Where Is Elburn, Illinois?
by Eric Davies
Opinions expressed in this articles do not necessarily represent the point of view of Best Served. In furtherance of bringing more voices to the table we are committed to sharing varied thinking throughout the industry.
Where the hell is Elburn, Illinois? This is a question we get asked often around here. In fact, in the next town over, folks proudly wear their “Where the hell is Maple Park?” gear, proud of their remoteness. Most folks who have lived here for a long time will tell you that it’s not the same town from 20 years ago. Census data shows the population doubling every 10 years since 2000 and a newly constructed interstate interchange close to town signals an ever-westward sprawl of the Chicago suburbs. Folks here grew up in a rural farm community, but now wake up to an ever-growing proto suburb. If you measure a town by its number of stoplights, or local bars in some cases, you might say Elburn is an emerging market with lots of growth potential. Elburn is not my hometown nor the town I grew up in. In many ways we look for a destination, but in this case, Elburn found me.
My favorite experiences with customers in this area are the personal connections we make. The family with little kids who are friends with my son or attend the same school. The local daycare who has brought in their students for a pizza kitchen field trip. The car mechanic who prefers our real handmade food over the red and yellow drive thru next door and orders every day. The teenager who tries our food, relates to us on a foodie level, and posts a pic of them enjoying their meal on Instagram. These are the bonds we live for at Puff Truck Pizza, making a fun, meaningful connection with every customer, every time.
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Eric Davies is a self-made restaurateur in the western Chicago suburbs. He created Puff Truck Pizza in 2016 to bring more fun into the world. Eric has an associate’s degree in communications from College of DuPage, has worked in corporate America for over 15 years and has family roots in the Kane county area dating back to the 1950’s when his grandfather owned and operated several restaurants locally. He is a proud father, husband, self-taught musician and cook. Eric is creatively driven to make his concepts a success and has big visions for the future.
