"Growing up my family got together to eat and socialize; it was always a good time and those memories inspired me to cook for a living."

- Frances Juru

CHEF/OWNER

Frances Juru

Chef Frances Juru is a Baltimore, MD Native who also grew up in Los Angeles, CA. When she was a child she discovered her passion for cooking but it wasn't until years later that she actually followed her dream. Frances attended a magnet school where she studied culinary arts. After high school she completed college and graduated Magna cum laude with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. She worked in corporate event planning after graduating and that is where she learned hands-on skills to manage and operate a business.
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After relocating to North Texas and giving birth to her second son; she decided to launch her own business "Smackin Mac" after making the signature Mac & Cheese dish for Thanksgiving dinner every year. Her family would rave about her Mac & Cheese and encouraged her to sell it. She started by serving her food in the amenity center of her housing development and it was a huge hit with her neighbors. From that point on she worked hard using a tent setup at various festivals throughout North Texas.

In 2021 she won best food vendor at the North Texas Fair and Rodeo. That same year she landed a contract with Six Flags Over Texas for special events like Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park. She's also had seasonal contracts with major Universities such as UT Arlington and Texas Women's University in Denton.
She's been featured on Texas Today on NBC, in DFW Child, Voyage, and Discover Denton. She is also a participating Chef at the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival every year. She has also won “Best Comfort Food” at the North Texas Food Truck Challenge and was the runner up at the Mac Attack Competition in Fort Worth. She has been featured on Fox News, ABC, and NBC.

​Frances moved from a tent to a food truck and has goals of moving from a food truck to a brick and mortar. She's now a single mom of 3 to Ben, Celise, and Aiden. She resides in Aledo, TX and has goals of expanding in the DFW Metroplex. Her ultimate goals are to help single mothers pursue their culinary careers and travel to shelters nationwide to provide meals to the homeless from her food truck. She also plans to open concessions inside of stadiums and airports.