Distant Relatives

Austin Food Truck Distant Relatives Expanded With No Investors | Eater

"Started by Damien Brockway as a backyard-inspired project in 2018, this Austin operation evolved from a 2020 home pop-up (with pickup coolers and Venmo payments) into a full food truck in 2021 and now employs about five people. The menu highlights the flavors of the African diaspora and modern African American cooking informed by smoked backyard meats, with an emphasis on large subprimal cuts and whole-animal use—tallow, smoked bones, and rendered fat are repurposed into sausages and sides to control costs. Despite being the sole investor to retain creative control, Brockway has racked up major recognition (Eater’s Best New Restaurants in America, a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and two James Beard semifinalist nods) while managing tight margins typical of barbecue-focused trucks: roughly 35% food cost, higher operating costs from disposable service and limited beverage revenue, and tricky items like brisket that can draw customers but squeeze profitability. Early pop-up lessons forced him to formalize recipes and yields, and although past expansion and equipment purchases were costly, the business is now profitable and deliberately preparing to prove it can shoulder more debt before pursuing a brick-and-mortar location." - Eater Staff