Custom Mobile Kitchen Trailer

When a big time Chicago real estate developer wanted to put a trailer on a downtown rooftop, we rose to the occasion with a custom mobile kitchen trailer.

Capabilities Demonstrated

Custom Fabrication

The Process

The Ask

During the winter of 2018, Chicago real estate developer Sterling Bay reached out to us about putting a trailer onto the rooftop of the Prudential Plaza building downtown. It was part of their renovation project to modernize the historic building. The idea was to utilize an Airstream trailer as a kitchen for the rooftop restaurant that employees could order from during lunch.

How We Achieved It

Perhaps the biggest project we’ve taken on to date, the main challenge lied in making the trailer fit with Chicago building code. To do so, we gutted the entire trailer, removed the wheels and axles, and rebuilt the trailer base to both accommodate appliances and be affixed to the rooftop. Next, we installed a three-piece cook line, refrigerator, prep space, and air conditioning.

The Result

Building out the trailer was only part of the job. Airlifting it 150 feet in one of the busiest parts of the city was the rest. We obtained permits to shut down Michigan Ave and Randolph St. and hired a Sikorsky S-58T helicopter to lift the trailer onto the rooftop. Since the helicopter had a 4,500-pound limit, we had to remove some of the heavier kitchen equipment and then reinstall it once the trailer was in place. When all was said and done, the trailer opened as a Federales Tequila & Tacos food truck.