A Chicago City Council committee passed a measure Wednesday morning that would lift the ban on food carts in the city. The Committee on License and Consumer Protection approved the amendment to the municipal code, which was headed up by 26th Ward Alderman Roberto Maldonado, and it will be addressed in next week's full council meeting.
Currently, food cart operators in the city operate outside of the law. The ordinance would regulate hundreds of carts that already dole out elotes, tamales, fruit and other food around town. Vendors would be required to pay $350 every two years for a license, and they would be required to prepare and package their food in a commercially regulated kitchen. The carts would also be required to store hot food at at least 140 degrees, and cold food at less than 40 degrees.
It's unclear whether the measure would have a negative effect on rogue food cart vendors in the city who are already subject to fines from police. While vendors would be able to operate legally, the regulations could put the vendors who sell homemade food out of business.
In 2012, the City Council passed an ordinance that allowed full-kitchen food trucks to operate in the city (with several stipulations). The legalization of food carts around town could bring Chicago's street food scene one step closer to catching up with the likes of LA and New York.