Vegan Filmmaker Kevin Smith Bringing His Fast Food Pop-Up to Chicago

Clerks and Mallrats filmmaker Kevin Smith is bringing his fictional fast-food chain Mooby’s to Chicago this month at an as-yet undisclosed date and location, according to a rep. It’s from the team behind Chicago’s hugely popular ‘90s pop-up Saved by the Max, along with other pop-culture events like Good Burger and the Breaking Bad Experience. Smith announced the Chicago debut Monday morning on social media with a special Chicago Bulls-style version of Mooby’s “fast-food-foisting Golden Calf.”

Mooby’s pokes fun at fast-food companies like McDonald’s and Burger King. The week-long socially-distanced event will feature a menu of Mooby’s offerings like the “Cow Tipper,” the “Cocksmoker,” and “Hater Totz,” with vegan versions available too. Smith’s veganism, a response to a serious heart attack, is well known to fans: in 2018, he paid a Chicago supporter $200 to bring him an order from vegetarian fast-food chain Veggie Grill to O’Hare International Airport.

Mooby’s began as a delivery-only pop-up due to the pandemic when it launched in Los Angeles this spring, but was reconfigured for an in-person event for Smith’s hometown of Red Bank, New Jersey. Chicagoans will also have access to a more complete experience, with Instagram-worthy moments from Smith’s films, along with a merch store. Sign up for pop-up updates on the Mooby’s website. Smith and co-star Jason Mewes will also appear at “Jay and Silent Bob Get Old,” a masked live podcast event in suburban McHenry, Illinois, on November 1.

And in other news...

— Goose Island’s Proprietor’s Day, a one-day festival devoted to the company’s Bourbon County Brand Stouts (and typically held at the brewery’s Fulton Market facility) will now be held over multiple days using the nearby United Center for drive-thru pickup, according to the Tribune. This year, fans can enter a lottery that runs from noon Tuesday to midnight Monday, October 12, and randomly chosen winners can pick up four beers and a snifter ($130) by car at the United Center in November. Offerings will include Proprietor’s Bourbon County Stout and Bourbon County Stout Special No. 4, plus an exclusive barrel-aged stout that will be announced on November 27. More details are available on the Goose Island website.

— A 34-year-old man is charged with felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon after he was arrested Friday, October 2 following a dispute about a lack of biscuits and gravy at all-night diner Tempo Cafe in River North, according to CWB Chicago. The incident began around 7 a.m. on Friday as the man allegedly demanded biscuits and gravy and became belligerent when staff informed him the diner doesn’t serve it. Police were called, but when a restaurant worker allegedly saw the a handgun in the man’s pocket, he was asked to leave. Officers found the man about a block away and, according to a report, discovered a loaded handgun in his pocket during a search. Bail was set at $5,000 on Saturday, the man posted a $500 deposit bond and went home that evening. In August, Gov. J.B. Pritzker — a restaurant workers shared stories of abuse directed at them by customers over social distance requirements — made it automatic aggravated battery to attack a restaurant worker.

— Chicago’s music venues are struggling during the pandemic as indoor concerts are forbidden due to the coronavirus. Starting Monday, operators can apply for up to $10,000 from the city’s Performing Arts Venue Relief Program, according to Block Club Chicago. Applicants can be for- or non-profit institutions, and must hold a Public Place of Amusement or Music and Dance license. The city will distribute grants to 120 venues using a lottery system, and applications are due by October 23. More details and applications are available online.