RIVER WEST — Pushcart-inspired Jamaican grill truck "Jerk. Modern Jamaican Grill" plans to park it for a while in River West, with a storefront location on Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street set to open this summer.
The food truck that's been a staple at city festivals, street fairs and mobile food rallies announced Thursday that owners Dion Solano and Brett Gough are developing a 3,000-square-foot fast-casual restaurant with an expanded menu set to open in June.
"We are truly grateful for everyone’s support over the past year and are looking forward to an incredible 2014," Solano and Gough wrote in an announcement on the truck's website.
The Jerk truck was among the first in the city to get a license to prepare food on-board last year.
The truck's signature dish is the Jerk Chicken sandwich. For $6, the truck sells chicken marinated in Solano’s own “Rude Boy” sauce, then grilled, chopped and thrown onto Jamaican Hard Dough Bread with extra Rude Boy sauce on the side.
The truck only serves Jamaican pop such as D&G Champagne Kola and Ting Grapefruit Soda, which will also be available at the River West restaurant.
Gough and Solano say the truck will continue to operate after the restaurant opens, as will the company's catering services.
