Health Dept Public Meeting Thurs, Jan 19th, 11am
Four times each year, the Chicago Dept of Public Health has a working group meeting with the food industry. All are welcome to attend– concerns specific to food safety and operating a food business in Chicago are discussed with Gerrin Butler, Director of Food Protection and Virginia Casteneda, Chief Sanitarian. The Commissioner, Dr Julie Morita, […]
Winter Foodie Reading
It’s that time again– where curling up inside my warm house with a good book gets high on my list. Here’s a reading list of some of my favorite food books, and others I hope to tackle this winter: The Seasons on Henry’s Farm, by Terra Brockman. I love this book for so many […]
Our new Website is here!
Thanks to the fabulous gentlemen at House of Pretty, the new logansquarekitchen.com debuted this past week. This long overdue overhaul gives food professionals more resources at their fingertips– and phones! Our old site was not mobile-friendly, but this one is. Here are some of the other new benefits: Resources : quick links to food industry regulations, as […]
Why can’t a gun be like a car?
ALERT: this is way off topic for my little blog about my little food business in Chicago. But I have to get this out of my head.
Politically, I’m a solutionist. I know lots of our problems are very complicated, but guns don’t seem like a complicated problem to me. And I keep thinking, I can’t be smarter than anyone else…
What if a gun were like a car?
Food Biz: new Food Handler Law starts July 1st
This law went into effect for restaurants two years ago; now it rolls out for all other food businesses. So this applies to any commissary, production facility, grocery, gourmet food shop–or any other non-restaurant.
Chicago Restaurants: New IL Food Safety Law July 1
Two big changes go into effect for restaurants in Illinois on July 1, 2014:
1) Food Safety Managers’ certification goes from a 2-day class to one; renewing students must take one day class and test every five years.
2) ALL Restaurant Food Handlers in a restaurant MUST complete Safe Food Handler training. This means anyone that handles food or food contact surfaces: dishwashers, waitresses, busboys, line cooks, prep cooks– anyone that is not a manager that handles food or food contact surfaces.
Licensing Hearing for Food Truck Law Today
UPDATE: November 14, 2012, Food Trucks filed suit against City of Chicago challenging the passed ordinance’s constitutionality. Details on HuffPost
Original post, 7/19/12:
Simplify biz licenses? Not for food…
Mayor Emanuel stood in our place in April to announce the dramatic reduction of business licenses in Chicago– from 116 to 49, to cut the red tape. Today, City Council will see a Food Truck Ordinance introduced that will allow for cooking on food trucks. Sounds like good stuff is happening, right? mmmm…..
Small Business Memorial Day, Tuesday, May 29, 2012
When we announced our closing, so many asked what they could do for LSK. We’re a small business that’s closing, not uncommon these days. But if we can take that energy and pay it forward, that’s constructive. So today, I’m having lunch in Daley Plaza– last I checked, you don’t need a license for that! You’ll recongnize me from the red tape I’ll be wearing, to remember all the small businesses that have and continue to struggle.
