After losing everything in fire, Grant Park food truck serves again

CHICAGO - A Grant Park food truck business is back up and running after a devastating fire destroyed its original setup earlier this year. 

The owners of Squeals on Wheels say they lost their truck, equipment, and supplies in the fire, then poured their savings into starting over. Now they are serving customers again, but say they are still working to recover. 

What we know:

Doreen Anderson, who runs Squeals on Wheels with her husband, said the business has served customers in Grant Park for nine years and has been in the food truck business for about 15 years before that. She said the couple had converted an old Coachman camper into their food truck.

On January 13, Anderson said she got a call at home telling her there was a fire at Sunrise Greenhouse. The food truck had already been destroyed. She said the truck was burned to the ground, along with supplies and equipment.

Anderson said the family was not sure at first whether they could afford to rebuild. But because they enjoy serving the community and being part of local events, they decided to start over and put their savings into a new setup.

Dig deeper:

Anderson estimated the family lost roughly $100,000 in the fire. She said the replacement trailer alone cost about $30,000. She also said they are still about $40,000 behind, with major items still left to buy, including coolers, freezers, refrigerators, hoses, cords, and utensils.

She said the new setup also comes with added costs. Instead of using standing coolers, the business is now relying on ice-filled coolers for drinks, creating another expense they did not have before.

What they're saying:

"So my husband was en route to get some get something in, so I called him. I said, 'Pull over.' And he's like, 'why?' I said, 'We've got a fire at the greenhouse, and our truck is gone,'" Anderson said. "He said, 'Don't tell me that.' I said, 'Our truck is gone.' So he comes out here and it was gone. I mean, just gone. So what do you do? You got to take it one day at a time."

She said hearing from returning customers has helped confirm they made the right decision.

"That’s why we’re back, is because the people want us back," Anderson said. "It means a lot because we look forward to doing this. Like I said, this has always been my husband's dream to own a food truck, and I just kind of went along with him, and then I got more involved as the business grew."

Anderson said this has been a family business from the start. 

"Our grandkids grew up doing this stuff, you know, when they were in high school and in grade school," Anderson said. 

What's next:

Anderson said the truck is operating again in a limited way while the family works to replace missing equipment and cover remaining costs. 

She said her granddaughter created a GoFundMe to help the business continue rebuilding. For now, the goal is simple: keep serving the community while slowly getting back on track.