Food Truck Legalization Challenged by Restaurant-Owning Alderman

The Gaztro-wagon

Why does this news not surprise us? Despite the recent flurry of attention on food trucks, and Mayor Emanuel's campaign promise to legalize the mobile calorie-delivery systems, Alderman Tom Tunney (and other advocates from the restaurant community) are challenging the new proposal to allow trucks, saying it unfairly hurts brick-and-mortar restaurants. Since Tunney is now the chair of the City Council’s Economic Development Committee, under whose jurisdiction this proposal falls, the Sun-Times reports that trouble might be coming.

Chicago currently limits food trucks to serving pre-prepared food. The proposed ordinance would remove this limit, but prevent trucks from operating within 200 feet of a restaurant, which Tunney (who owns Ann Sather's restaurants) doesn't think is enough. He declined to propose a new number to the Sun-Times. Other restaurant advocates called for even stricter limits - Glenn Keefer, of Keefer's restaurant, wants food trucks kept out of downtown entirely, and Sheila O'Grady of the Illinois Restaurant Association wants to limit them to food deserts only.

Isn't competition supposed to be a healthy thing? We understand many of the objections of restaurants, since the cost of operating a food truck is very low. But it seems to us that food trucks are competing with food courts and chain fast food joints that serve up $5 lunches, not Ann Sather's. if you want a sit-down lunch experience, you won't go to a food truck - you'll walk on past to the restaurant. As long as trucks aren't parked in front of restaurant doors with sirens blaring, we think things will work out - a compromise should be considered.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@chicagoist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Anthony Todd in Food on June 16, 2011 10:00 AM

Comments [rss]

killcity

What an asshole.

Michael Gebert

I've never understood why Keefer's is concerned. If you're losing steak lunchers, it's not to empanadas and cupcakes.

Clarence Ewing

Maybe he should enter a bill requiring people to only eat at Ann Sather.

joshie

So help me, if Tom Tunney torpedoes food trucks I'll make it my mission in life to torpedo his political career!

Well, one of my missions anyway. Priorities.

themachineisdead

I remember Ann Sather's before Tunney bought it. He ruined it. And now he's a dick.

Donna Martin

more trucks! everyone loves trucks! i want them everywhere! trucks, trucks, trucks! you know what chicago needs? more trucks! i love riding my bike next to trucks! i love standing near a running truck! i like how you can't see through them! yay! trucks! trucks are great for neighborhoods and for the environment! more trucks, please!

Jeff

I see your point, but arguably the presence of a food truck can prevent the need for multiple people to drive their cars somewhere else for lunch.

blipsman

Now I want to open a food truck selling cinnamon buns just to spite Tunney...

Nicholas

If you are serving good food and have good service, you should have nothing to fear from these trucks. That is the message that all Chicago restaurant owners should be getting. But, look at Yelp and see how many local places are getting knocked for crummy, even appalling, service and food that has gone down hill. A little fire under their feet is just what they need.

magooisim

Tom = Ass, Tunney = Hole

Sourma

Like Ann Sather is actually good food, maybe he should worry about the quality of his food rather than worry about food trucks.

tomdarch

Ann Sathers seems a little closer to seeing competition from food trucks than Keefer's, but it's really the lower end places like hot dog stand and sandwich shop owners who should be complaining about the competition. (Heck - $450 per person Alinea actually wants a truck themselves.)

Actually, given what Gaztrowagon and some others are currently serving, they are already pretty competitive with lower-end quick food joints. It's too bad that Tunney is making an ass of himself over this.

matthannigan

Oh please. Do any of these restaurant owners realize that the food trucks don't have seating? Or the ability to serve alcohol? Or bathrooms? Restaurants do have their advantages! Do they really think that they're going to go broke because a truck serving naanwhichs or cheesy mac for a couple hours a day, once a week, is parked a hundred or two hundred feet away? Sheesh.

And Alderman Tunney potentially blocking this ordinance seems a little like a conflict of interest. Alderman Waguespack is right, they're just trying to squash competition. Haven't any of these people been to NYC? They've got food trucks all over the god damn place and no one seems to be crying about it.

John Ashburn

Even if restaurants did go out of business because of food trucks, so what? Restaurants -- or any other businesses for that matter -- have no right to receive protection from competition.

Katie Scully

Agreed. I was in NYC this weekend and I didn't see any sit-down restaurants closing up shop because there was a waffle truck parked out front. If they're so paranoid about that kind of competition, they may as well petition to ban all neighborhood festivals and any supermarkets that have prepared foods.

slatsg

I think the food truck craze is half-fad. I also don't think may of their business models are sustainable. But still, why do people keep electing this jag Tunney?He's poven to be a really unremarkable, self-interested and entitled alderman. I'm actually surprised he didn't "retire" along with the other useless Daley puppets. I'd like him to prove that any of his restaurants have lost a nickel because of the Gaztro or the 5411 Empanada mobile parked 4 miles away downtown. Give me a break.