OinknMoo BBQ food truck in front of Lake Highlands High School
Lake Highlands High School grad David Hunt’s BBQ food truck business was booming before it went up in flames earlier this month. Now fellow Wildcats are rallying to help him bring back the BBQ.
For the past couple years, David Hunt, class of 1990, has been operating a smoking-hot BBQ food truck. He opened OinknMoo BBQ in 2013 to rave reviews from Dallas critics and meaties (like foodies, but ones keenly focused on the proteins).
I’ve never met Hunt in person, but it is clear from this Q&A that he is a fun guy. That makes his recent patch of bad luck — which, he says, could end his BBQ business altogether — especially regrettable.
“We were gearing up for a monster fall season. Preparing for our biggest week in our history, when our smoker caught fire and spread throughout the entire interior of the kitchen,” Hunt explains. “It decimated everything. We have to start from scratch to try and rebuild and, while we do have insurance, which will cover some costs, it will not cover everything. The damage was so severe that we very possibly may not be able to come back.”
The fire appears to be electrical, Hunt says, adding that the cost of repair might exceed the insurance payout by as much as $50,000.
In a last-ditch effort to save the food truck, Hunt tried something that has helped other struggling small business owners — he created a Gofundme.com fundraising page, where he relayed his story and asked for help.
A friend shared the plea on the Lake Highlands High School alumni Facebook page, and Hunt received immediate support in the form of contributions ranging from $10 to $100, many from former classmates, along with notes of encouragement. “Here’s hoping all works out for you and the BBQ,” writes Brian McCrea, who donated $75. “… May this somehow be a blessing in disguise,” wrote Jennifer Hamilton, who gave $100.
“The outpouring from the Lake Highlands community has been awesome,” Hunt says.
At this rate the truck could be on the moo-ve again soon. Visit the OinknMoo Facebook page to track updates.
