Business & Tech
War Between Food Trucks and Businesses Waning, Officials Say
Even with City Council's new food truck zones and regulations, your favorite street-side snacks aren't going anywhere. We touched base with area officials who discussed the pros and cons of the trucks and how they're perceived throughout the city.
By Dani Chung
The food truck craze has grown substantially during the past few years, quickly becoming one of the most popular ways of getting lunch throughout the city and much of downtown.
These vehicles serve anything from Indian curry to classic cupcakes to burgers, and while grub is typically affordable, they bring a lot of new concerns and regulations.
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Most concerns stem from local brick-and-mortar business owners who must pay to maintain their storefronts. As a result, Chicago aldermen passed a regulation requiring the mobile eateries to stay 200 feet away from a restaurant's doors.
Now, officials from local business organization say tension is dissipating with the creation of specific food truck safe spots. The new City Council ordinance allows food trucks to park in areas like that where it is more difficult to follow the 200-feet boundary regulation.
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But in Lincoln Square and Ravenswood, that animosity doesn't exist because of the lower density of mobile eateries. A Twitter account dedicated to tracking food trucks in the neighborhood last reported one on July 25.
"There's less need for these designated safe zones in (Ravenswood and Lincoln Square) because food trucks can easily navigate this neighborhood," said Rudy Flores, executive director of the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce. "It's not that businesses are fighting the zones or oppose them."
The same goes for the Bucktown and Wicker Park communities, where many restaurants don't feel the need to fight against food trucks.
Adam Burck, executive director of the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, echoed Flores' sentiments, saying, "Businesses don't really experience tension with food trucks in this area."
Nearby, however, businesses and the Chamber of Commerce in East Lakeview successfully stopped a food truck location from being approved last year, while 21 other locations made the cut by the Chicago City Council.
What do you think about food trucks in the neighborhood? Tell us in the comments!
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