Get a central preparation facility
Mobile food vendors in Austin must work with a central preparation facility and submit a signed, notarized contract to Austin Public Health.
This service is a part of:
Offered by: Austin Public Health
This service is a part of:
Even though mobile food establishments prepare and serve food in their mobile units, they’re still required to have a central preparation facility to get services for their vehicle. Services include maintenance, storage, cleaning, and waste disposal. To receive a permit, it is mandatory to have a central preparation facility.
Find a central preparation facility and make sure they meet the facility requirements listed below.
Fill out the Central Preparation Facility contract agreement and make sure it has a notarized signature from the facility's owner or responsible party. You can search for active notaries public near you on the Texas secretary of state’s website.
Include the signed and notarized agreement in your permit application.
As a permit holder, you must report any changes to your central preparation facility to Austin Public Health’s Environmental Health Services Division. If any information you filled out on the Central Preparation Facility contract agreement changes, you must update, sign, and have it notarized. Mail it to the Environmental Health Services Division or deliver it in person at the walk-in location.
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 preparation facility requirements
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 Water Environmental Integrated Recordkeeping System (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 in any format that documents all dates and times of visits to the central preparation facility. Store the log in the mobile food establishment at all times. Environmental Health may request a review of the central preparation facility log sheet at any time.