WICKER PARK — Restaurants that are dependent on daily deliveries are feeling the pinch from the weekend blizzard as tractor trailers packed with fresh food try to pull in and out of narrow alley ways piled with snow.
Gunning the engine of a 35-foot long truck behind the 1500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park, driver Mike Hamilton said he was not stressed out.
"This is just part of my job," said Hamilton, 43.
Hamilton started work at 4 a.m. Monday and by noon he was only on the fifth of 12 scheduled fresh produce deliveries to Chicago restaurants, including the Big Star commissary kitchen at 1537 N. Damen Ave., where he was trying to go next.
Alisa Hauser says Hamilton's truck was stuck for 30 minutes:
Hamilton said he planned to work until he had nothing left to deliver. He said most of the drivers throughout the city are behind schedule.
Jessica Brumleve, executive chef of of MAX's Wine Dive, 1482 N. Milwaukee Ave., said that the restaurant had missed at least one delivery on Monday morning.
"We have not seen our linen guy and are looking out in the alley. We know it is difficult to manage getting through all those snowdrifts. We are hoping side streets will be taken care of by tomorrow so our delivery trucks won't get struck and can get in and out easily," Brumleve said.
Brumleve said she feels bad for the drivers.
"These are products we need for the restaurant but it has to be dangerous and incredibly stressful for our vendors to have to deal with this. They are driving around, getting stuck, being delayed," she said.
Mary West, a driver services agent with Coyote Logistics in an Alpharetta, Ga. call center, said that she is receiving a lot of calls from Chicago.
"I have heard every truck driver saying they are driving on ice, sleet, snow. Most drivers are late to their deliveries because of road safety. It's really bad," West said.
West said she has heard of no major accidents involving drivers who are part of Coyote Logistics.
As delivery drivers tackle alleys, many residents are tackling the clearing of their side streets.
Belia Portillo, a spokeswoman for Ald. Joe Moreno's (1st) office, said that the office has been fielding several calls and online requests from constituents who need snow removal on their blocks.
"We just heard from the ward superintendent and want to get the word out that the city is prioritizing around streets that have police and fire departments and schools, and then people with disabilities and elderly," Portillo said.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
