East Dundee extends food truck pilot program through 2020

A pilot program allowing businesses to sponsor food trucks in downtown East Dundee has been extended through 2020.

The village board in August approved designating five public parking spaces as a "Depot Food Truck Zone," available to be rented by establishments looking to use mobile eateries to draw customers to the area. The space was created along the east side of The Depot property on River Street and has been used only twice so far, Village Administrator Jennifer Johnsen said.

The trial program was scheduled to end Dec. 31, 2019. Trustees decided last month to extend the sunset clause one year to further evaluate the concept.

"We didn't have the opportunity to really get the program going to see if we could make it work," Johnsen said. "We want to make sure those spots are worthwhile for the uses of food trucks versus the use of parking."

The program was established at the request of Black & Gray Brewing Co. at 311 Barrington Ave. Nanobrewery owners were exploring ways to offer food options to taproom patrons without operating a full in-house kitchen, they said, and food trucks seemed to be a natural fit.

Most trustees supported the idea of allowing food trucks in town, saying they hoped the concept would benefit other establishments as well. Before putting any permanent provisions in place, Johnsen said, village officials need to evaluate whether "it's worth the effort to promote the program," particularly during the anticipated peak summer season.

"The idea of (allowing) food trucks is to enhance the visibility of the downtown, to bring outside visitors to the downtown," she said. "But if, in fact, it hurts our local businesses, that's something we want to watch very closely."

The food truck zone is available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. The location was chosen because of its proximity to local businesses and its appeal to those attending events in the downtown square, officials said.

Establishments have to obtain a license and follow various restrictions to rent the food truck zone.