Lincolnshire expanding Food Truck Fridays
With the food-truck craze growing nationwide, Lincolnshire officials are turning their one-day mobile-kitchen convocation into a twice-monthly series.
The expanded Food Truck Fridays event launches this Friday, May 15, and continues every two weeks through August.
Trucks serving barbecue, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and other edible delights will gather from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day in the parking lot at 300 Knightsbridge Parkway. That's in the Lincolnshire Corporate Center.
Officials chose the Knightsbridge site because it's a central location that's easily accessible to residents and the thousands of corporate employees who work in the area, said Tonya Zozulya, the village's economic development coordinator.
"(People) appreciate food trucks as a great alternative to their favorite restaurant dining options in Lincolnshire," she said.
Scheduled to participate throughout the season are:
• Toasty Cheese
• Grill Chasers
• Louie B. Fresh
• Best Truckin' BBQ
• Daniel's Raw-Paleo
• Mario's Cart
• Frost Gelato
After this week's debut, the other Food Truck Friday dates are: May 29; June 12 and 26; July 10 and 24; and Aug. 7 and 21.
On July 24 the trucks will set up at the Village Green shopping center on Milwaukee Avenue at Olde Half Day Road, to coincide with the annual Taste of Lincolnshire festival.
Food Truck Friday launched in 2013 as part of that festival. Officials opted to expand it because the trucks proved so popular, Zozulya said.
"Food trucks continue gaining in popularity because they bring new and innovative food concepts in an exciting environment," Zozulya said. "A food truck event is also a wonderful opportunity to sample a variety of different foods in one location."
Schaumburg-based Toasty Cheese participated in the 2013 and 2014 events. Catering Director Caitlin Ritzema is excited about the growing schedule.
"We love Food Truck Fridays," Ritzema said. "We've found success with the fans out there and we want to keep going in that area."
Admission and parking to any of the Food Truck Friday lunches are free.