I write on behalf of Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery to encourage the Flossmoor Village Board of Trustees to keep in place the current village ordinance which prohibits the use of food trucks in the central business district of downtown Flossmoor except for certain limited village-approved special events. ​

Flossmoor Station has been a proud member of the Flossmoor community for over 28 years. ​ And during that time we have invested over $3.5 million in the improvement of a dilapidated and crumbling old train station into something that the community could be proud of, with the goal of becoming a community gathering place for a village that we love. ​ And not once in those over 28 years have we sought, or obtained, a penny in TIF from the village. ​

Moreover, we currently pay over $40,000 a year in real estate taxes. ​

But now, we are facing the prospect of food trucks rolling into the central business district of the village, without the overhead or expenses that we have incurred in helping to make the central business district into the unique and charming destination that it is now. ​ If the village board allows one food truck, it will have to allow ten, and very soon food trucks will not only tie up valuable parking spaces, but also syphon off business from Dunning’s, the Bistro on Sterling, the soon to be opened coffee shop, and the Station. ​

We employ over 60 employees, with a bias for hiring H-F residents. ​Despite what many people may think, our profit margins are very slim, and even a slight reduction in sales would necessitate targeted layoffs. ​

Moreover, it is not as if downtown Flossmoor is a food desert. ​ Rather, there are numerous existing restaurants in downtown Flossmoor to serve Flossmoor residents, with each of those restaurants having to incur considerable expenses to maintain their physical presence within the village.

​In short, it just doesn’t seem fair that a food truck can take up, rent free, valuable parking spaces that otherwise would be available to Flossmoor residents who want to patronize the numerous businesses (and not just restaurants) that have incurred considerable expenses in setting up shop in the central business district. ​

Accordingly, we respectfully request that the village board keep in place the existing food truck ordinance which strikes a proper balance on preserving the unique character of downtown Flossmoor, and, in the process, supporting the numerous brick and mortar businesses which have incurred the considerable expense of choosing to invest in the village. There is too much to lose, and too little to gain, by repealing the current food truck ordinance. ​

F. Dean Armstrong
Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery