Dallas City Council amends food truck regulations

by Stephanie Hawkes of DFW Food Truck Foodie

No more frozen chicken or seafood.

Photo by Stephanie Hawkes

Sushi from Good Karma Kitchen

Good news for food trucks this morning -- the Dallas City Council approved two ordinances that would:

1. Allow a professionally retrofitted or converted vehicle to be used as a "mobile food preparation vehicle" if it met certain standards and requirements.

2. Allow the preparation and service of poultry, raw seafood, and certain other items not currently permitted on food trucks.

These changes do not open up the flood gates to all mobile vehicles that sell any and all food; there are still strict provisions in place to ensure food safety and quality. However, this change will allow trucks like Good Karma Kitchen and others that are converted or retrofit by a person in the business of doing truck conversion to obtain a permit to operate in Dallas, so long as they meet the other requirements.

The second change will lift a ban that unfrozen poultry or seafood can now be served on trucks. Previously, poultry and seafood had to be frozen at the time of cooking. I’m hoping this means a sushi truck will soon be coming to Dallas.

A mark-up of the approved regulations can be found on the Dallas Council agenda, item number 90.