Mayor Rahm Emanuel has made another move to help improve the profits of the struggling Taste of Chicago festival. Although it is one of the most popular food festivals in the world, the event has fought to break even in the past couple of years.
Last year they began charging festival goers to attend the nightly music shows and offered more expensive food choices, but that still failed to turn the Taste of Chicago around as the event lost $1.3 million.
Mayor Emanuel has decided that food trucks will be added in an effort to break even on the event. The trucks, according to The Chicago Tribune, will start selling food an hour before music shows at the Petrillo Music Shell amphitheatre.
The trucks will be located "on the concrete path east of the lawn seating area at the concert venue in Grant Park," according to The Tribune.
The festival will take place on July 10 and will run up until July 14.
This marks the second year that the festival will be shortened to five days instead of 10 and moved away from its' typical early July start. The moves being made by Emanuel in an effort to bring the festival out of the red.
"The food truck industry continues to build in strength and numbers, and my administration is committed to creating the conditions and opportunities that will allow this industry to thrive, create jobs and support a vibrant food culture across Chicago," Emanuel said. "This will be a great way for many Chicagoans to get a sense of the excitement of this industry and sample some great food."
According to The Tribune, the food trucks will accept "the same food and beverage tickets as the booths" and will sell "three or four regular size items and two smaller portions."
The food trucks will only be required to pay the city 25 percent of their profits. Restaurants have to pay a much higher cost to operate a booth.
