The Chicago City Council recently issued its first “on-board” cooking license to Dan Salls, owner of the Salsa Truck, the Chicago Tribune reported.
While mobile dining has been around in the U.S. since the 1600s, the idea has gained in popularity in recent years, with shows like The Great Food Truck Race, and the prestigious Zagat guide starting to review food trucks in 2011, according to Mobile-Cusine.com.
Food trucks are allowed in some Chicago suburbs, such as Evanston, but not in all communities.
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The City of Evanston passed a food truck ordinance in 2010, which allows businesses with a physical restaurant within city limits to apply for a food vehicle vendors’ license. A judge recently sided with the City of Evanston in a dispute with Chicago-based food truck Beavers Coffee and Donuts, which argued the city’s policy is unconstitutional because it discriminated against businesses that were not Evanston-based, the Daily Northwestern reported.
Along the North Shore, the City of Highland Park is also considering allowing food trucks after receiving more than 25 permit requests in 2012. By comparison, the Village of Deerfield reports getting only two inquiries last year, so it's not a big issue yet.
Related Coverage
- Highland Park Considering Food Trucks
- Buffalo Grove Residents Opens Cupcake Food Truck in Chicago
- Evanston City Council Passes Food Truck Ordinance
- Evanston Food Truck Fest Deemed a Success
- Are Evanston's Rules For Food Trucks Fair?
Ross, Glencoe