5 on Friday: Rich Levy

This week’s 5 on Friday we spoke with Rich Levy the owner of the Chicago based food truck, Haute Sausage.

Name: Rich Levy

Age: 37 years young

Food truck name: Haute Sausage

Location: Chicago, IL

Year started in the mobile food industry: 2011

Five On Friday With Rich Levy

Mobile Cuisine: Why did you become a food truck owner, chef?

Rich Levy: Chicago is a sausage town by nature and there needed to be a sausage truck. Someone had to do it it was almost like a public utility, so I simply used my sausage to fill the void. I am glad the town has been so accommodating of my sausage.

MC: Who has been the most influential person in your culinary career?

RL: The list is long and distinguished, but probably my Mom – she taught me everything I know about catering and over catering. She is a wonderfully improvisational cook. I am not classically trained and neither is she, she just knows what will taste good and makes it happen.

Doug Sonnenshein from Hot Doug’s definitely deserves a shout out too. The man is a legend.

MC: What do you think sets your truck apart from your competitors?

RL: Grilled encased meats on fresh baked New England brioche bread.

MC: What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself and your food truck in 2 and 5 years?

RL: I think we want to get into the frozen foods section of the supermarkets and specialty foods stores. I want to go into manufacturing and brand development. I am also talking to a company about doing a brick and mortar version of the truck.

MC: What one suggestion would you give to someone planning to open a food new truck?

RL: Do it. Start doing not talking!

Haute Sausage

Twitter: @hautesausage

Chicago’s Afro-Midwestern mobile sausage wagon. Thick • Meaty • Juicy

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By Richard Myrick|2017-03-31T08:43:22-04:00Apr 27, 2012|Profiles|

About the Author: Richard Myrick

Richard Myrick is an architect by degree (Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan) who began his career in real estate development and architectural planning. In September of 2010 he created Mobile Cuisine Magazine to fill an information void he found when he began researching how to start a mobile hotdog cart in Chicago. Richard found that there was no central repository of mobile street food information anywhere on the internet, and with that, the idea for MCM was born. Richard also wrote the "Running a Food Truck for Dummies" available in bookstores everywhere and Amazon. You can reach out to Richard by email at: [email protected].