For more than 30 years, JJ Schill has owned and operated Valley Restaurant Equipment, supporting eateries around the state. Outside of his store, he and his son, Ryne Schill, are paying homage to their Midwestern roots, offering people a taste of Chicago classics, from Italian beef sandwiches to the iconic Chicago hot dog.
JJ’s on Maxwell is a food cart that has been serving Chicago-based foods and favorites since February 2024. Attached to Valley Restaurant Equipment on Maxwell Road, located in the River Road neighborhood, the cart is owned by JJ Schill, but is run by Ryne Schill, often taking orders, expanding the menu and crafting their one-of-a-kind dogs.
“I’ve seen a lot of things in my 35 years doing this, and always kind of hoped that something would kind of fall on our lap that would be productive for my family. I could have done a couple other trailers in the past, but they just weren’t right for the time and the people involved, but this one just turned out to be fantastic,” JJ says.
JJ has been a lifelong fan of the Cubs since growing up in Illinois, so the cart’s logo pays homage to the team through its similar design. The menu features Chicago-style dogs and sandwiches, using high-quality quarter-pound Italian beef dogs and custom-made poppy seed buns locally sourced from Reality Kitchen. Chicago dogs are known for their all-beef frankfurters, poppy seed buns and unique toppings, including yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, chopped white onions, tomato slices, a dill pickle spear and peppers.
JJ’s also offers homemade sloppy Joes, which they call the Sloppy Maxwell, Ryne’s Italian beef sandwich and, recently, a pulled pork sandwich. They also have waffle fries and their own house-made fry sauce. Breakfast is served until 1 pm with biscuits and gravy combos and biscuit sandwiches for the early birds.
When the cart first opened, it took a few months for JJ’s to develop a steady customer base, but now, only a year and a half later, the cart not only has its cherished regulars but also frequently caters for baseball tournaments at PK Park as well as concerts throughout the community. Ryne only had the help of his friend Drew Dutton when the cart first opened, but now the business has become even more of a family project with JJ’s granddaughter, Madi, working the cart throughout the summer as well.
“It was just a matter of letting my son, Ryne, cut his teeth in a kitchen that is 30 feet long and eight and a half feet wide, with some beautiful equipment inside,” JJ says. “And after a year and a half, I’d say he’s done incredibly wonderful work out there.”
With a menu that screams “baseball,” the cart is joining the big leagues. The cart will operate for the upcoming Ducks’ home football games at Autzen Stadium, and now that Ryne has finalized the menu, the cart is looking to cater more events and gain more exposure.
“I think most parents with kids that don’t work side-by-side or don’t even live in the same city, don’t have this kind of opportunity and I’m very, very grateful that I get to watch him outside my window, selling food and being himself and having a great time,” JJ says. Due to his lifelong fandom, JJ knew he had to pay homage to the Chicago Cubs before the keys were in his hands, set on slinging Midwest classics beyond the iconic Chicago hot dog.
JJ says people who moved from the Midwest to Eugene come back just to get the first Chicago dog they’ve had since visiting home.
“We’ve got a lot of sports fans around and they all dig the idea that there’s a sports place here that serves that kind of food because if you go to a ball park lots of stuff you can buy there for $20 and a lot of the stuff we have here is much better and obviously much cheaper.”
Now locals can enjoy some Midwestern classics while watching the home games in the comfort of Autzen Stadium.
JJ’s On Maxwell is open 11 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday at 1000 Maxwell Road. For more information, go to JJsOnMaxwell on Facebook.