Volume 1

From the Keep ’Em Coming Back books

The Complete PR Guide

This page is a practical extension of Volume 1. The book explains the reasoning; this resource helps put it to work.

Read before using the section

The Kitchen Disclaimer

This section helps people ask better questions, organize work, and prepare for qualified review. It does not approve an operation or replace professional responsibility.

Food safety and regulatory limits

Nothing here is a permit, inspection, certification, HACCP plan, variance, process-authority decision, or determination that a recipe, pit, kitchen, food truck, cooling process, holding method, shelf life, packaging method, or event is lawful or safe. Current Texas and local requirements control.

Recipes and temperatures

Recipes are general educational specifications. Ingredients, equipment, product size, altitude, weather, pit design, calibration, staffing, and regulatory requirements change outcomes. Always use calibrated thermometers and current product-specific requirements. A barbecue tenderness temperature is a quality target, not a substitute for a safe-minimum requirement.

Allergens and dietary claims

Every ingredient, brand, substitution, fryer, grill, utensil, surface, storage area, and process must be checked. The absence of an allergen from a recipe description does not guarantee the finished dish is allergen-free. Do not make allergen-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, alcohol-free, health, medicinal, or nutrition claims without a controlled process and qualified review.

Wood, fire, and equipment

Use only positively identified, untreated cooking wood from a reputable source. Never use painted, glued, pressure-treated, construction, pallet, moldy, chemically contaminated, or unknown wood. Pit placement, ventilation, fuel, grease, propane, electricity, hoods, suppression, extinguishers, ash, hot surfaces, and overnight cooking require manufacturer, fire-marshal, insurer, and qualified professional review.

Costs, pricing, and business decisions

Cost calculators and menu guidance are estimates based on user input. They are not accounting, tax, legal, wage, insurance, market, or financial advice and do not guarantee sales, margin, demand, or profitability.

Emergency rule

When food source, identity, allergen status, time, temperature, water, sanitation, equipment, fire control, or product history is uncertain, stop service and obtain qualified direction. When required, discard the food. For emergencies, call 911.

Read before using Kitchen resourcesSafety, professional-use, and verification notice
Educational reference—not approval, certification, or professional advice. Recipes, wood profiles, temperatures, yields, costs, logs, checklists, and operating suggestions are general planning material. They do not replace the current FDA Food Code, Texas Food Establishment Rules, local health-authority requirements, permits, inspections, HACCP or variance approval, fire-code review, manufacturer instructions, insurance requirements, food-handler or manager training, or qualified culinary, food-safety, legal, tax, accounting, engineering, fire-protection, medical, or insurance advice. Verify every ingredient label and allergen; prevent cross-contact; use calibrated thermometers; use only known, untreated cooking wood from a reputable source; and discard food whenever time, temperature, source, identity, or safety is uncertain. Read the full Kitchen disclaimer.