Rockford’s Favorite Greek Food Truck Launches GoFundMe After Breakdown

The Olive Branch food truck has been serving up deliciously authentic Greek food all over the Rockford area for over 8 years, and this week they were dealt a challenge they might not be able to overcome without the community's help.

Food Truck Ownership Challenges

I may not be a food truck owner, but I do know that owning and operating a food truck in Illinois is not for the faint of heart.

Food truck owners are constantly juggling obstacles like insurance, permits, fuel and food costs, strict regulations that change from town to town, bad weather, seasonal slowdowns...I think you get the point.

With so many balls in the air, unexpected and major repair costs often lead to the end of a beloved food truck, and I really hope that won't be the case for The Olive Branch in Rockford.

Help The Olive Branch Food Truck

Earlier this week, The Olive Branch was traveling on 251 near Roscoe when the truck suddenly started producing heavy smoke. Thankfully, the smoke didn't come from a fire, but the real cause is far from minor.

In a last "Hail Mary" attempt to save their business, The Olive Branch owners, Bob and Michele Christidis, have started a GoFundMe that says:

Our truck had a major breakdown on the way to service in Beloit on Jan 6, 2026. Appears that we have a head gasket blown, with major repairs needed to various parts of the engine & fuel line that has been compromised.

As many of our customers know we have had recurrent starter problems & unfortunately been dealing with the botched transmission fix from a year ago which started this ball of frustration.