Texas Tech Unveils New One-of-a-Kind Food Truck

Texas Tech University’s Hospitality Services is adding a new feature to campus with its StrEat food truck, the first school-owned food truck in the Big 12 Conference.

A branch of the established StrEat eatery in Texas Tech’s Student Union Building (SUB), the food truck offers a unique, on-the-go menu with a variety of flavors. Menu items will change monthly, but some permanent food staples include a StrEat pita taco (fish or beef) and a Monte Cristo sandwich, both created by Hospitality Services’ Head Chef Dewey McMurrey.

The StrEat food truck will be open for business this fall and the locations will be announced at a later date.

“The StrEat food truck menu allows our culinary team to stay creative and diverse with what we serve on campus,” McMurrey said. “We will be able to change and add unique menu choices throughout the year.”

The idea for the food truck came about when Hospitality Services worked toward providing food to students who spend most of their days in buildings far from the SUB. The food truck provides meals for students in multiple locations and was cost-efficient in comparison to building a new eatery in only one area of the Texas Tech campus. Built from the ground up, the StrEat food truck was specifically created for Texas Tech by On the Move Trucks in Boerne.

Texas Tech Student Government Association President Hayden Hatch agrees the new food truck will be a great addition for students on campus.

“I am very excited to see the food truck around campus, making it easier for students to get food on the go,” he said. “This is another example of how Texas Tech is growing and meeting the needs of students on a daily basis.”

The StrEat food truck will operate Monday through Friday at various locations on campus. It’ll have permanent locations Monday through Thursday, and Fridays will be a roving day with the surprise location announced via Hospitality Services’ social media channels. StrEat also can be booked for campus catering events and will be available during weekend events such as Texas Tech football games.

When the StrEat food truck made its debut this summer in Chicago at the National Restaurant Association show, it was well received.

“Hospitality Services continues to be a leader in collegiate food service and at Texas Tech University,” said Kirk D. Rodriguez, managing director of Hospitality Services. “The StrEat food truck is another way for us to better meet the needs of the campus community by providing an innovative way of serving our students.”

The one-of-a-kind food truck provides many custom features including:

• A sustainable, mobile kitchen with a propane generator capable of lasting up to approximately two weeks.
• Enough room to comfortably fit four to six employees at one time.
• A slide out similar to an RV that allows point of sale and pick-up to be at eye level.
• An audio system that has zones so music can be played on one or both sides of the truck to not cause any disturbances.
• A digital sign for the StrEat menu, so it can be changed at any given moment.
• The Hospitality Services payment system will be used, so students, faculty and staff can use their dining plans.

The StrEat food truck also is part of Hospitality Services’ emergency operation plan and can be used as a mobile kitchen in the event of an emergency.

Follow Texas Tech’s Hospitality Services on Facebook and Twitter to find where the StrEat food truck will be located this fall.