAWG! Nothing even remotely close to it in Sydney.

Another one for me is Al's Italian Beef

 

[Minneapolis612]

you cant really say menards and empire carpet because those are in more then 1 state in the midwest