BRIDGEPORT — The second year of Antique Taco’s Wednesday night food truck series will be bigger — and twice as frequent — as last year’s, the restaurant’s owner says.
Whereas last year’s Wheel Wednesday Food Truck Nights were hosted every other week through August, this year’s will happen weekly through September at Antique Taco’s Bridgeport location, 1000 W. 35th St.
And it will have a bigger lineup of food trucks and community vendors, Antique Taco co-owner Ashley Ortiz said.
Using the restaurant’s revamped patio and corner location, the festival will seek to bring an Austin, Texas feel to Chicago’s food truck scene, one where food trucks gather in a setting where seating, drinks and other vendors are available, Ortiz said.
“It’s more of an atmosphere where you can sit, have a drink and hang out,” said Ortiz, who co-owns Antique Taco’s three locations with her husband, Rick. “It’s a great community vibe.”
The food truck event is a collaboration between Antique Taco and sandwich makers Fat Shallot, both of whom have locations in the Loop’s Revival Food Hall. Ortiz wanted to collaborate with Fat Shallot, which got its start in a food truck, on a unique event for Bridgeport and the city, she said.
“We feel like we’re in a really good, central community spot,” Ortiz said of their 10,000-square-foot lot at 35th and Morgan streets. “We’re trying to give people more of a feeling of experience when they dine out.”
This year’s events will feature five or six food trucks, compared to last year’s four. About 25 food truck vendors will rotate through the lineup weekly, Ortiz said. (Check the event’s Facebook page for the weekly food truck lineups.)
There will be community vendors as well. The year’s first food truck event, held May 8, included a booth for Healthy Soil Compost, a Bridgeport composting company. Peter Veliotis, owner of the neighboring Johnny O’s, will be the resident DJ for the weekly events, Ortiz said.
The food truck nights are not the only community events Antique Taco hosts. The restaurant also is home to the neighborhood’s farmer’s market, now held on Mondays. It will host a car show June 8 and will hold two kid’s market events, featuring 20 vendors run by 5-to-12-year-olds.
“It’s a great opportunity to showcase other things in the neighborhood,” Ortiz said of the events. “We’re all about creating experiences in the community.”
Wheel Wednesday Food Truck Nights will run from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., every Wednesday through September, except for July 3, at 1000 W. 35th St.
Comments are closed.