Starting his business was tough for Jorge Ferreyra, the owner of Thimi’s Empanadas in Little Italy.
“We started with no money at all,” he said. “The first day, I remember we sold like eight empanadas. We had no money for advertising or marketing mappings.”
Then one day, Ferreyra said, a customer who worked for the Chicago Blackhawks came in and said he’d be able to help boost the business. Apparently something worked, as since then, Ferreyra has gained more customers and done pop-ups at breweries — which led to him getting a call to participate in this year’s Taste of Chicago.
This weekend marked the 45th anniversary of Taste of Chicago, a beloved summer tradition that gives attendees the chance to expand their palates with food from diverse backgrounds, and provides businesses the opportunity to get wider exposure and new customers. Ferreyra said that over the three days at the Taste, his business has seen the most customers it’s ever had.
Founded in 1980, the Taste has been a staple in Chicago summers for decades. Historically held in July, it was moved to a week after Labor Day in 2023 when the NASCAR Chicago Street Race was introduced. This year, thousands from across the city and suburbs came out for the food, live music and views of downtown despite fears of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that permeated the region over the weekend.
The city of Chicago deployed salt trucks to the festival on Saturday, a routine practice to support public safety efforts at events where large crowds are present, a spokesperson for the Department of Streets and Sanitation said Sunday. Rumors circulating on social media over the weekend suggested the fleet of trucks had been deployed to block off federal immigration activity.
More than just eating took place at the Taste. Headlining music acts included Chicago-born, Grammy Award-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco on Friday, R&B-pop singer JoJo on Saturday and “Suavemente” smash-hit singer Elvis Crespo on Sunday.
On Saturday, in partnership with HOKA, the Taste hosted Run Mag Mile. Fiasco, with “The Bear” and “Chicago Med” actress Sarah Ramos, helped cut a 1,000-pound birthday cheesecake at Buckingham Fountain to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Eli’s Cheesecake. Saturday also closed out with the festival’s first drone light show.
Beat Kitchen Cantina at Navy Pier was another restaurant that had its first vendor opportunity at the Taste. The cantina is an extension of Beat Kitchen but has more tacos and empanadas, said Victor Avelar, the head chef.
Avelar’s father is one of the owners of the restaurant, and kept him in the kitchen since he was 5 years old, Avelar said.
His parents couldn’t find a babysitter for him, so Avelar spent time in the corner where his dad used to work.
“I would just be peeking at what my dad would be doing, and then I just fell in love with the kitchen, with the food,” Avelar said.
He saw the compliments his dad would get, and that drove him to want to be like his father. As soon as he got his worker permit at 16 years old, he started getting his hands on meals.
“I want to make people happy with the food I make, that’s my ultimate goal,” Avelar said. Sunday’s menu included lobster empanadas, soft shell crab tacos and steak tacos.
He was promoted to head chef when he was 21 years old, and this weekend was his first time leading the restaurant at the Taste.
Now 24, Avelar was noticing things aren’t the same as they are at the Navy Pier restaurant.
“It’s really a new experience,” Avelar said. “It’s totally different from being in the kitchen.”
In advance of the three-day festival in Grant Park, Taste of Chicago also hosted a series of summer neighborhood pop-ups, held in Marquette Park in June, Pullman Park in July and Albany Park in August. The festival closes at 9 p.m. Sunday in Grant Park.
Road closures include:
- Columbus Drive from Monroe Street to Balbo Drive
- Jackson Avenue from Michigan Avenue to Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Shore Drive
- Ida B. Wells Drive from Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive
Roads are expected to be opened by 4 p.m. Monday.
Chicago Tribune’s Adriana Perez contributed.