Chicago’s food cart vendors who offer up everything from tamales and elotes to coffee and fruit will be able to operate legally, under a measure approved Thursday by City Council.
The estimated 2,000 vendors operating 1,500 carts will be required to get a license – at a cost of $350 every two years – as well as pass health inspections and prepare their food at a commercial kitchen, under the new ordinance which kicks in in 30 days.
Because they were not licensed until now, some vendors have said they were ticketed by the police.
With food cart vendors already operating in the city, “the day has come for us to embrace this expanding class of entrepreneurs and grant them legitimate business status,” said Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th), chief sponsor of the ordinance, at Thursday’s council meeting. “They will provide affordable, safe, healthy food choices prepared in licensed kitchens for Chicago’s neighborhoods.”
Legalizing food carts could help the city’s economy, resulting in new jobs and as much as $8.5 million a year in sales tax revenue, according to Maldonado, who cited the Illinois Policy Institute.
Among the new regulations are requiring the food carts to be cleaned and serviced at a commissary and have refrigeration and heating equipment for food and beverages, mandating food to be prepared in licensed kitchens and enclosed in a wrapper or container, and paying sales tax to the city.
baiduhai contributed.