Streator finishes 2nd in contest to bring Portillo's food truck to town

After jumping out to an early lead, Streator finished second to Peachtree City, Ga., in a nationwide contest to bring a Portillo’s food truck to the city.

The Chicago-style food vendor held a contest to bring a bus serving its Italian beef, hot dogs and fries to cities across the nation that don’t normally have access to their food.

Voting concluded April 30 with Streator as runner-up, placing ahead of Westminster, Colo., Superior, Colo., and St. Louis, Mo., on the leaderboard.

The Portillo’s “Beef Bus,” as it is known, is not in service at this time because of the spread of COVID-19, but Portillo’s noted when restrictions are lifted, it will not stop at all locations on the leaderboard.

“We will definitely take every vote into consideration for the future! Voting is closed now, but will resume again soon,” the company’s statement said.

Streator Walldogs organizers said they will let residents know if they hear anything from Portillo’s.

Portillo’s debuted the Beef Bus in fall 2019 with a visit to Fort Wayne, Ind., announcing a new location there to follow.

Organizers of Streator’s Food Truck Festival had hoped the Portillo’s Beef Bus would be able to make a trip to Streator for the festival. The festival, originally scheduled for May, has been rescheduled for July 18 – and even that date is up in the air because of COVID-19 restrictions.