How to Open a Food Business in a Truck in Chicago
Chicagoans are anything but boring when it comes to eating venues. The city hosts bistros, cafes, diners and eateries representing nearly every ethnic group on the planet. Add food wagons to the list? Not so fast. The craze that's sweeping the country has landed with a thud in the Windy City due to stringent food-preparation laws. Proceed with caution as you try to take your mobile eatery from dream to reality, but be of good cheer: Your food truck may become part of a fleet that turns Chicago's restrictive laws upside down like a well-flipped pancake.
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Things You'll Need
- Licenses and permits
- Sink
- Range
- Hood exhaust
- Refrigerator
- Freezer
- Countertops/cabinets
- Menu
Instructions
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Devote yourself to receiving the best culinary education you can afford by attending one of Chicago's premier cooking schools, running the gamut from Kendall College to the Culinary Institute of America. Learn all aspects of food preparation so you're in a position to prepare unique dishes that will set your food truck apart from the competition.
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Study Chicago's municipal codes to stay apprised of ordinances in place and continually being put before the Cook County Board to change Chicago's food truck laws from "distribution only" to on-site food preparation. Review news stories (see Resources) to understand the battle that licensed food-truck owners are waging so you know the kind of stew you may be getting yourself into.
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Purchase a truck that's retrofitted with kitchen equipment or take a page from the owner of Chicago's "All Fired Up" (see Resources), who outfitted a huge fire truck with a "three-compartment sink, a range, hood exhaust, fryer, refrigerator and freezer." Rent licensed, commercial kitchen space to do the actual food preparation.
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Obtain Illinois, Cook County and City of Chicago licenses and permits required to operate all mobile businesses; these licenses and permits include a vehicle sticker, food service operator's license and commercial driver's license. Verify receipt of appropriate licensing and permits with the city's Department of Business Affairs and Licensing if you have questions about your food truck's paperwork.
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Develop a menu featuring dishes that can be prepared up-front and rewarmed in your food truck. Offer daily specials that appeal to the city's traditionalists: fish on Friday, soups when the weather is bitterly cold, and summer sandwiches, which are a favorite of men and women on Chicago's fast track.
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Keep an eye on the clock once your truck food business is operational. In addition to the "no on-site cooking" mandate, you'll only be allowed to park on Chicago streets for two hours before you'll be ticketed. Plan to serve your last customer around 9:45 p.m. so you're not in violation of the city's "no sales after 10 p.m." ordinance, either.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit chicago 1 image by Blu-Mu from Fotolia.com
