For more than a hundred years, Koney King has been one of Gary’s best-kept secrets, famous for its hot dogs, chili-dogs, hamburgers and more served behind a double horseshoe counter with old-school swivel stools.But after its brief cameo last week in a surprise episode of the FX smash-hit show “ The Bear,” the word is now out, and one of its workers has even become a minor celebrity.“A lot of people are coming in and saying we saw you on ‘The Bear’! A lot of people now want to come in and try us out,” said 44-year-old Elisha Evans, who’s worked at Koney King on Broadway for seven years and makes an appearance in the episode.In the special, standalone flashback episode entitled “Gary,” the character of Michael (Jon Bernthal), older brother to Chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and family friend Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), aka “Cousin,” travel to Gary to pick up a package.The episode shows Michael and Richie taking the Chicago Skyway, crossing over the city’s Southeast Side, onto the Indiana Toll Road where they exit at Broadway near Gary City Hall.To kill time in the “Magic City,” as Gary was once dubbed, Michael and Richie make a few pit stops including at the Koney King, a nondescript, one-story brick building, a few blocks from Indiana University Northwest. Elisha Evans (left) and Raven Hotchins at Gary’s Koney King Monday afternoon. Evans was featured in a surprise episode of FX’s “The Bear” that dropped May 5 entitled, “Gary.”Michael Puente/WBEZ In the short scene, Evans, a lifelong resident of Gary, is seen serving Richie.Evans said the scene was filmed more than a year ago and only took 20 minutes to shoot but required several hours of production set-up.“When they (Bernthal and Moss-Bachrach) came in here, they were really cool. I really enjoyed filming with them. They were really down to earth,” Evans said. “Everything went just so smooth. Nothing was scripted. We just sat there and had a normal conversation. They had a Koney Dog, a pizza puff and a chili-cheese burger.”In the episode, Michael and Richie also play a game of pickup basketball by Gary’s historic and now closed Roosevelt High School, and are seen stopping by a dive bar, and a house across the street of the boyhood home of Michael Jackson. Scene from “The Bear” special episode entitled “Gary,” shows characters Michael (Jon Bernthal, left) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bacharach) at the Koney King in Gary, Indiana.Courtesy of FX Combined with the release of the recent Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” Evans said it’s nice to see Gary get some positive exposure.“Instead of always something negative, or when you hear Gary, you just think of the bad,” Evans said. “I'm kind of glad that we have good things happening that's going to draw people. We’re not as bad as people think. … Come check us out for yourself.”Koney King owner James Hendricks purchased the business seven years ago and also owns the barbershop next door.“I grew up in this neighborhood. I came here as a child all the time. I had a real connection with the place just automatically. When the opportunity presented itself to buy it, it was an honor and pleasure to keep the legacy alive,” said the 50-year-old Hendricks, who is now the fourth generation to own the business that opened in 1920. Koney King owner James Hendricks said there has been a noticeable uptick in customers since the episode of “The Bear” dropped last week.Michael Puente/WBEZ He said the longevity of Koney King is what attracted the show’s producers.“The initial phone conversation was that they were looking for a place with some history, some nostalgia, some type of legacy. I guess that’s the direction that they were interested in going in,” Hendricks said. “Koney King fit the bill for the movement that they were trying to transition into.”Hendricks said business has always been solid but after the airing of the “Gary” episode, there’s been an increase in foot traffic.“There are people that have shown up that haven't been here in 30 years, and they find it open and they are surprised,” Hendricks said. “There’s an uptick. A lot of people are now able to experience what Koney King is. It was a great opportunity for Koney King to be exposed.” Elisha Evans speaks with customer Wayne Mahn of Hammond on Monday afternoon. Mahn arrived after hearing about “The Bear” episode and said he wanted to try their hot dogs.Michael Puente/WBEZ Wayne Mahn of Hammond arrived Monday to visit the shop after reading about “The Bear” episode.“I came to try the hot dogs. I like hot dogs,” Mahn said. If this place has been here for [106 years], I thought I’d have to try it.”Like Evans, Hendricks is happy to see his city shown in a different light.“Gary has always been a special place in the world. Gary has history and it’s on a comeback,” Hendricks said. He added that he would love for Michael and Richie to swing by the Koney King for seconds.“‘The Bear’ is always welcome here. I wouldn’t mind being part of another episode.” ...read more read less