Contact: Brian Enevoldsen, 806-651-8500, [email protected]

Copy by Adam Jiwa, 806-651-8503, [email protected]

AMARILLO, Texas — Mobile restauranteurs are invited to serve up some feedback at the WT Enterprise Center’s first Food Truck Owner Meet-Up.

The event will run from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 16 at the WTEC, 2300 N. Western St. in Amarillo.

The event is open for all food truck owners, who may RSVP for the event at tiny.cc/FoodTruckMeetUp.

At the catered meet-up, business owners will be offered a tour of WT Enterprise Center facilities and asked to provide responses for ideas to provide services to them.

“Often food truck owners have to prep their products in the confines of the mobile kitchen,” said Adam Jiwa, marketing manager/coach for the WT Enterprise Center. “We have kitchen facilities that can be utilized by owners so that they can continue to produce safe, quality food products for their customers.”

The WT Enterprise Center facilitates two certified commercial kitchens which serves as food production space for Change Nutrition, Sweet Jeans Pantry, Mitch E’s, Sweet Revenge Mustard, Hope Springs Gourmet Crackers, and Amarillo Enterprize Challenge winner Skip’s Salsa, which now supplies supermarkets including United Supermarkets, HEB, and many Wal-Mart locations across the Texas Panhandle.

“The City of Amarillo has nearly 200 permitted food trucks on file, and we would love to hear how we can help support them,” said Brian Enevoldsen, WTEC managing director. “Whether they are prepping for a big catering event or just for the day in the truck, we want to gain their insight into what needs they have and how we might meet them.”

Until now, the WTEC commercial kitchens have operated solely for state licensed food manufacturers. Based upon the need within the community for a commissary, the kitchens will now serve a much broader entrepreneur base and aim to make it possible to comply with all city health ordinances. The WTEC desires to provide support and opportunity for all entrepreneurs to pursue their business.

“The Texas Panhandle does not have a kitchen commissary for food truck vendors to store dry goods, wash pots and pans, dispose of used vegetable or cooking oil, or perform kitchen prep in a food safe environment,” Jiwa said. “This event will allow us to listen and learn more about local food truck vendors and their needs so they can continue growing their business.

WTEC is a department of WT’s Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business and works side-by-side with America’s SBDC at WTAMU in supporting economic development throughout the Texas Panhandle.

WTEC provides Panhandle entrepreneurs business coaching, access to facilities, access to capital, and various other trainings and programs to assist them in growing companies with strong leadership. WTEC also aims to provide opportunities for college of business students to intern in local businesses showing them first-hand the hard work and dedication entrepreneurs must have to be successful.

WT is committed to serving the region and well beyond with successful entrepreneurs and business leaders who are empowered to lead others. Partnering and retaining community businesses to improve the quality of life in the Panhandle and beyond is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021 — has raised about $110 million.