Gary’s Koney King Keeps Serving Its Community Through Historic Power Outage

Gary’s Koney King Keeps Serving Its Community Through Historic Power Outage

When a powerful derecho knocked out electricity across Northwest Indiana, many businesses had no choice but to close. Gary’s Koney King took a different approach: owner Jimmy Hendricks bought a generator, kept his doors open and turned the century-old restaurant into a place where neighbors could eat, gather and charge their phones.

A Small Business Adapts Under Pressure

The Aug. 11 storm brought destructive winds to Gary and surrounding communities, leaving widespread damage and extended power outages. NIPSCO reported that the storm produced hundreds of thousands of customer outages across its service territory, making it one of the most significant restoration events in the utility’s history. Gary was among the hardest-hit communities.

As the outage continued into a second week, Hendricks spent about $1,300 on a generator and managed the daily challenge of keeping refrigerators and freezers at safe temperatures. He also made repeated trips to get gasoline, sometimes filling cans during the overnight hours because daytime lines at area gas stations were so long.

The work was stressful, but Koney King remained open during its normal business hours. Hendricks credited his employees for showing up even while many of them were dealing with power loss at home.

More Than a Hot Dog Stand

Koney King’s role during the blackout reflects the importance of small businesses during a local emergency. The Gary restaurant serves hot dogs and burgers, but during the outage it also offered customers a reliable indoor stop when options were limited. Some visitors came to eat, spend time with others or recharge a phone. Hendricks said the restaurant also provided food to people who could not afford to buy a meal.

That community focus helped produce a slight increase in sales during the outage, even as operating the business required extra fuel, careful inventory management and constant attention to food safety. Koney King regained electrical service roughly a week after the storm, but many nearby residents were still waiting for their power to return.

A Gary Landmark Gets a Wider Spotlight

Koney King has been part of Gary’s story for more than 100 years. The restaurant also gained national attention this year after appearing in “Gary,” a standalone episode of FX’s The Bear that follows characters Richie and Mikey on a trip through the city. The episode introduced a new audience to the neighborhood institution while highlighting the character of Gary itself.

For Hendricks, the latest chapter is less about television exposure and more about helping people get through a difficult week. His response shows how local businesses can become anchors during a crisis—not because conditions are easy, but because owners choose to adapt and keep serving.

As Northwest Indiana continues recovering from the derecho, Koney King’s story offers a timely reminder that resilience is often visible at the neighborhood level, one open storefront at a time.

Sources: Business Insider; NIPSCO outage information; Chicago Sun-Times reporting on Koney King and The Bear.