Logan Square Kitchen to City: We're Fed Up!

If I was going to open a small business and put my savings and livelihood on the line, I'd probably do it somewhere else. Mike Roeper once told me about all the hassles and delays the city put him through when he expanded the Hop Leaf ... all because he wouldn't give up his tavern license. Totally anti-business. This, the club ordinance, the ice cream issue ... it shows that Chicago is still run by a bunch of corrupt and out-of-touch goons. Somehow, businesses and neighborhoods thrive despite their efforts.

If by the ice cream issue, you mean how a local business tried to somehow claim that they weren't subject to basic FDA regulations (you know, the ones that keep us healthy, alive and not living like 19th century savages subject to random food supply fluctuations) just because they were making "natural" ice cream, like those non-pasteurized milk nabobs.

It's the Illinois Department of Public Health, sport.

But speaking of the FDA, they do a bang-up job. Those mega-producers never make anyone sick.

And speaking of non-pasteurized milk. my parents out west get it for three bucks a gallon at the local dairy. They are not nabobs ... they're lucky.

But speaking of the FDA, they do a bang-up job. Those mega-producers never make anyone sick.

Those mega-companies are the ones who are constantly trying to undermine, defang, and corrupt such regulatory bodies. That's why so many business lobbyists/advocates end up being appointed to regulatory positions, Bush did this by the hundreds.  Foxes policing the foxes.

I'm in full agreement about helping instead of hindering the expansion of respectable small businesses though.  The city, mainly at Daley's behest has been very anti-tavern and anti-music club. 

Something tells me that a lot of the people complaining are the same ones who voted for Daley and the aldermen responsible though too.....

I don't engage with you anymore dude. I hold a grudge. Keep fighting the good fight. 
http://chicagoist.com/2011/07/...

And here's me not even remembering who you were...

Man, Navin. You're running out of foils.

It's a shared kitchen being used by various different businesses all with their own licenses.  It's entirely appropriate for it to be inspected much more than a kitchen that's only being used by one business.

The law already has a provision for "high risk" kitchens. This is still five times the legally required number. Seriously, FIVE times? If this were eight inspections in two years, I could see your argument. Nineteen, with very minor violations noted? Come on, man.

The legally required number for a single use kitchen, that is.  Something that's being used by (glancing at the schedule) about 8 different business a week?  Then an inspection about every 5 weeks seems completely reasonable.

My guess is that the restaurant interests in the city are behind this. From what I understand, a fair amount of the food truck cooking comes through LSK, and restaurants are nonplussed about the growth of trucks recently. Shame to see this going on, either way.

One violation in 19 inspections (almost one a month) is an absurd waste of time. It is also pretty impressive. Even good places have some issues sometimes.

The increased frequency with which Logan Square Kitchen is being inspected keeps them on their toes. - Chuck

Running a business is hard enough in these times. 19 inspections is harassment, and could close down a biz. Your comment is "cold"....
And what do you do for a living Chuck?

I am pretty confident that he meant that tongue-in-cheek. Note that Chuck is also the author of the blog post we are all commenting on, which is completely sympathetic to the kitchen. Context matters when people are joking.

Damn, Chuck is not the author of this piece, but he edits the entire blog. He was still kidding.

Touche.

Are there any theories on why they would be inspected 19 times in two years? Angry inspector? Something suspicious? Or is this just a function of the zoning laws cited in the earlier article? I'm not trying to insinuate anything, it just seems odd that the Department of Health would randomly start picking on one business.

Not really. I can speak from personal experience from my years tending bar at, and later managing, HotHouse these inspections are nothing more than an attempt by various city departments to find something to shut down a business that fights back. There are other local business owners who also have had to deal with an inordinate number of inspections simply because they've challenged municipal departments on the letter of their regulations. -Chuck

I'm guessing that it's a combination of an angry inspector that wanted a bribe but didn't get it, a supervisor that's backing up his inspector because he's afraid of what might come out & the standard bureaucratic inertia that anything new is suspect.
Remember, this is the city that has spent over a million trying to close two tittie bars. They're everywhere else in the country, but some moralist shyster has a bug up his ass over a few bare nipples.

If it was the same inspector 19 times, someone at the city of chicago should be fired. That's a complete waste of resources and clearly they're targeting a business.  If Rahm isn't willing to fire them, he's just as bad as our last Mayor.

Unless Rahm reads this, I doubt if he knows about what's going on there. Until this is a story on TV or the newspapers, it has no traction.