Gaztro-Wagon Shutters

By Anthony Todd in Food on Jan 4, 2012 7:20PM

We have another food truck casualty as we move into 2012: Matt Maroni has shuttered his Gaztro-Wagon, which fired the first shot in Chicago's food truck explosion. Combined with the demise of the MeatyBalls Mobile, this may cause some to question the long-term viability of combining fine dining with food trucks.

Eater Chicago reports that Maroni is backing away from all of his ventures, including his new Lincoln Park restaurant Morso, where he will become a consultant. Maroni indicated that he'd been financing the truck on his own, and that operating it through the winter wasn't a realistic proposition. Foss also indicated, when Meatyballs closed, that he was stretched too thin, and it may not be viable for a chef to run both a brick-and-mortar restaurant and a time-intensive venture like a food truck without a larger organization to manage things.

Fans of naanwiches, don't despair: Gaztro-Wagon may continue to operate under new owners. The Edgewater storefront is closed for good, and no more details are available yet, but don't expect the truck to start again for the foreseeable future. Morso, closed for a break until Jan. 14, will continue under new chef Phil Rodriguez, currently a cook at the restaurant. We've enjoyed both establishments and we wish Maroni the best.