Stakeholder Meetings:

Meetings were held on March 19th, 22nd, 25th, 26th, and 28th of 2024 and were scheduled in Wichita Falls, Electra, Burkburnett, and Iowa Park, TX. These meetings are one of the early steps in taking the changes to the various municipality’s city councils. All meetings covered the same information. 

New or Changed Definitions (Bold indicates a change since the stakeholder meetings):

Bed and breakfast extended, bed and breakfast limited, caterer, off-premises catering function, central preparation facility, concession stand, cook-for-hire, delivery, farmer’s market, farmer’s market vendor, FDA Food Code, food contact surface, food establishment, frozen dessert (s), ghost kitchen (s), imminent hazard to public health, multi-departmental grocery store, mobile food unit, non-profit organization, pop-up food vendor, retail food establishment (restricted operation), retail food establishment permit, retail food establishment mobile (restricted operation), retail food establishment mobile, sampling, sample permit, shared community kitchen, state rules, third-party delivery service, temporary event coordinator, temporary event permit, vend/vending

New Permit Types:

1. Retail Food Establishment (Restricted Operation): Valid for 1 year.
2. Retail Food Establishment: Valid for 1 year.

a. Small: 0-2500 sq ft

b. Medium: 2501-5000 sq ft

c. Large: 5001+ sq ft

1. Retail Food Establishment Mobile (Restricted Operation): Valid for 1 year.
2. Retail Food Establishment Mobile: Valid for 1 year.
3. Multi-departmental Grocery Store: Valid for 1 year.
   1. Which may include a combination of the following endorsements:
      1. Deli
      2. Snack Bar
      3. Bakery 
      4. Meat Market
      5. Fish Market
      6. Produce Market
      7. Other Department 
4. Caterer: Valid for 1 year.
5. Ghost Kitchen: Valid for 1 year.
6. Pop-Up Food Vendor: Valid for 1 year.
7. Shared Community Kitchen: Valid for 1 year.
8. Frozen Dessert: Valid for 1 year.
9. Sample Permit: Add on to annual permit.
10. Temporary Event Coordinator: Valid for the length of the event not to exceed 14 days.
11. Temporary Event Permit: Valid for event duration not to exceed 14 days.
12. Concession Stand: Valid for 1 year.
13. Farmer’s Market: Valid for 1 year.
14. Farmer’s Market Vendor: Valid for 1 year.

Permit-exempt entities, such as non-profit organizations, shall still comply with all sections herein.

Other Changes:

The order of several items in the ordinance we changed to improve the flow. Some physical facilities standards copied over from TFER and Food Code to make them more accessible to business owners. Changes to the equipment standards. Certified Food Protection Manager shall be scheduled and available to the food establishment during all hours of operation as required in FDA Food Code, §2-101.11 and §2-102.12. Food Handler's cards are required prior to employees preparing or handling exposed TCS Foods. Food Handler's cards are not required for volunteers as long as they are working under the direct supervision of a person with a Certified Food Protection Manager certificate or food handlers certificate. A hybrid score placarding system that uses QR codes instead of a posted letter grade. Temporary food event standards copied over from TFER. Mobile unit regulations aligned with TFER mobile unit requirements. Elimination of the “outdoor mobile food court” section. Changes to the frozen dessert standards to align with the state and added dairy alternative. Bed and breakfast regulations copied over from TFER. A permit holder is not eligible to reapply for a food permit for 90 days following the revocation of a permit.