The cost of participating in the "Taste of Chicago" may be leaving a sour taste in the mouths of some of the city's food truck operators.
For the first time, food trucks will be allowed to participate at the food fest this year, but only at the evening concerts at the Petrillo music shell.
But according to the city's vendor licenses, food truck operators must pay a 25 percent commission on gross profits after taxes, compared to a 20 percent commission for pop-up restaurants.
The disparity was pointed out by the Food Truck Freak blog, who spoke with an operator who said they'd be lucky to clear a few hundred dollars for their efforts.
Only a handful of the city's food trucks have special licenses to actually cook food on their truck, which means some trucks would be forced to transport food back and forth, increasing costs.
City of Chicago officials point out that food trucks do not have to pay the $3,000 application fee that regular restaurants do.
