After four decades of slinging sandwiches along Route 12, Red Dogs Sandwiches in Richmond is heading into its final weekend. The roadside staple will close on Sunday, June 28, 2026, as owner Pat Heuer retires and the familiar building gets a full makeover to become a Culver’s restaurant. For regulars who came not just for the food but for Sunday live music, it is the end of a very local era.
Heuer, 63, confirmed his retirement plans and the closure date in an interview with the Northwest Herald. He said the call from Culver’s about the property came out of the blue and noted that the Heuer family has been in the Illinois restaurant business for roughly 90 years, according to the paper.
Culver's sign plan cleared by village
According to the Village of Richmond board minutes, village trustees voted on May 21 to approve the Community Development Committee’s recommendation on sign variances for a Culver’s at 11011 US Route 12. As part of that approval, the permanent ground sign for the new restaurant is capped at a maximum height of 19 feet.
The Northwest Herald reports that Culver’s expects to be operating at the site “by next spring,” and that Village President Toni Wardanian said the village did not recruit the chain. The paper also notes that the Sunday-afternoon blues jams that have been a fixture at Red Dogs for about 15 years will temporarily shift to the patio at Doyle’s Pub while the property is redeveloped.
Where the bands will play
Doyle’s Pub, at 5604 Mill St., appears in the Village of Richmond’s dining directory as a longtime local hangout with outdoor seating and a track record of live music. Musicians told the paper they hope moving the blues jam there will keep the weekly tradition alive while construction plans for the Culver’s move forward.
For customers and staff, the transition brings a mix of nostalgia and pragmatism: a long-planned retirement for Heuer, the loss of a neighborhood gathering spot, and the arrival of a national chain promising fresh investment in the property. Regulars say they plan to show up for Red Dogs’ final weekend on June 28, and Heuer has publicly thanked patrons for their years of support in local interviews.
