Jim's Original, famous for its Maxwell Street sausages and hot dogs, is relocating to Pilsen to make space for UIC redevelopment

Jim's Original, known for its Polish sausages and hot dogs near Maxwell Street, is moving from its flagship location in the city's Little Italy neighborhood to accommodate the University of Illinois Chicago's plans to redevelop the Union Avenue property.

The restaurant’s lease with UIC ended in September, but the owners negotiated a nine-month extension after the university notified Jim's Original that redevelopment plans are slated for the area.

In an email to the Tribune, UIC officials said the university accepted the restaurant's proposed alternative lease rates and terms and Jim's Original chose to leave at the end of its new lease, which ends June 2026.

"The university values its 20-year retail partnership with Jim's Original and wishes it continued success at the new nearby location," UIC officials said. "Long-term plans for the 1250 S. Union site have not been decided."

Because the area of the restaurant falls under UIC's eminent domain, the university can legally take the property for "public use."

Jim's Original first announced the relocation in an Instagram post last week.

Jim Christopoulos, co-owner and operator of Jim's Original, told the Tribune on Monday that he's a bit apprehensive about reestablishing a customer base away from the location loved and frequented by so many, especially college students.

"We have history on Maxwell Street and in this area, so that part is tough," Christopoulos said. "But the new spot is under a mile south. It’s easy on and easy off … it’s just not as visible."

Christopoulos' grandfather's aunt and uncle operated the first iteration of the hot dog stand on the sidewalk in front of Leavitt's Delicatessen on Maxwell Street sometime between 1900 and 1905.

"(My grandfather) said that his uncle was friends with Leavitt and why Leavitt let his uncle be on the sidewalk right in front of their store," Christopoulos explained. "My grandfather bought the stand from his aunt in 1939 (after his uncle passed away)."

The original restaurant on Maxwell Street remained on the same corner until it moved in 2001 to Union Avenue. In 2005, it moved across the street to its current location.

Now in its third generation of ownership, Jim's Original has been feeding diners on or near Maxwell Street at all hours of the day for decades, though they had to tweak hours of operation at UIC's behest in 2021, Christopoulos said.

"UIC didn’t want everyone out there at night to keep it safe for students, and I think there were more problems past 1 o’clock or something … even though we’ve always had 24-hour security there," he said.

Ironically, back in the 1950s, the restaurant shifted to a 24-hour operation also because of crime, said Christopoulos, who recently stumbled upon a 1970 audio-recorded interview of his grandfather. In that tape, Christopoulos' grandfather is heard telling the interviewer that the restaurant suffered several break-ins overnight in the ‘50s, and therefore decided to stay open all night.

Christopoulos said he's excited to once again be open for 24 hours, seven days a week, at the new Pilsen location.

"We also have a parking lot and our building is bigger and it’ll be ours," he added. "It will be the first time Jim's Original has its own actual location that we're not renting."

In the meantime, Jim's Original has to vacate the UIC-owned space by June 30, even though he was hoping to renegotiate a lease to stay for several more years. Christopoulos said he's still trying to convince the university to let Jim's Original stay open on Union Avenue at least until the planned redevelopment begins.

Christopoulos said the East Pilsen location at 551 W. 18th Street will likely open sometime this fall.

Before that, however, he's hoping to unveil Jim’s Original in Southern California in a few weeks, serving the same menu with some California-specific items.

He admits the popularity of the Chicago-set culinary dramedy "The Bear" encouraged his ambitions to move West.

"I’m going to do an Italian beef (in California) because of ‘The Bear,'" he laughed. "People expect that now when they hear Chicago."

Jim's Original also has a location at 2775 N. Elston Ave. on the North Side.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 5:17 AM.