More Than 3,500 People Call For More Food Trucks In Chicago

More than 3,700 people have joined an online campaign - many in the last 24 hours - calling for a thriving fleet of food trucks in Chicago.

Chicago Food Trucks, an organization created by food truck owner Matt Maroni, started the campaign on Change.org, the world's fastest-growing platform for social change. More than 3,700 people have signed the petition so far, with more people signing every hour.

"Chicagoans want more food truck options--period," says Maroni, who owns the Gaztro-Wagon, one of Chicago's few food trucks. "Now it's the City Council's turn to act. Allowing trucks to cook onboard will strengthen Chicago's culinary reputation and be yet another reason for folks to visit our great city."

Maroni started the campaign in response to local regulations that prevent food truck operators in the city from cooking onboard their vehicles, limiting the dishes they can serve to little more than pre-made sandwiches. Maroni and his supporters feel that this limitation has prevented Chicago's food truck scene from becoming a trend the way that it is in cities like New York and Los Angeles. Other cities allow their food truck owners to cook whatever they want, from porchetta to grilled cheese to lobster rolls.

Maroni drafted an ordinance that would tweak regulations to allow food truck operators to prepare and cook meals inside their trucks. The City Council may take up the ordinance as early as this month.

"We're thrilled that Change.org's platform has helped Chicagoans make their voices heard to their City Council members," said Sarah Parsons, Senior Organizer at Change.org. "Judging by how popular this petition is, it's clear that many people want Chicago's food truck scene to be as robust as those in cities like New York and Los Angeles."

To view live signatures of Chicago Food Trucks' petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/alderman-allow-chicago-food-trucks-to-co...

To learn more about Chicago Food Trucks and Matt Maroni:
http://chicagofoodtrucks.com/Chicago_Food_Trucks/Home.html

To view the draft ordinance:
http://www.change.org/petitions/alderman-allow-chicago-food-trucks-to-co...

For more information on Change.org, please visit:
http://www.change.org/about
Change.org is the world's fastest-growing platform for social change - growing by more than 400,000 new members a month, and empowering millions of people to start, join, and win campaigns for social change in their community, city and country.