Keep ’Em Coming BackPractical help for Texas honky-tonks and dancehalls
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 Volume 1 Resources from this book

The Kitchen

The Texas Food Truck Field Guide

A practical operating guide for starting, licensing, building, running, booking, partnering with, and evaluating food trucks and trailers in Texas.

Start with the business model Open printable checklists

Start with the current rule

Statewide health licensing is one layer—not the entire operating approval.

Use the DSHS license process as the foundation. Then verify vehicle, property, parking, fire and propane, power, water, wastewater, servicing, tax, insurance, event, and alcohol requirements.

Open the current Texas DSHS Mobile Food Vendor page →

Choose your entry point

What are you trying to do?

The guide is designed for operators, venue owners, managers, event organizers, and consultants. Enter through the decision in front of you.

STARTLaunch or rebuild a truckChoose the model, menu, license type, vehicle, budget, and launch sequence.Start the launch path → LICENSEPrepare for DSHS inspectionBuild the packet, mock inspection, operability test, and corrective-action process.Prepare for inspection → VENUEPartner with a honky-tonkDefine site, food, alcohol, utilities, guest, money, marketing, and cancellation responsibilities.Build the partnership → EVENTEvaluate an eventChallenge attendance, model break-even, inspect the site, quote the work, and protect the route.Evaluate the booking → MENUSimplify the operationReduce station conflict, improve throughput, protect quality, and build a surge menu.Engineer the menu → MONEYPrice the truck correctlyInclude yield, packaging, labor, fuel, fees, travel, maintenance, and reserve.Build the economics →

Texas license types

Match the license to the actual food process.

TYPE I

Lower-risk prepackaged operation

Examples include prepackaged ice cream and non-TCS snacks. Confirm exact product, packaging, storage, source, and DSHS classification.

TYPE II

Limited handling or prepared-to-order service

Examples include coffee, snow cones, hot dogs, and certain commercially processed products that are held, thawed, or reheated.

TYPE III

Full preparation and cooking

Examples include burger, barbecue, and taco trucks that prepare, cook, hold, cool, reheat, or perform other approved processes.

Verify before relying: descriptions and fees can change. Use the current DSHS page, application, rule, and inspection instructions for the exact vehicle and menu.

Build in the right sequence

The operating roadmap

1DemandGuest, occasion, location, schedule, repeatability.
2MenuProcess, equipment, speed, yield, allergens.
3LicenseDSHS type, application, records, inspection.
4VehicleFlow, sinks, tanks, power, fire, weight.
5EconomicsContribution, labor, travel, fees, reserve.
6RepeatTraining, records, events, partnerships, review.

The complete guide

Twenty connected chapters

Read in order for a new operation or enter through the current pressure point. Each chapter connects regulatory verification, operational controls, records, and relevant free Tools.

01Choose the Business Model Before the Vehicle Start with the operation you intend to run—not the truck you found for sale.Open chapter → 02Texas Licensing and Permit Map Understand the statewide DSHS license, Type I–III classifications, fees, and the other approvals that may still matter.Open chapter → 03Application and Pre-License Inspection Build the document packet, vehicle readiness, and mock-inspection process before scheduling inspection.Open chapter → 04Vehicle Design and Equipment Design the truck or trailer around the menu, process flow, water, waste, cleaning, weight, and service demand.Open chapter → 05Commissary, Water, Wastewater, and Servicing Build a lawful resupply and waste-disposal system that works every operating day.Open chapter → 06Menu Engineering for a Small Mobile Kitchen Create a menu the crew, equipment, holding system, and service window can execute under pressure.Open chapter → 07Food Safety on the Truck Turn approved sources, employee health, handwashing, temperature control, cleaning, and allergens into one operating system.Open chapter → 08Fire, Propane, Electrical, and Generator Safety Coordinate equipment, fuel, ventilation, suppression, power, exhaust, and site controls with qualified authorities.Open chapter → 09Staffing and Service Flow Design roles, stations, queue movement, communication, breaks, and decision authority for a small crew.Open chapter → 10Pricing, Costing, and Break-Even Price the menu and events using finished yield, packaging, labor, fuel, fees, travel, maintenance, and contribution margin.Open chapter → 11Sales Tax, POS, Cash, and Records Set up location-aware tax, payment, closeout, recordkeeping, and cash controls.Open chapter → 12Events, Routing, and Location Selection Evaluate recurring sites, public events, private bookings, and travel before committing the truck.Open chapter → 13Food-Truck and Honky-Tonk Partnerships Write a partnership that covers the complete guest experience, site logistics, licensing, food, alcohol, waste, data, and cancellations.Open chapter → 14Insurance, Contracts, and Risk Transfer Use qualified insurance and legal review to define coverage, evidence, responsibility, and incident response.Open chapter → 15Marketing, Brand, and Guest Experience Make location, hours, menu, wait, partnership, service recovery, and follow-up easy to understand.Open chapter → 16Weather, Breakdowns, and Emergency Plans Decide in advance what closes the truck, who is called, what is discarded, and how guests and partners are informed.Open chapter → 17Opening, Closing, and Ongoing Inspection Readiness Use daily, weekly, and monthly routines to keep the vehicle ready for service and inspection.Open chapter → 18Alcohol and Beverage Boundaries Keep food-truck, venue, temporary-event, and alcohol-permit responsibilities separate and confirmed.Open chapter → 19Printable Food Truck Checklists Use practical startup, inspection, venue, event, opening, closing, and emergency checklists.Open chapter → 20Official Sources and Update Log Verify the guide against current Texas, federal, tax, alcohol, insurance, and safety sources.Open chapter →

Use the existing free Tools

Turn the guide into working numbers and documents.

Food-Truck Vendor EvaluatorReview a truck from the venue or event-organizer perspective.Open Tool → Event Break-Even CalculatorEstimate how much attendance and contribution an event needs.Open Tool → Recipe Cost CalculatorBuild batch and portion cost from actual ingredients and yield.Open Tool → Raw-to-Cooked Yield CalculatorMeasure trim and cooking loss before pricing.Open Tool → Food Menu Profitability AnalyzerCompare contribution, demand, waste, and complexity.Open Tool → Opening and Closing BuilderCreate a vehicle-specific routine with assigned roles.Open Tool →
Important: This guide is educational. It does not replace the DSHS license and inspection process, Texas Food Establishment Rules, fire or property requirements, TABC authority, tax advice, vehicle review, insurance coverage, or attorney-reviewed contracts.
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.