Chicago Bears fans do not mess around when it comes to free hot dogs.
Bears fans got a double dose of delight last week as they watched their team upset the Philadelphia Eagles 24-15 on the road, then witnessed head coach Ben Johnson rip off his shirt for the sake of free hot dogs during the team’s locker room celebration.
Chicago-based institution “The Wieners Circle” had promised to serve free hot dogs to fans if Johnson ever took off his shirt after a win. The honorable establishment stayed true to its word on Tuesday, offering famished fans a free charred hot dog at its iconic location along N Clark St.
Despite sub-zero temperatures throughout the day, the line at Wieners Circle stretched around the block. Bears fans of all shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities all gathered together for the same purpose: scoring a free hot sausage on a bun during a freezing December day.
The line is longer than September @TheWienerCircle pic.twitter.com/VOLtrZqZBm
— Fitz🍀 (@CheapSeats411) December 2, 2025
Based on LBS’s unofficial count, there were 145 customers in line as seen in the video above. There were surely hundreds more to come.
Under normal circumstances, most would not wait in a hundred-person line for a hot dog priced at $6.71. The free treat literally costs less than the federal hourly minimum wage, and one could easily end up waiting for more than an hour.
Fans were willing to brave the cold for reasons that went beyond the hot dog. The wiener may have felt somewhat symbolic of the Bears’ success this season, with the hot dog being a celebratory cherry on top.
The 9-3 Bears enter Week 14 in a three-way tie for the best record in the NFC. The win over the defending Super Bowl champions felt like a major milestone for a franchise starved for success over the past two decades.
