kl1191 wrote:

aschie30 wrote:I don't think anyone is disputing that the food would taste better if it is prepared on the truck (except maybe Kenny).

I was referring to this:

aschie30 wrote:Right now, it's to the food trucks' benefit that they must have premade food.

Then, aren't you inherently saying that it's in the food trucks' best interest to serve worse tasting food? I guess I could make that argument in certain situations, but I doubt it's a sustainable business model, nor can it be true across the board.

It very well may be in their best interests to serve less-than-optimal food, if it means servicing their customers faster, keeping costs down, and the ability to store a larger inventory of product on the truck. Judging by the growing number of Au Bon Pains, sub-par falafel joints, and McDonaldses in the Loop, top quality food isn't trumping price and convenience, and certainly makes the argument for mediocre food and sustainability. Keep in the mind that people like you and I would appreciate a freshly made meatball grinder over one that was premade, but the average Loop luncher wouldn't notice the difference -- but they would notice a slow line, or if the truck was unreliable, and ran out of food within 15 minutes of touch-down.

Addendum:

jesteinf wrote:I don't know either. Just seems like other cities seem to have figured it out a bit better than we have here. If the businesses weren't viable, I would think the whole system (outside of Chicago where this is a relatively new trend) would have collapsed by now.

I share this sentiment of confusion as to the viability of food trucks in other systems, but I'm not sure the whole system would have collapsed by now. I think the food truck system is starting to show some cracks. To me, food trucks seem less like a business model than part of a movement. Movements come and go; so I have a feeling that within two years, not only will Chicago not have resolved the legal hurdles for on-truck prepared food, but that they'll quietly disappear in other markets as well, just as with other trends. Just my prediction; I'm sure others will disagree.

aschie30 wrote:

kl1191 wrote:

aschie30 wrote:I don't think anyone is disputing that the food would taste better if it is prepared on the truck (except maybe Kenny).

I was referring to this:

aschie30 wrote:Right now, it's to the food trucks' benefit that they must have premade food.

Then, aren't you inherently saying that it's in the food trucks' best interest to serve worse tasting food? I guess I could make that argument in certain situations, but I doubt it's a sustainable business model, nor can it be true across the board.

It very well may be in their best interests to serve less-than-optimal food, if it means servicing their customers faster, keeping costs down, and the ability to store a larger inventory of product on the truck. Judging by the growing number of Au Bon Pains, sub-par falafel joints, and McDonaldses in the Loop, top quality food isn't trumping price and convenience, and certainly makes the argument for mediocre food and sustainability. Keep in the mind that people like you and I would appreciate a freshly made meatball grinder over one that was premade, but the average Loop luncher wouldn't notice the difference -- but they would notice a slow line, or if the truck was unreliable, and ran out of food within 15 minutes of touch-down.

Yes, as I said, I could make the argument for a truck that was more profitable operating under the restrictions of the current law. What's the point?

It can't be that you think all food trucks must appeal to the lowest common denominator by law.
It can't be that the existence of McDonald's should be mutually exclusive to the existence of fine dining by law.
It can't be that because some hypothetical food truck might be more profitable under the current law than they would be under some imagined circumstances without the law that it is good law. Because, even if the law were lifted, those people would be free to operate as they currently do.

So, what exactly are you advocating for? I know I'm falling into that trap lawyers like to set by trying to draw a conclusion for you...no offense, honestly, I have 200 lawyers for bosses. You can't be saying we should just accept the situation. Just because some business operators wouldn't know how to leverage the new found freedom that's not an argument that none of them should have it. More power to the loop-luncher who avoids the freshly fried falafel truck in exchange for crap. I'll happily wait in a slightly shorter line for the chance to eat his share.

aschie30 wrote: Movements come and go; so I have a feeling that within two years, not only will Chicago not have resolved the legal hurdles for on-truck prepared food, but that they'll quietly disappear in other markets as well, just as with other trends. Just my prediction; I'm sure others will disagree.

While they are certainly part of a trend, on a larger scale, food trucks are merely an expression of an age old urban phenomenon: street food.

Chicago has an anemic street food culture. Outside of a few (mostly Latino) neighborhoods, and the occasional hot dog stand in a park, there is no street food to speak of. Changing the food truck laws would certainly be a step toward greater options in different neighborhoods.

I don't like the "faddy" part of this food truck business one bit. I hate cupcakes and believe trucks that sell them should be confiscated and sold for scrap. In my Stalinist vision, cute graphics and names would be forcibly replaced by socialist-realist odes to brain tacos and anthropomorphic spinning meat cones.

I do like street food. I really liked the $2 Trinidadian double I picked up on 43rd street and 6th ave in Manhattan for lunch today. I liked it so much I got another one and brought it back to the office for a (socialist-realist) photo-op. Sadly, the peasants harvesting wheat in the foreground are obscured by my cheap office desk.



If a revised food truck ordinance even hints at the chance that I might be able to buy a $2 double on a Chicago street someday, I'm all for it.

Oh yeah, and fuck cupcakes.

Habibi wrote:Oh yeah, and fuck cupcakes.

Banner quote?

kl1191 wrote:So, what exactly are you advocating for? I know I'm falling into that trap lawyers like to set by trying to draw a conclusion for you...no offense, honestly, I have 200 lawyers for bosses. You can't be saying we should just accept the situation. Just because some business operators wouldn't know how to leverage the new found freedom that's not an argument that none of them should have it. More power to the loop-luncher who avoids the freshly fried falafel truck in exchange for crap. I'll happily wait in a slightly shorter line for the chance to eat his share.

I'm sorry that you think I'm acting like your bosses. I'm actually not advocating for or against anything, just merely thinking out this whole food truck thing. I'm having hard time trying to see how it would become a profitable, sustainable business by operating in Chicago's Loop. That may come across an anti-food truck to you, but just as you reject the group-think that you attribute to your bosses, I likewise reject the group-think that advocates for something that rejects the mainstream. I don't like group-think at all. (I'm not saying you're engaging in group-think, but it's certainly the basis upon which many people rabidly support a food truck culture.) I don't like my lunch options in the Loop; if there was a truck that would serve me incredible versions of whatever food I want at any given time, I'm all for it. But I think that there are a lot of business issues that are affecting my Loop food choices that I'm not convinced will be solved by a new law that allows food trucks to prepare food on a truck. I guess I'm neutral - I'm okay with trucks, but not excited by them.

Habibi wrote:

aschie30 wrote: Movements come and go; so I have a feeling that within two years, not only will Chicago not have resolved the legal hurdles for on-truck prepared food, but that they'll quietly disappear in other markets as well, just as with other trends. Just my prediction; I'm sure others will disagree.

While they are certainly part of a trend, on a larger scale, food trucks are merely an expression of an age old urban phenomenon: street food.

Yeah, but downtown Chicago, and the United States in general, doesn't have a strong street food culture. It may be an age old urban phenomenon, but it not here, at least not for the past several decades.

aschie30 wrote:Yeah, but downtown Chicago, and the United States in general, doesn't have a strong street food culture. It may be an age old urban phenomenon, but it not here, at least not for the past several decades.

I agree that Chicago doesn't have a strong street food scene. I said so above. I know at some point in our past, street vendors were not uncommon on city streets.

As for street food culture in the U.S. - have you been to NYC? I know New Yorkers like to claim otherwise, but last I checked, it was part of America.

Habibi wrote:

aschie30 wrote:Yeah, but downtown Chicago, and the United States in general, doesn't have a strong street food culture. It may be an age old urban phenomenon, but it not here, at least not for the past several decades.

I agree that Chicago doesn't have a strong street food scene. I said so above. I know at some point in our past, street vendors were not uncommon on city streets.

As for street food culture in the U.S. - have you been to NYC? I know New Yorkers like to claim otherwise, but last I checked, it was part of America.

Yes, I've been to NYC. I still wouldn't consider NY to have as strong of a street food culture in other countries, but I would agree it's more vibrant there than here.

aschie30 wrote:I'm sorry that you think I'm acting like your bosses. I'm actually not advocating for or against anything, just merely thinking out this whole food truck thing. I'm having hard time trying to see how it would become a profitable, sustainable business by operating in Chicago's Loop. That may come across an anti-food truck to you, but just as you reject the group-think that you attribute to your bosses, I likewise reject the group-think that advocates for something that rejects the mainstream. I don't like group-think at all. (I'm not saying you're engaging in group-think, but it's certainly the basis upon which many people rabidly support a food truck culture.) I don't like my lunch options in the Loop; if there was a truck that would serve me incredible versions of whatever food I want at any given time, I'm all for it. But I think that there are a lot of business issues that are affecting my Loop food choices that I'm not convinced will be solved by a new law that allows food trucks to prepare food on a truck. I guess I'm neutral - I'm okay with trucks, but not excited by them.

I'm not sure group-think enters into it... I love my lawyer-bosses. I've just developed an allergic reaction to their rhetorical devices over the years. I'm not sure why other people are pro-food truck, but I'm a big fan of diversity of culinary options and freedom to conduct reasonable business. I also have had some amazing food while standing on 6th Ave and would like to have the same experience here in Chicago.

I'm trying to figure out why anyone who admits that the lack of prep on trucks leads to poorer quality food would be against giving trucks the option of preparing food on the truck. The arguments you've presented against cooking on the truck aren't coming across as anti-food truck so much as paternalistic.

Why does it matter if you're having a hard time seeing the business case if there are people dealing with the business every day that are advocating for the change? Why does it matter that giving truck operators this option won't solve every loop-lunch business problem? Why does it seem to you that the only options are the status quo and a truck that serves incredible versions of whatever food you want at any given time?

How about working to get from point A to point B via some intermediary steps and perhaps experimentation via a series of reasonable laws that don't favor entrenched interests for no other reason than the fact that they are entrenched?

The "new" beer and wine dive ETHYL'S at the former Stanley's on Racine place is having a Food Truck Thursday today. I guess they are having a whole bunch of them park in the lot. I did not see a thread for this so I thought I should post this here!

Hope this is helpful;I've been quite interested in food trucks (NOT Roach Coaches ) lately and just read this:
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/top-lists/f ... o-chicago/

Also wanted to mention the Cooking Channel's "Eat St." which is a series about food trucks all over the country and the unusual foods they serve. http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/eat-street/index.html

Here's hoping the ordinance to let them cook on the trucks passes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Slide Ride's Rib Eye Slider yesterday. The Pretzel Bun was pretty good, considering it had probably been sitting in a warmer all morning. The meat was well seasoned, and generously apportioned, plus they had a terrific refreshing horseradish sauce, very balanced flavors. At $3.50, I found it more than a reasonable light snack, nearly the size of my hand. Truth be told, the only reason I activated my Twitter account was to follow the food! I'm looking forward to trying the 5411 Empanada and Tamale trucks next week, if not tonight at Ethyl's!

aschie30 wrote:

Habibi wrote:

aschie30 wrote:Yeah, but downtown Chicago, and the United States in general, doesn't have a strong street food culture. It may be an age old urban phenomenon, but it not here, at least not for the past several decades.

I agree that Chicago doesn't have a strong street food scene. I said so above. I know at some point in our past, street vendors were not uncommon on city streets.

As for street food culture in the U.S. - have you been to NYC? I know New Yorkers like to claim otherwise, but last I checked, it was part of America.

Yes, I've been to NYC. I still wouldn't consider NY to have as strong of a street food culture in other countries, but I would agree it's more vibrant there than here.

This was an interesting discussion. I do have to chime in, however, that NYC also has a lot of Au Bon Pains and Pret A Manger's and they also have a lot of food trucks. Demand (or settling) for one does not mean that there is no room for the other.

aschie30 wrote: Yeah, but downtown Chicago, and the United States in general, doesn't have a strong street food culture. It may be an age old urban phenomenon, but it not here, at least not for the past several decades.

Have you seen "Eat St."? (see my previous post) It would seem that there are enough street food trucks/culture to make a TV series about it,which isn't saying much,I know. I know I was burned out watching cooking shows until I saw an episode and thought this might be the next big thing.