Chicago v. Food Trucks Continues

Just when food truck owners in Chicago thought the four-year-old rules governing their parking and service hours had been conveniently overlooked, City Hall began a crackdown.

Chicago’s 2012 food truck ordinance severely limits where and how long the trucks can serve customers. The trucks cannot be within 200 feet of brick-and-mortar restaurants, and they’re not allowed to stay in the same location longer than two hours.

Enforcement of the city’s strict ordinance began after a joint investigation by the Chicago Sun-Times and a local TV station targeted food truck operators, asking if they were parked illegally and then used a tape measure to prove the 2012 ordinance wasn’t being enforced to the fullest degree.

In response to the findings, Mayor Rahm Emanuel issued a directive to city officials, telling them to enforce the ordinance, which calls for citations and fines. Food trucks were forced by city officials to drive away from lines of customers because the two-hour mark had passed. At least one food truck received a parking boot.