“Maurie and Flaurie — the 300-pound hot dog statues that have dutifully watched over Milwaukee Avenue for seven decades — are back.
“Superdawg owner Scott Berman watched carefully as the 11-1/2-foot-tall Flaurie figurine was lowered onto the iconic hot dog stand’s roof Wednesday morning.
“After spending 10 weeks at a ‘SuperSpa,’ Berman said it was good to see Flaurie and her better half back atop the drive-in restaurant at 6363 N. Milwaukee Ave.
“‘We wanted them to look exactly like they’ve looked for 76 years,’ he said.
“Scott Berman owns the Norwood Park hot dog joint with his sister Lisa Drucker and her husband, Don Drucker. The statues are named after Berman and Drucker’s parents, Maurie and Flaurie Berman, the original Superdawg owners.
“The statues were created in 1948, when Superdawg first opened. The Maurie figurine stands with his arms flexed clad in an animal print toga, while Flaurie stares up at him adoringly, wearing a sky-blue skirt and bow. Scott Berman said his dad wanted to portray ‘a heroic man and his loving mate.’
“The couple, both from Albany Park, met and fell in love as freshmen at Von Steuben High School, Scott Berman said.
“After Maurie Berman returned from World War II, the couple rented a plot of land in Norwood Park and built Superdawg. They planned to work at the restaurant in the summer to help pay for their tuition at Northwestern University, where Maurie Berman studied accounting and Flaurie Berman studied teaching. The shop closed every winter and the hot dog statues went into storage, Scott Berman said.
“By the time the Bermans graduated in the early 1950s, the couple decided running Superdawg was ‘more fun,’ so they dedicated themselves to the business full-time, Scott Berman said.” (DeVore, Block Club Chicago, 11/14/24)