Happy Chicago Food Truck Day!

As we are prepping da schnitzel to hit the road later for the King's midday feast, take a moment to check out what this day is all about! We hope to see you at 11am on Dearborn & Monroe, but if you are looking for a food truck near you check out Food Truck Freak or Chicago Food Truck Finder to locate other Chicago Food Trucks. Remember, the first 19 customers receive FREE FOOD tomorrow!! Make sure to get to the jeep early to lock in your FREE JULY HAM from Da King (while supplies last we'll give it away all day!).

Currently, Chicago is the only national city that does not allow cooking on board a mobile food vendor. The new ordinance the city proposed would allow us to cook & operate for 24 hours, however the 200ft distance rule between brick & mortars and food trucks would still apply, leaving little legal spots for the amount of trucks in the city. Additionally, the GPS surveillance and hefty fines ($1000-$2000) unfairly limit our freedom and have nothing to do with protecting the public. Check out the map below to view the current legal spots food trucks can park in the loop- the orange spots are illegal according to current & proposed legislation.

Chicago Vending Release 8-17-11

With a little help from our friend Food Truck Freak, the Chicago Food Trucks helped organized a petition to amend the current legislation and eliminate the food truck distance ban from brick and mortar restaurants. Consumers deserve the right to choose where we buy our food or when we dine out. Interestingly, in Los Angeles County where there is a thriving food truck community, the only restriction on food truck entails getting written permission from a facility with a public washroom if you stay in a certain spot for a particular amount of time. In 2009, LA Country tried to pass a one-hour duration restriction after restaurants complained about taco trucks eating into their business but the law was later struck down in state court (LA food trucks). If LA can have a thriving food truck community (thousands of trucks!) & restaurants harmoniously operating side by side, why can't Chicago?

Are you ready to take action? If you've already signed the petition then you're half way there! Visit the Institute for Justice's website & start emailing, tweeting, & calling your local alderman. Tell the City Council that they should treat all Chicagoans with business dreams equally, and allow Chicago’s creative chefs to start small and grow big!

Remember, we couldn't do this without you, so thanks for all that you do!! Now go n' get your food truck on!

Royally yours,

SK

A note from the King after launch week

A BIG thanks to all of our fans and followers- your enthusiasm for schnitzel keeps us warm and fuzzy while we freeze our buns off schnitzeling :) Plenty of you have raved about the sandwiches already, but the only true way to eat a schnitzel in all its glory is fresh off the grill. Since Chicago law doesn't allow for food trucks to cook on the vehicles, we have to make our schnitzel at a shared kitchen, pre-package them, then load 'em up on the jeep. We are already working on a few private events to give our schnitzel the chance to shine the way they deserve to, (fresh, hot, and crunchy) but until Chicago lets us cook on board, we recommend getting to the schnitzel mobile as early as possible.  Below is a tentative schedule of where we plan to be next week so you can plan accordingly :). If there's somewhere you want us to stop, just send us a tweet @KingSchnitzel. We plan on introducing catering shortly!

Thanksgiving Week Schedule

Monday- 11AM U of C

Tuesday- 11AM Monroe & Dearborn, 1PM near Trump Tower on Wabash

Wednesday- 11AM Lake and Clinton

Thursday- off, Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday- TBD

Royally Yours,

SK

Holy Schnitzel...that's a good idea!

A few years ago, my friend Brian told me after biting into a hot off-the-grill schnitzel sandwich, “Dude, you need to open a food truck!”  I could never have imagined that two years later, I would find myself getting ready to debut the Chicago Schnitzel King.

It all started on an early fall morning, the air was crisp and the smell of autumn permeated the thin air.  As I’ve done at every other Bears tailgate, I began prepping the schnitzel in the back of the jeep, listening to the Score while I breaded the pork cutlets.  I had just been laid off from my dream job, and all I could think about was how happy I was to be cooking schnitzel at the tailgate. As I brought the schnitzel over to our grill, the crowd gathered around, anticipating the sweet smell of schnitzel browning on the burner. Maybe it was the Old Style, maybe it was the schnitzel, but after serving up the sandwiches my buddies were begging me to open a schnitzel food truck.

Fast forward two years later and I’m getting ready to debut the Chicago Schnitzel King. I can hardly believe it’s almost time to hit the streets; the thought has me giddy with excitement. Since cooking for others has always been my passion, I hope you will enjoy some of my favorite recipes as well. Most of the recipes I’ll post here are tried and true family favorites, with the original recipes dating back to my great grandparents, but others are slightly modified versions of those favorites (vegetarian-friendly, vegan- friendly, etc.), as well as some of my personal favorites.  I’ll also be using the blog to post my whereabouts each week, and share any schnitzel antics that arise on the streets.

Until the truck officially debuts, follow us on Twitter (@SchnitzelKing) and Facebook (Chicago Schnitzel King) for updates on when we plan to hit the streets! And if you seriously can’t wait to get your schnitzel on and need something to wet your chops in the meantime, check out our “Italian Pork Chop” recipe that will be posted shortly.

Royally Yours,

The Chicago Schnitzel King