Game of Food Trucks: Chicago's Mobile Vendors in an Epic Food Fight

Should the city of Chicago be in the business of protecting restaurants from food trucks? See the story of how innovative entrepreneurs fight for their right to sell food in mobile trucks and compete with the brick-and-mortar eateries, whose owners don't want the competition.

video source from InstituteFor Justice YouTube channel

(see video at the bottom of transcript)

transcript:

This is the tale of an epic food fight and one group's heroic struggle for freedom. In the realm of the whims the people cry for sustenance. Clever merchants launched mobile taverns, capable of sating the people's hunger where ever they may be.

I'm Greg Burt, I'm the owner of Chicago Schnitzel King. This is my mobile food jeep, where I produce the best schnitzel in the city of Chicago.  I'm Kristen, the Chicago Schnitzel queen of the Chicago Schnitzel King food truck.  I'm Lora, entrepreneur owner of Cupcakes for Courage and Courageous Bakery.

Most hail these horseless carriages as god-sent. But a few of the land of gentry fear the new ways. They beseech the grand council whose alderman law of what each of the realm's fifty wards to forbid the carriages from drawing nie to the gentry's own taverns.

The effect of the decree was to prohibit the carriages from feeding the people throughout vast expanses of the realm.

The 200 foot rule that's in place restrict all food truck and food operators to park within 200 feet from any of brick and mortar establishment, which means that any business that sells food, such as 7/11, the cookie man on the corner, ...

The penalty for any transgressions would be swift and severe.

I could park on the street thought to be within 200 feet from restaurant and we'd see the two thousand dollar fine, whereas somebody who parks in front of a fire hydrant pays only one hundred dollars.

The sole council member to rise up against the decree defiantly declared: I think restraint of trade is what this ordinance serves up. Cooking up innovation was the intent. A brick and mortar restaurant lobby got a hold of it and it was stuffed with protectionism and baked in the oven of paranoia.

The herald of record similarly noted the council's protectionist motive.

Being that I'm an owner of a food trucks and a bakery, I think that they definitely can coexist, even in Los Angeles today there's a very viable restaurant industry and also very viable food truck industry. It's possible here in Chicago too.

The council even called upon their seers to observe the food trucks' every move.

It just feels like an ankle bracelet as a small business owner to have to have a GPS tracking device monitor you every whereabouts. I don't see what the need for it is. I think it's wrong and personally don't want it on my vehicle.

Their fortunes appeared bleak, but our merchants refused to falter. They joined forces with a merry band of warriors known as The Institute for Justice, which has thwarted similar attacks in other Realms.

IJ's national street vending initiative has improved food truck laws across the nation. Many cities have embraced reform, but a few continue to side what businesses win or lose. In those situations the only way to protect people's constitutional rights is through the courts.

I'm fighting with the Institute for Justice and my fellow food trucks because I'm fighting for what I believe is right. And I think competition is what makes America great. I want to be able to compete and serve my customers.

Hearing of the king's great quest, princes and poppers and all the people throughout the realm joined together to cry out "Long Live the Schnitzel King. May he forever fill our stomachs with schnitzel and our lives with liberty."

Food trucks are vibrant symbol of the American Dream, and to get her with Institute for Justice we can fight to make that dream a reality.

For more on these courageous heroes and their epic battle visit www.ij.org and like IJ on facebook.