"Congrats, everybody, you got free hot dogs."
That's a statement quarterback Caleb Williams likely never anticipated uttering, let alone in a postgame press conference after helping earn the Bears their first win of the season.
But one tweet sent out by Ari Levy — owner of Chicago's infamous hot dog stand, The Wieners Circle — and four Williams touchdown passes later, thousands of Chicagoans made their way to Clark Street Tuesday afternoon for a free lunch, meet-and-greets with Staley Da Bear and Williams' English bulldog, Supa, and plenty of "Let's go, Bears!" chants.
"We love doing collaborations and we're huge Bears fans," Emma Kreis, Wieners Circle operations manager said. "So, we're just so happy that the Bears responded in kind. We're just really excited to inspire Chicago as far as being Bears fans, just leading the charge this season."
The story of The Wieners Circle providing fans with free hot dogs on Tuesday began on Friday when Levy sent a post out on X.
The throwaway tweet, however, turned to a legitimate possibility early during the Bears' Sunday afternoon matchup against the Cowboys after Williams threw two touchdowns in the first quarter. After the first score, Levy was already fielding calls from locals, who were asking: "Hey, is this gonna happen?"
"I was excited," Levy said. "I was hoping that he achieved it. He got two touchdowns in the first quarter, so then I tweeted, 'halfway there.' I just couldn't believe how much attention this whole thing has gotten.
"I mean, I know people are Bears fans, but people are waiting an hour just to get one hot dog. I can't believe that."
Well, Levy had to believe it, because by 7 a.m., when the first Wieners Circle employee arrived to receive the extra delivery for the day, customers were already beginning to take their place in line.
By 11 a.m. when doors opened and the smell of charred Chicago dogs permeated the air, a line full of Bears fans and Chicagoans wrapped around the block — each person patiently waiting for a free hot dog and a chance to be part of the type of event that make the city's culture so special.
"This is great, especially rallying behind a young team, a new coach," Les Bautista, diehard Bears fan and Wieners Circle customer, said. "They need to see this, they need to feel the support from us, and that's just gonna make them make them better."
Bautista, who donned a white No. 18 Williams jersey, arrived around 11:30 a.m. following the initial surge of business, and waited nearly 30 minutes for his hot dog. A Chicago native and Wrigleyville resident, Bautista traveled down Clark Street because he "wanted to come and support Chicago" and "celebrate the Bears." His cherry on top was meeting Staley and Supa.
Mary Lou Pustelnik and her granddaughters, Allison and Emily, hopped in line at 10 a.m. and waited over an hour. They were prepared, however, as Allison and Emily brought a lawn chair for their grandma — a 32-year Bears Season Ticket Holder who celebrated her 81st birthday at Soldier Field Sunday.
"This is for the Bears," Mary Lou said. "When Caleb performed Sunday, we were thrilled. Absolutely thrilled, and we wouldn't think of not being here. This is Chicago, and this is the Bears, Caleb, Ben Johnson, and all of them.
"And it's so good to be with other Chicago Bear fans. This feeling is special."
Born and raised on the city's southwest side, Mary Lou has bled navy and orange for as long as she can remember. She takes pride in all 12 of her grandchildren following in her footsteps.
"They've been going to games since they were little," Mary Lou said of Allison and Emily. "To them and to all of us, Soldier Field feels like home. I mean, you're there all the time, and these girls have got such a reputation with all the people around, because they would be all dolled up in all their Bears stuff. And they still do, as you can tell."
Even after waiting in line, most customers, including Bautista and the Pustelniks, hung around well after finishing their lunch to enjoy the company and camaraderie of fellow Bears fans.
Watching the city rally behind Williams and the Bears following their first win of the season was a special sight for the entire organization.
"Bears fandom in Chicago runs incredibly deep—it's woven into the fabric of our neighborhoods and communities," Sarah Smith, vice president of fan development and brand marketing, said. "That's why it's so important to the club to show up hyper locally, meeting our fans where they are and celebrating alongside them. Today was a great example of how those local authentic connections are at the heart of who we are as a team and as a brand."
Even at 2 p.m., when Staley Da Bear arrived, the line hadn't let up. To provide some support, Staley squeezed into the crowded kitchen to help throw some hot dogs on the grill and hand them out to customers.
Staley hung around after his shift to energize the crowd, hand out some Bears swag and spend time with Supa — who took hundreds of photos with fans while rocking his own No. 18 jersey.
The Wieners Circle confirmed they gave out exactly 2,000 free hot dogs Tuesday, thanks to the stand's stacked crew of 10 cooks and cashiers — a few of whom wanted to hold Supa for ransom.
For Levy, pulling off an event like Tuesday's was a pride-filled accomplishment for his business as well as the city of Chicago. He extended his gratitude to the Bears for supporting him along with Williams for, well, throwing those four touchdown passes.
"The fact that the Bears were interested in collaborating was super exciting," Levy said. "The fact that Caleb mentioned it in his postgame press conference was my favorite part of the whole thing. I couldn't believe it, like how does he even know about this? Why does he care about this?
"He's really ingratiating himself as, hopefully, a Chicago legend."
