SAN ANGELO, Texas — Troy Klausner spent eight years in the kitchen cooking up tater tots, fried pickles, "smashburgers" and more. His restaurant, Sunset Grill, was a well-known location in San Angelo where his son, Kurt, and his four other children spent the majority of their childhoods.
"Sunset Grill, my parents started that when I was in diapers," Kurt Klausner said.
As a child, Kurt recalls serving ice cream to customers and learning how to fry food at the restaurant. Even in his younger years, he knew he wanted to work in the food industry long-term.
"I always joke with people that I was born with a football in one hand and a spatula in the other," Kurt said.
In 2013, Troy officially closed the doors to Sunset Grill but in 2022, Kurt decided to partner with his father to create the Sunset Jr. food truck.
On Jan. 12, 2022, the food truck began business with only three items on the menu. Now a year later in 2023, the father and son have grown their operation exponentially in the parking lot of Fiddlestrings Bar & Patio, 3301 Arden Road.
For Kurt, this often means being creative with menu items such as specialty burgers. His favorite option on the menu is the Hawaiian Cheesesteak, which is essentially a barbecue pizza on a sub.
The truck is open weekly from Tuesday-Sunday and orders can also be made online and through delivery apps such as DoorDash.
Kurt says he has good chemistry working with his father, who has taught him a lot about how to run a business. However, there is some pressure to uphold the family legacy.
"I feel like Sunset Grill has such a good reputation so there's definitely pressure to uphold that," Kurt said.
At the same time, he knows he is building off a solid background of business.
After a year in operation, Sunset Jr. continues to serve San Angelo with fried foods, burgers and a passion for sharing with others.
