CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A new Texas law will replace local food truck health permits with a single statewide license starting July 1, but at least one vendor says the change comes with a significant price increase.
The Food Truck Freedom Bill, which takes effect July 1, replaces local food truck health permits with a single statewide license issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The change is intended to create a more uniform health permitting system across Texas.
Under the new system, food trucks are placed into 3 classification tiers based on how their food is prepared. Those classifications also determine how much vendors pay under the new statewide system.
Daniel Pena, who operates Chicagos' Cater, said the cost increase under the new tier system has been significant.
"We were doing $225 here and now it's $1,836. That's an 800% increase. That's just the health permit."
Pena said the tier system changes what vendors pay depending on their setup, and argues food trucks should be treated more consistently.
"We were all paying the same price. Why are we now paying different prices across the state for the different permits? Like why are, why are they separating us that way when we're all mobile food trucks? Why don't we have one definite price for everything?"
While the health permit is now standardized statewide, vendors must still obtain additional local permits depending on where they operate.
"It doesn't take away your fire marshal permit, it doesn't take away your mobile vending permit or whatever the city labels you as…there's a lot more to it, it's just one permit that they've signified," Pena said.
Pena said the biggest impact could fall on vendors who don't travel between cities and are required to pay higher classification fees under the new system.
"If you're stationary and you're stuck paying that type 3 permit and it went from $200 to $1,836… that's a big jump. Do you have $2,000 just to give away like that? You know, we pay for fees, we pay for travel, we pay for fuel, we pay for all the permits just to go from one city to another city."
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