By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
February 19, 1995
Have you ever had one of those weeks when you just had too much to do but not enough time to get everything done? It was for just such times that the owners of Scatchell’s designed their strip mall in Cicero, which includes a pizzeria, car wash and laundromat.
Scatchell’s has been a Cicero staple since 1953 when Stubby and Eddie Scatchell opened the hot dog stand. In 1984, longtime customers Barry Reggi and Frank Levato bought the place from the cousins who wanted to retire from the business.
“Stubby was getting older, and we were friends of his and fans of Scatchell’s, so we bought the shop,” Reggi says. “Business was slow when we took over, and the stand was on its last leg. But we thought the stand still had a lot of potential. The neighborhood was getting better, and we had a base of regulars who loved the food.
“We noticed that business was brisk in the spring and summer but slow in the winter. So we tried to find something that would work in the winter, which is how we went into the car wash business. In January and February everyone wants to wash the salt off their cars. We figured if we could get them to line up for a car wash, they’d stop in to get a hot dog or two while they were waiting. So as land became available, we purchased the property around the stand and opened up a few things the neighborhood needed.”
Adjacent to Scatchell’s is Stubby’s Sparkle Car Wash, a do-it-yourself car wash open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For $1.50, customers get five minutes of rinse, soap, foam brush, pre-soak, engine cleaner, spot-free rinse, etc. A few doors down at 4720 Cermak (708-652-4030) sits the brightly lit Sparkle Laundry,
also open 24 hours a day. Loads range from $1.25 to $3 per wash. Bargain hunters take note: Between 3 and 7 a.m., it’s just 50 cents per load. (Reggi and Levato also rent space to other retailers, including a dry cleaner.)
“Our idea was that people could come and get their car washed or do a load of laundry and grab a bite to eat at Scatchell’s while they’re waiting,” Reggi says. “The idea worked.” “It’s really convenient for me to get my errands done on weekends,” said Patrice Boute, ordering hot dogs for her family. “I’ve got two little ones who have the attention span of gnats. So when they start getting antsy at the laundromat, I just bring them over here (to Scatchell’s) for some Italian ice or some other little snack.”
Recently the hot dog stand added pizza to its menu, which also includes Italian beef, but that’s about the only departure Scatchell’s has made since Stubby ran the place. The same cook – Charles Jackson – has worked there for the past 20 years. Each item ranges from $1 to $2. And as in the ’50s, Scatchell’s is a hot dog
stand – there’s no place for customers to sit and dine, although they’re welcome to lean at the counter and scarf down their meals.
“We’ve been around for a long time because we stick to one simple principle,” Reggi says. “If you want fresh bread, you go to the bakery. If you want day-old bread, you eat at home. We have to make sure it’s worth the trip for people to come and get a hot dog here. We take pride in that.”
