text: I went to Joeys of Chicago, expecting to find the Rumbi Island Grill restaurant (which was the previous tenant, but apparently went out of business and was replaced by Joeys).\n\nI like hot dogs as much as anyone, however, so I decided to give it a try.\n\nThey did a decent job of plastering the place with Chicago memorabilia and I enjoyed reading the various facts about Chicago that were on my tray paper as I ate my hot dog and fries.\n\nThe hot dog with all its various chicago-style toppings was quite tasty (no ketchup needed!), and I could definitely imagine eating there again.\n\nUnfortunately, this particular restaurant location suffers from two potentially fatal flaws. These are flaws that I personally believe caused Rumbis to fail, and might possibly be a problem for Joeys as well (but hopefully not):\n\n1. The parking spots are awkward. When you enter the lot, you are naturally drawn to park in front of the Wildflower restaurant, while the Rumbis/Joeys restaurant feels \"out-of-the-way\". During busy times, finding a parking spot in this complex is practically impossible, but the other restaurants seem to be doing ok, so maybe this isn't that big of a deal. It's definitely something I noticed, though.\n\n2. The dining room area is WAY TOO BIG and EMPTY. Hotdog joints simply shouldn't have twenty empty tables. It doesn't feel cozy or authentic (which is practically a requirement for a thematic restaurant like this). Instead, it feels empty, lonely, sterile, and deserted, and that's even when there are people there! The previous Rumbis restaurant there had the exact same problem (it even looks like Joeys kept almost all of the same furniture). Having a cramped dining area that only holds a couple of people has an interesting effect: It makes the place look popular even when only a few people are there. This effect is amplified when the restaurant is actually busy and people are forced to order items \"to-go\". For an example of successful hole-in-the-wall restaurants that use this technique, take a look at either Mamma Mia's pizza or Chicago Hamburger Co. just down the street. They're cramped, but always appear to be bustling.\n\nEdited on 02/12/2012:\nSure enough. It looks like Joeys has closed. Unfortunately, it appears that my predictions were true. :-(