Food trucks are now part of the mix as the city of Waukegan works to draw people to its downtown and lakefront.
Entering its fourth season of developing a food truck area at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, La Michocama — with its ice cream and frozen treats — as well as others with a variety of offerings, including tacos, Caribbean dishes, barbeque, hot dogs and hamburgers, are becoming a fixture.
Lisa May, the city’s lakefront coordinator, said the most frequent complaint she used to receive from beachgoers was related to their inability to find food offerings. Many brought their own grills to cook their own meals, but others wanted food and drinks made available for purchase. Thus began the food truck program.
“We’re in the fourth year now,” May said. “People have come to expect them to be there. Now, it’s part of what you see when you go to the beach.”
Waukegan is now accepting food truck applications online through the city’s website for the 2025 beach season, as well as requests for permits to operate in the downtown area or near the American Place Casino, selling their delicacies to patrons.
While permits are required for food truck vendors, May said an additional approval is necessary from her for an operator to park and sell their goods at the beach or by the casino from American Place officials.
Though applications for the beach are open now, May said there is no deadline. Some sellers like La Michocama are fixtures. Others come less frequently. With only five parking spaces available at the beach, parking is on a first come, first served basis. It is often full.
Applicants for a permit must first have a current license to operate from the Lake County Health Department, a diagram showing the size of the vehicle or trailer, an Illinois sales tax certificate and proper insurance listing the city as an additional insured, according to city regulations.
Before the permit is issued, the vehicle or trailer must pass an inspection by the Waukegan Fire Department and the building department. There are marked, designated areas at the beach and at eight downtown locations.
“Once you have the license, you can come to the lakefront coordinator for approval to sell food at the beach,” May said. “There are only five spots available. They are on a first come, first served basis.
With the beach open from dawn to dusk, food truck operators can bring their vehicles at first light if they anticipate a crowded day at the lakefront. David Motley said a food truck operator might choose to leave the beach for a few hours during downtown lunchtime.
While parking at the beach is free on weekdays, May said there is a fee for nonresidents on the weekend. A city vehicle sticker is a Waukegan resident’s beach parking pass on Saturdays and Sundays,
Motley said one benefit a food truck has over a sit-down restaurant is the ability to take its business to the best location at any given time. If they have approval from the lakefront coordinator and permission to work outside the casino, they can pick their time and place.
“They can go where the action is,” Motley said. “They can be around the county building at lunchtime, or the Genesee Theater when there is a show. They can be flexible and fluid.”
With eight designated spots on downtown streets, four are located on Clayton Street between County Street and Sheridan Road making them conducive to the theater and courthouse. There are two near Washington and Genesee streets, and one each near Madison and County streets as well as Madison and Genesee.
“At any given time, there are 200 restaurant seats downtown,” Motley said. “The capacity at the Genesee Theatre is 2,400. The food trucks make it easier for people to have a meal and go to a show if the weather is right.”
Outdoor dining is also available at the Waukegan Harbor and Marina. It is a short walk from the beach and under the auspices of the Waukegan Port Authority. Joe Seidelman, the port authority’s harbor master, said there is a wide variety, including Green Town on the Rocks.
