GiaVia Sweets Rolling Food Truck Business into Glen Ellyn

Cupcakes are coming to Glen Ellyn.

The Village of Glen Ellyn’s Board of Trustees has put the frosting on the cake for GiaVia Sweets, allowing the business to bring its hot pink cupcake truck to town. This will be the first food truck to set up shop in Glen Ellyn.

The board approved a temporary itinerant business license allowing GiaVia Sweets to sell its products one day a week from Nov. 21 through March 1, 2013.

Starting next week, GiaVia Sweets will be able to park its truck in the Advanced Auto Parts parking lot at 696 Roosevelt Road from 3 to 6 p.m. every Wednesday. The cupcake truck is allowed to use two parking spaces in the lot.

The father-daughter team of Carl and Carli Curatola run the business. The pair worked in the food industry for 13 years and then decided to take a break. After taking some time off and a vacation, the pair returned home ready for a new venture. They got the idea to open the business while watching the TV show The Great Food Race, which is about food trucks, according to the company’s website.

The business is based in Carol Stream, but GiaVia has a certified kitchen in Highland Park, Carl Curatola said.

“God gave us a really good pastry chef who used to work for Charlie Trotter,” he said, adding he is really proud of the product they provide.

Curatola’s granddaughter Giavanna helped influence the name of the business, he said. The truck usually offers eight cupcake flavors at any one time. It always has chocolate turtle and salted caramel, which are two top customer favorites, he said.

GiaVia Sweets has been working around the Chicago area, stopping regularly in Bloomingdale and Schaumburg, he said. The business has also done events at Nieman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. It also does other special events, such as weddings and will take special orders.

Curatola said Glen Ellyn is like home to him because he lived in town for many years and raised his children in Glen Ellyn. He also coached baseball and football when his kids were growing up here, he said.

He was pleased the village was willing to make it possible for the food truck to set up shop in town. The concept is still new and some communities are not as open to it. The village didn’t have a license for such businesses, but worked with the Curatolas so that the food truck can use the temporary itinerant business license. When the license expires, they will need to reapply.

Business in GiaVia’s other locations, like Bloomingdale, are booming, he said.

“We have a lot of repeat customers," he said. "I’ve been in the restaurant business for a long time and I will do whatever it takes to make people happy.” 

Unlike his other restaurant experience, Curatola said he enjoys working with his daughter in the cupcake truck.

“People smile when they leave the truck. It’s a fun product, it’s a fun concept,” he said. “We are having fun, and I can’t wait for Glen Ellyn.”

Starting next week, GiaVia Sweets will be open from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays at 696 Roosevelt Road. Learn more about GiaVia Sweets and like them on Facebook.