Tamales Plus wins village stationary food vendor license after trustee debate over food-truck consistency

The Village Board approved a stationary food vendor license for Tamales Plus to operate at 111 South Lake Street, the former KWCC building, after hearing an extended presentation from the applicant and a debate among trustees about consistency in prior food-truck approvals.

Staff explained the business had previously tested a location in 2024 but did not renew in 2025 following a change in property ownership and because the prior pilot was not profitable. The applicant described a revised plan to operate Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., pay staff, and use the site as a consistent base rather than only attending events. “This time, it’s gonna be Monday through Friday, 7 to 2,” the applicant said, adding they hope to expand to Saturdays during holiday seasons and offer samples as marketing.

Trustees questioned both the applicant and staff about the earlier nonrenewal and the suitability of the site. One trustee said they have consistently voted ‘no’ on food-truck permits in the past because they felt an area was becoming oversaturated; another trustee described approving some trucks when they were outside that core corridor. That trustee clarified the objection was to clustering food vendors in a concentrated area along Douglas Road and Montgomery Road, not specifically to this applicant.

After discussion about where the vendor would park and how the operation would avoid creating traffic hazards, board members moved to approve the license. The clerk recorded a roll-call vote; the motion carried 5–1. The applicant asked staff when they could open and was told staff would follow up to complete documentation and permitting.

The record also captured an on-the-record brief recording glitch in which the applicant uttered an expletive while being recorded; board members acknowledged and said it would be edited out of the posted recording.