A vintage solution
Brewery navigating pandemic with help of 1948 Ford truck
The old expression, “keep on truckin’,” that loosely translates as carrying on despite roadblocks and setbacks, was made famous by artist R. Crumb, who adapted it from a 1936 blues song for use in a 1968 comic.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in plenty of setbacks and roadblocks in the hospitality industry, one establishment that keeps on truckin’ is Open Outcry Brewing Company in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood. Part of its pandemic story involves an actual truck, a 1948 Ford F5 pickup, that joined the business last year.
John Brand, who grew up in Frankfort and now lives in the Morgan Park/Beverly area, established Open Outcry in 2017 as a craft brewery, restaurant and taproom serving beers brewed on the premises along with pizzas, burgers and salads.
When the pandemic hit, like all dine-in facilities, Open Outcry had to close its doors at 10934 S. Western Ave. Brand immediately met with the staff to brainstorm ideas to keep everyone employed. Within 48 hours, the team had a system in place for curbside pickups and deliveries.
“It was a real challenge. We had some rough moments, a lot of uncertainty and fear. I’m proud that the team worked together and responded so quickly — that will be a good memory from the pandemic,” Brand said. “The South Side of Chicago is a great place — there are not many communities like this around the country. People really made the effort to support small businesses. The gratitude we have, all of us working here — I’m still working through this, I don’t even know what to say — it highlighted how special this neighborhood is.”
The vintage Ford also was a longtime part of the neighborhood.
Brand had his eye on the truck for years. It was parked on the street in front of a neighbor’s house, but owner Brian Enright Sr. wasn’t interested in selling.
Then one day in June 2020, Brand found the truck parked in front of Open Outcry. Enright told him to drive it around for a month and then they’d talk. Brand became the new owner a month or so later.
Brand appears to be the fifth owner of record for the 73-year-old, full size pickup truck known as the Ford Bonus Built, produced the first year the F-series was made.
The first owner was a small-town fire district that used the truck to transport a 500-gallon water tank to fight brush fires. Then it was purchased by a farm and used as a hay truck.
In the 1990s, the truck entered local history when it was purchased by the DiCola family for their farm. The DiColas have a seafood store and Olivia’s Garden greenhouse in the 107th block of South Western Avenue. The truck eventually stopped running and was left sitting in a ditch on the farm for five years until Brian Enright Jr., a worker at the farm, expressed interest and Bob DiCola gave it to him.
The Enrights towed it out of the ditch, and stored it for 10 years before finally starting to restore it. They replaced the engine with a 1950 version, replaced the brakes, worked on the bed and the body and painted it red, giving it the nickname “Little Red.”
The decision to sell the truck did not come easily for Enright.
“I would not have sold the truck to anyone but John Brand to use for his business,” Enright said. “It was not for sale, but we didn’t really use the truck, we drove it maybe 3 or 4 times per year.
“People like the truck, it’s fun. I thought it would look cool parked out in front of Open Outcry.”
Enright likes the idea that the truck now supports a local business.
“It’s like a moving billboard for Open Outcry,” Enright said. “John drives the truck by my house every day — I see it and I hear it.
I am happy the truck is out and being used. A vehicle needs to run, it can’t just sit. They did a great job restoring it.”
Carriage House Automotive Restorations in New Lenox worked with Brand to refashion the truck into the vehicular ambassador it is today.
“The truck was alive when we got it — it was functional and drivable,” said Tom Anderson, owner of Carriage House. “The first project was to get the engine and transmission running reliably. Then we did the custom finish and interior, which has to hit the mark with representing the business. We brought as much as we could of the design elements of the brewery into the truck, so it’s all one theme, one brand, that people will recognize.”
The colors, black and gold, and the logo of the business are obvious design elements, but there are some details that are special. The diamond pattern and yellow safety stripes of the restaurant’s metal stairs are replicated in the running boards on the sides of the truck. The rolled rims on the brewery’s crowler cans are repeated on the dashboard gauges. And the interior fabric recalls Brand’s love of puffy vests.
The weathered floor and side slats of the truck bed were left as is since they resemble the reclaimed barn wood used as accent walls for the restaurant.
In tribute to the truck’s history of hard work, Brand decided to keep some of the dents and dings even though, according to Anderson, they are usually smoothed out. Anderson had Brand pick which dents and dings to keep.
For vintage auto fans, pictures of and information about the truck and its restoration can be found on the Facebook pages of both Open Outcry and Carriage House.
Brand feels the truck is for the entire community to enjoy, and its role for Open Outcry is to keep the business before the public eye. Brand is open to any events where the truck — and pizza and beer — can make an appearance.
Premiering last year in time for the winter holidays, so far it has been used for Santa Claus visits and Christmas tree deliveries, St. Patrick’s Day’s festivities and Easter Bunny visits. The truck has appeared at events for first responders and medical personnel, and for birthday drive-bys and other impromptu parades. Brand occasionally uses it to personally make a food and beer delivery, and the customers come out to take photos.
Brand apologized for only one thing about the truck — it’s really slow so don’t get caught behind it. But speed isn’t important here, the journey and destination are.
Giving new life and purpose to this old truck by restoring it and using it to promote the business was one more way, both literally and figuratively, for Brand and the Open Outcry Brewing Company to keep on truckin’.