Chicago Pizza BossDOWNERS GROVE, IL – Giuseppe Badalamenti started selling his wood-fired pizza, stuffed rice balls and other treats from his food truck, Chicago Pizza Boss, in Westmont and surrounding suburbs this fall.

But he’d like to sling pizza slices in Downers Grove, too, where he grew up and graduated high school.

The problem for Badalamenti is, Downers Grove doesn’t allow mobile food vendors outside of permitted events like downtown festivals.

He’s hoping Chicago Pizza Boss can bring attention to his style of business, which recently became popular in California cities, spawned a hit TV show, and became legal in Chicago, with restrictions, last year.

“I’m just out there trying to pursue my chosen occupation,” said Badalamenti, 36, of Westmont. “And it’s actually an occupation that brings joy to a lot of people.”

The food truck trend has been slower to catch on in the suburbs, but Westmont officials say trucks like Chicago Pizza Boss can help fill a void when they operate in business parks or other areas that aren’t walking distance from brick-and-mortar restaurants.

“He’s going into places that are under-served, basically,” said Westmont Community Development Director Shannon Malik. “We’re excited that something like this has come to Westmont. It’s exciting to see on the calendar of Chicago Pizza Boss’s website when he’s coming through town.”

She said that so far, Chicago Pizza Boss is one of few trucks, but that she hopes more will follow.

Find the entire article by Ed McMenamin at mysuburbanlife.com <here>