Find a central preparation facility and make sure they meet the facility requirements below.
Fill out the Central Preparation Facility contract agreement and have it signed by the facility's owner or responsible party and notarized. You can search for active notaries public in your area on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
Bring the signed and notarized agreement to your permitting inspection.
Report any changes to your central preparation facility to Austin Public Health’s Environmental Services Division. Send your updated, signed, and notarized Central Preparation Facility contract agreement via mail, in-person drop-off, or email it as an attachment. If you email it, follow up by bringing in or mailing the original copy.
If you apply for a mobile food vendor permit in Travis County, but want to use a central preparation facility outside Travis County, fill out the Central Preparation Facility certification form, and have it signed by the health authority that oversees the area where it’s located.
Central Facility requirements
Even though mobile food establishments can prepare and serve food at different locations, they’re still required to have a central preparation facility. This is where mobile food establishments get services for their vehicle, which includes maintenance, storage, cleaning, and waste disposal. To receive a permit, it is mandatory to have a central preparation facility.
The operator of the central preparation facility must ensure these requirements are met:
- Maintain a current and valid Fixed Food Enterprise permit.
- Provide adequate waste disposal facilities for handling waste water, oil and grease, trash, and all other necessary waste, including an adequately sized grease trap. Get a WEIRS number through Austin Water.
- Provide a sanitary area for distributing potable water to mobile units.
- Allow the mobile vendor to bring the unit to the facility for servicing as often as needed.
- Provide sanitary food storage facilities for dry goods and items requiring temperature control.
- Allow foods to be stored overnight at the facility under approved sanitary conditions.
- If needed, provide mobile vendors additional storage for equipment and supplies.
- A central preparation facility must not be a residential home or a daycare facility.
- Food may not be prepared or handled at the central preparation facility unless the facility holds a separate, valid food permit at that location.
Log sheet
You must keep a log sheet and document all visits to the central preparation facility. Store the log in the mobile food establishment at all times. We may request a review of the central preparation facility log sheet at any time.