Warren interviews a local third-generation restauranteur, Ed Hebson,34.

Since Hackney's opened in 1939 on Harms Road in Glenview, the restaurant has expanded to five suburban locations. The first city Hackney's will open in April at 733 S. Dearborn St.

Inc.--Isn't this kind of a reverse commute for the restaurant business? Don't restaurants start in a city neighborhood and follow the clientele to the suburbs?

A--I don't know about that. But those of us in the third generation started thinking that we weren't getting any younger, so we were looking to start a new place. I'll be running this one with my brother, Jim.

Inc.--So is this a matter of following those North Shore empty nesters who move back to the city?

A--Not exactly. We just thought we've saturated the North Shore a little bit and we've always wanted to do something in the city, and this location in the Printers' Row area is a little more established, with the demographics we were looking for.

Inc--Such as?

A--It's real residential. We wanted it to be a real neighborhood kind of a place. We're not looking for the Lincoln Park kind of younger 20s to 30s--though we'd be glad to have them--but more like 30s to 50s to 60s.

Inc.--You're still going to serve those hamburgers? The ones one restaurant guide called a "cardiologist's nightmare"? And those bricks of onion rings? Tell me those will stay on the menu!

A--Absolutely. But we can't get people to eat hamburgers seven days a week. We'll try to be a little more contemporary, with specialties like pasta and fish.

Inc.--One more thing. Where did the name Hackney's come from anyhow?

A--My mom had a great-uncle whose last name was Hackney. He started it all.

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