Food trucks
in Illinois.

Chicago's food truck scene exists in spite of itself. For years the city ran a 200-foot proximity rule that effectively banned trucks from operating near restaurants, which is most of the city. Recent reforms have loosened that, and the result is a scene that's young, hungry, and fiercely independent. Polish and Mexican operators dominate the established ranks; a new generation is bringing Korean, Filipino, and Ethiopian onto the street. Outside Chicago, the scene thins out fast — Springfield and the college towns have a few operators each, and that's roughly it.