Launching a food truck business is a challenge in itself.


But launching a food truck business in Houston, Texas — one of the top food truck cities in the nation? That’s a whole other beast.


That doesn’t seem to phase George Salais, though. Armed with a unique concept and a commitment to present his brand in the highest possible standard, Salais is starting his food truck journey on a strong foot. He recently joined dozens of other food truck owners across the country who have trusted TentCraft to outfit his business with a custom-printed pop-up tent — also called concession tents — to better stand out at events and build his brand.


Salais purchased TentCraft’s medium-duty mightyTENT with a custom-printed roof, a full-sized back wall, two half-walls for the sides, and a branded table cover with his business’ logo neon pink logo.


We chatted with Salais to learn more about his business, H-Town Hibachi, and why he decided to work with TentCraft.


TentCraft: Thanks for chatting with us George. Tell us about your business. What’s the concept?


Salais: We’re called H-Town Hibachi and, as the name implies, it's a hibachi truck. That’s something Houston doesn’t currently have, so I think it can be really popular. People are going to be drawn to the smells and to those sounds of sizzling food.


TentCraft: What stage is the business at now?


Salais: Well, my food truck is being built out right now, but I don’t want to sit around waiting for it to be done. I want to start building the brand now, which is why I purchased the tent. I need to start building my following now.


TentCraft: So, no truck right now — where are you setting up your concession tent?


Salais: I’m only a couple of weeks into this, but I’m doing pop-up events at different bars and retail shops. Bars are a great place for people to try your food and I think this hibachi offering is going to be something different that people are going to love.


TentCraft: Why was it important for you to have a branded pop-up tent?


Salais: I thought it was really important to have a branded concession tent because it’s not just advertising for the feet on the street — it’s this added layer of professionalism to your business. Perception is everything in this business and I want to look like the best option out there. If I’m set up next to a blank (stock) tent, I’d like to think the people are going to come to my stand.


TentCraft: And then what happens once your truck is ready?


Salais: When the truck is ready, I’ll still be using the tent at special events and will likely set it up outside the truck for that extra layer of professionalism.


TentCraft: How did you come across TentCraft?


Salais: I started with a Google search and was flooded with results. It was actually overwhelming. But I started researching different companies and realized that most of the tent companies will print your graphics on the canopy, but that everything else was shipped over from China. The fact that TentCraft handled all the manufacturing in-house was a big selling point for me — I really liked that.


TentCraft: What did you appreciate most about your experience with TentCraft?


Salais: The actual interaction with people. Many of these tent sites are faceless, but from the start of this, I had a sense that I was dealing with people. It was just a great experience from start to finish. I’m also a veteran, so I appreciated that TentCraft is a veteran-owned business.


TentCraft: That’s great! Thank you for your service. And what was your initial impression of the tent?


Salais: Oh, it looks amazing. It seems very durable and very professional. I know it’s going to set me apart from the competition.


TentCraft: Thanks for chatting with us. Best of luck with your business!


Salais: Thank you!