UPDATED: Fort Worth food truck The Wiener Man packs up his buns

The owner says the food truck market in DFW is "very tough."

Photo by Terry Eddington

The Crunch Wiener from Wiener Man

FORT WORTH — The Wiener Man, one of Fort Worth's first food trucks, announced Monday they’re rolling far, far away from DFW. Owner Bryce Tomberlin is moving to Lake Tahoe where he’ll work in a kitchen – one that doesn’t move.

We billed The Wiener Man's food as "hot dogs for people who don't like hot dogs" in a summer 2012 review. Their gourmet dogs come on Empire Bakery buns. The Chips and Gouda dog -- a hot dog with spicy chips and melted Gouda -- put content partner Food Truck Connection in hot dog heaven.

Tomberlin is selling his food truck and his hot dog cart.

UPDATE: Tomberlin said Lake Tahoe is "where my heart belongs." A former ski instructor there, Tomberlin plans to work in a few kitchens and go to culinary school.

Photo by Terry Eddington

Wiener Man food truck

Tomberlin calls DFW "a very tough market" for food trucks. He sees a trend of new food truck owners following the veterans in the business, which means business is concentrated in places like the Dallas Arts District or Fort Worth's West 7th area while missing out on areas like the Mid-Cities or Azle, he said.

He also noticed an over-representation of tacos, hamburgers, and hot dogs in the DFW food truck market. He yearned to make other types of food, but knew it wasn't possible with his current business model. "It's really hard for us to offer anything else when our name is Wiener Man," he said.

Tomberlin is planning one last hurrah in early December with The Wiener Man, during which he hopes to feed his regulars one more time and raise some money for his move North. "I'm standing here looking at a lake that's one of the most gorgeous in the world, surrounded by snow," he said by phone from Lake Tahoe. "It's bittersweet -- I'm sad to see [The Wiener Man] go, but now I'll be able to make better food."

Shannon Sutlief contributed to this story.