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 JoeysnnI like hot dogs as much as anyone however so I decided to give it a trynnThey 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 friesnnThe hot dog with all its various chicagostyle toppings was quite tasty no ketchup needed and I could definitely imagine eating there againnnUnfortunately 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 notnn The parking spots are awkward When you enter the lot you are naturally drawn to park in front of the Wildflower restaurant while the RumbisJoeys restaurant feels outoftheway 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 is not that big of a deal It is definitely something I noticed thoughnn The dining room area is WAY TOO BIG and EMPTY Hotdog joints simply should not have twenty empty tables It does not 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 is 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 togo For an example of successful holeinthewall restaurants that use this technique take a look at either Mamma Mias pizza or Chicago Hamburger Co just down the street They are cramped but always appear to be bustlingnnEdited on nSure enough It looks like Joeys has closed Unfortunately it appears that my predictions were true