Jim’s Original, a beloved institution in Chicago, is set to bring its iconic street food to Orange County. Site work is underway for a new location at 214 N Tustin St. in Orange, according to a post from the brand.
The 1,800-square-foot restaurant will feature a drive-through and a dine-in area, owner Jim Christopoulos told What Now OC. It will serve beer and wine and employ about a dozen people. He anticipates that construction will wrap up in the summer, and it could open by late summer or the fall.
This will be the first in the state for the brand, which has two outposts in the Windy City and has been a staple there for over 85 years. The restaurant will offer its own house-made sausages and hot dogs, shipped directly from Chicago to ensure authenticity.
“We’re going to do the same menu as in Chicago, but we’re going to add some California modifications. A couple salads, and Italian beef, and stuff like that,” he explained.
The company was started by Christopoulos’s grandfather, an immigrant from Macedonia who emigrated to the US in 1939. According to the Jim’s Original website, he started out with $7 and built the business from a stand into the operation it is today.
