San Antonio food truck owner launches GoFundMe after brain tumor diagnosis

The fundraiser for the owner of Smack's Chicken Shack would cover his necessary travel and medical expenses.

click to enlarge Smack's Chicken Shack owner Keenen Hendricks poses with his two children. - Courtesy Photo / GoFundMe
Courtesy Photo / GoFundMe
Smack's Chicken Shack owner Keenen Hendricks poses with his two children.
San Antonio's chefs and restaurant owners help the community break bread. Now a member of San Antonio's restaurant scene is asking the community to spare some bread in return.

Keenen Hendricks, the owner of Smack's Chicken Shack, has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor and is reaching out to local foodies for support.

Hendricks, a father of two, started doing pop-ups in 2018 as Smackerel, and by 2020 had his own Smack's food truck serving up signature supersized chicken sandwiches. However, his brain tumor diagnosis has made the going tough both financially and for his family, he posted on a GoFundMe online fundraiser.

"As you can imagine, this diagnosis has been a shock to my family and me. We’re doing everything we can to fight this, but the financial burden is heavy," Hendricks wrote. "This is going to involve a lot of travel to specialist clinics and, of course, significant medical expenses."

Since the diagnosis Hendricks has had to step back from the business, but his main concern is his family. Hendricks opened a brick-and-mortar Smack's in 2021 but closed its doors a year later so that he could spend more time with his two daughters.

"M
y priority now is my health and making sure I’m here for my girls in the future," he wrote. "Your support, whether it’s a donation or simply sharing this page, would mean the world to us."

Hendricks started the GoFundMe page on Aug. 25. As of Monday, Sept. 2, he's more than halfway past his $15,000 goal.

The Smack's Chicken Shack food truck is located at 125 Lamar St.

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