Vandals keep tagging Chicago sandwich shop's truck with graffiti
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A small business owner in the Logan Square neighborhood said he has had it with taggers who keep vandalizing his work truck.
As CBS 2's Tara Molina reported, Freddy Pecoraro said the vandalism is cutting into his profits – and he said it is an even harder hit during the holiday season. Every penny counts for a small business, and the continued vandalism had added up.
Rosie's Sidekick Sandwich Shop, 2610 N. California Ave., has been serving Logan Square lunch for a decade now. They're known for their Italian sub, their meatball sandwich, and their muffuletta.
"It's really a great community," said Pecoraro. "It just sucks that stuff like this happens."
The catering truck for the sandwich shop has been hit by taggers and left covered with graffiti – over and over again. The sandwich shop uses the truck for deliveries, farmers' markets, and special events.
"It started out as like one through the summer. We'd clean it off," said Pecoraro, "and it's been over and over and over."
The truck has been hit constantly by taggers.
"They're street taggers. They're just people on the street – clubs, or groups - whatever they call themselves," Pecoraro said. "This is what they go out and do in the middle of the night."
It has already cost Rosie's Sidekick thousands. The most recent vandalism to which the box truck was subjected will cost $2,300 to repair, Pecoraro said.
Rosie's Sidekick has also been renting a truck so they don't have show up in the one covered with graffiti.
"Every day now, we have to go pick up and drop off a vehicle - a rental vehicle - when we could be spending that money in other places," Pecoraro said, "and that's what's aggravating."
Everything is adding up.
"it's a big chunk this year out of our pocket," Pecoraro said. "It's the holidays. I would like to give my employees their Christmas bonus - which they are still going to get - but it takes a chunk out of us, and moving forward with whatever we need to be doing."
Pecoraro has a message for the people who keep vandalizing the truck.
"Get your butt over here and scrub it off," he said, "because it takes time of out of my life, and my family time now, to take care of this."
Police said the tagging constitutes criminal damage to property under state statute.
