Food Truck Spotlight

DC Pop Up brings halal flavors to Houston

Halal flavors aren't just in restaurants. They are now making inroads with food trucks.

Photo: DC Pop Up

November 4, 2026 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, Connect Media

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For Chanda and Patrick Muhammad, they won't settle for just one flavor. With their DC Pop Up truck, they combine concession foods with a creole flavor and halal friendly options. Check them out in today's issue of the Food Truck Spotlight.

Date Founded

05/2022

Location

Houston, Texas

How many trucks do you operate under this brand?

One.

How did you come up with the name?

My husband actually came up with the name. We joked about popping up in popular areas of Houston, slingin' Ling sliders. We joked about it while talking to our food truck builder. She loved it. She had 15 years of food truck building experience, so we trusted her. Our catering company is called Divine Creations (DC). During this time, after COVID, the pop-up concept was popular, so we settled on DC Pop-Up.

What prompted you to start a food truck?

This was a 20-year-long dream of mine. Food trucks were sort of new during that time. I envisioned having a slider truck because of my love of burgers. My husband encouraged me to go for it, and in 2022, after 20 years, we worked together to develop DC POP UP.

What's on your food truck menu? Why did you choose this cuisine?

Conscious Concession with a Creole Twist is our tagline.
I love concession-style food, but I hate the oils used to fry and the processed foods that are often used. I wanted to make unforgettable, delicious fusion-inspired concession-style foods. I am a Texas girl from a Louisiana world. I wanted to fuse Texas's diverse food culture with my Louisiana Creole food culture. Also, as a Muslim, I wanted to offer halal, mostly kosher concession options. I wanted our food truck to offer the best of three worlds: conscious, Creole, and concessions. I wanted to sell and promote concession-styled foods that offered an ethnic flair, fun, delicious, unique flavors that would leave patrons wanting more

Do you make all the food on the truck or do you use home-based kitchen or commissary space?

90% in the truck and rented commercial space

What's the best part of being a food truck operator?

Flexibility and low overhead are the best parts..I love that we can move our business . We can go to the people and not have to sit and sit until someone comes to us.

What's the worst part of operating a food truck?

Visiting the commissary each time we move is challenging. I'm super excited about the statewide change. It is a business-changing experience. Eliminating the hassle of multiple licenses is epic.

What lessons have you learned since launching the truck?

Prep, prep, prep. Be ok when things happen. Be ok with not satisfying everyone. Be ok with long lines; that means money, and your food is good.

Is there anything you would have done differently at the start?

Prepped major items prior to starting the day instead of doing everything while open. Learn how to manage the truck using an SOP early on with 3-4 people rather than 6. We now work with 3-4 at almost any event.

Any tips/advice to others thinking of launching a food truck?

This is a true labor of love. Be ready for physical and mental work along with long hours. Be ok with things not working out how you would like. Learn customer service skills; it's imperative to be successful. Things may happen that you may not be able to control. Learn to relax, release, and pivot gracefully.

Do you have any anecdotes about running a food truck — any unique interactions or special events you've been booked at?

Be sure to set standards for your events. We only work our truck on weekend festivals, private events, and sporting events. Time is money. It's ok to say no. Stick to your concept and your own SOS and guidelines. People try to make you do something different, because you can, but do it only if it makes sense for your business. If it does not make you a profit or promote your business, it's not worth the physical and mental work involved with your truck. Develop criteria for private events. As an example, private events must have at least 100 people or more and a $20 per person minimum. You can custom-design your menu, but try to stick to what you already serve on your truck. This keeps your costs/expenses down and reduces training time for employees.

About Bradley Cooper

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Bradley Cooper is an experienced editor for Connect Media. He has written across a wide range of beats, ranging from food to digital signage to banking, and is the current editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing. When he’s not crafting a story, you can find him going for a run or spending time with his wife and three sons. 

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