"For years, many people assumed Hilltop was part of the Town of Northlake, but technically, we never were." Hilltop Truck Park posted that this summer when it announced it had signed a development agreement and was joining the town.
On a Saturday at FM 407 and Thompson Road, nothing looks different. The same trucks are parked in the same spots, and the same covered seating fills up. The agreement still matters, because it's the step the Arnold family said it needed before it could build the next version of Hilltop. That version is designed to replace the outdoor truck lot people know today.
The Line Moves in Two Pieces
The Cross Timbers Gazette reported on July 29, 2026 that the agreement incorporates the property into town limits. The town's own paperwork gives more detail. According to the September 24, 2026 Town Council packet, the Hilltop property covers about 57 acres in Northlake's extraterritorial jurisdiction. The development agreement was signed on July 23, 2026, and it counts as a petition for voluntary annexation in two phases. Each phase gets annexed once it receives retail water service. Phase 1 covers about 23 acres, including the developed area that already has retail water. The Phase 1 annexation ordinance and its public hearing were on the September 24 council agenda. The records reviewed for this post don't show how that vote turned out.
According to Hilltop, the truck park will also be the official home of Northlake's fireworks celebrations. Hilltop described that event as "an incredible hometown event" that it and the town are working on together. No date has been published yet. A fireworks briefing went to Town Council in August, and a fireworks-code amendment was on the September 24 agenda. Neither one names Hilltop or sets a date for its show.
A few smaller changes came with the agreement. Hilltop says the speed limit on Thompson Road is now officially 25 miles per hour. Hilltop also expects that joining the town will make it easier for visitors to find.
The real reason for the annexation came out months earlier. At the Town Council meeting in March, manager Trouper Arnold said Hilltop wanted an agreement that would give it access to sewer connections and other help from the town. "We've got a good idea about how to build it, but we need some help from the town on some things," he told council. On rural acreage, the location of the sewer line often decides what the land can become. The phased agreement applies the same logic to a family-owned entertainment property, because each piece of Hilltop joins the town only after it gets retail water service.
The family's history explains why the town was glad to sign. Arnold said his family has lived in Northlake for 57 years and that he grew up on the Hilltop property. The Arnolds started an RV storage business on the land in 2018 and have added new businesses one at a time since then. In March, Arnold estimated that the food trucks, the storage facility and Hilltop's other businesses together would generate about $80,000 to $100,000 in tax revenue for the town.
What's on the Lot Right Now
The current format is the one the plan eventually retires, so here is what it looks like today. Hilltop lists eight permanent trucks that serve daily:
- Indian Creek BBQ
- Gogi Time Korean BBQ
- El Villa Mexican Food
- Ice Ice Baby
- SAUCE'D
- Baja Quesadilla
- CHOW Gluten Free Truck
- CHIXN WANGZ
The bar's hours change through the week, so a Monday plan and a Sunday plan look different:
| Day | Bar hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Wednesday through Saturday | Noon to 10 p.m. |
| Sunday | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
The homepage also mentions covered outdoor seating and live music on weekends. Two markets run on a regular schedule: a Sunday farmers market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a twilight market every other Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m.
The newest permanent addition opened this spring. The March plan named a drive-through called Hilltop Coffee Shop as the first new building and said it should open before the end of April. The Gazette later reported that Hilltop's drive-through coffee opened in May. That puts it about a month behind the original target. It's also the one item from the March plan that has actually been built so far.
The Fall Calendar, With the Town's Event Alongside
Hilltop has three dated events between now and mid-December. The town's own holiday event falls in between them.
| Date | Event | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Oct. 17 | Halloween Bash @ Hilltop | Hilltop Truck Park | Free entry. Truck-or-treat, costume contest, bounce houses, face painting, stilt walkers, vendor market |
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | Barktober | Hilltop Truck Park | Starts at 5 p.m. Raffle and silent auction begin at 6:30 p.m. |
| Monday, Nov. 30 | Christmas at the Commons Tree Lighting | Northlake Commons Square | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., run by the Town of Northlake |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | Holidays @ Hilltop | Hilltop Truck Park | Free entry. Christmas market, bounce houses, snow machine, Santa and the Grinch from 6 to 8 p.m. |
Hilltop's site lists two different times for Halloween night. The event listing says 6 to 8 p.m., and the Halloween market listing says 5 to 9 p.m. The most likely reading is that the vendor market opens earlier and the costume and trick-or-treat activities run in the middle of the evening. Check Hilltop's events page before you leave.
Barktober is a fundraiser. Hilltop sells raffle tickets for prizes such as a grill from Huffines Subaru of Corinth, and all proceeds go to Easy Street Animal Shelter, which Hilltop describes as a nonprofit, no-kill shelter. You don't have to be there to win. The Christmas market on December 12 runs 5 to 9 p.m. on Hilltop's market listing, so it frames the 6 to 8 p.m. visit from Santa and the Grinch.
What the Agreement Is Meant to Unlock
Arnold presented the long-range plan to council in March. The Gazette described it as building out the rest of a 55-acre property, while the town's September packet puts the property at about 57 acres. The plan includes:
- The Hilltop Hangout. An indoor, food-court-style venue. Arnold said Hilltop would invite the 6 to 8 best-performing food trucks to move inside, and the outdoor truck space would be phased out. After that, Hilltop might add a small breakfast restaurant.
- A 9-hole, par-3 golf course. It would connect to the Hangout and be open to the public, and local school districts could use it for practices and competitions. Arnold said the plan is to water the course from a well so the town doesn't have to supply it.
- A live music and entertainment venue, plus indoor and outdoor playgrounds. Renderings also show an arcade area attached to the Hangout.
- A multi-level parking garage, built with materials that match the surrounding buildings.
- Road work on Thompson Road. Hilltop plans to replace more than a quarter mile of the road and all the existing roadways around its main building. Arnold said Hilltop will pay the $1.5 million cost.
- More self-storage units.
The first item on that list is the reason this fall matters. The Hangout plan doesn't add a new section next to the truck lot. It moves the strongest vendors indoors and closes the outdoor lot. Out of eight trucks today, six to eight would be invited, so whether the whole current lineup moves inside depends on which trucks perform best when the time comes.
Everything on that list is still a concept. The Gazette described the March meeting as mostly a presentation of the idea and its goals. Council members spoke in support, but the report doesn't describe any approvals. "I can't wait to see what you build and how it works out," council member Alexandra Holmes said. Mayor Brian Montini called the plan "exactly what we're looking for." The town records reviewed for this post through the end of September don't show a site-plan approval or a construction start for the Hangout or the golf course.
Why the Order of Steps Matters
The order the Arnolds followed is the same order any large land project follows. First they opened the businesses that worked on the land as it was, starting with RV storage and then adding trucks. In March they asked to join the town, because the next step required utilities and a formal agreement. The coffee drive-through opened in May, while those talks were still going on. The agreement they signed in July ties annexation to water service, one phase at a time. The parts that use the most water, like the golf course, are planned around a private well so they don't depend on the town's supply.
This fall, the truck park has a signed development agreement, a 23-acre first annexation phase that went before council on September 24, a free Halloween Bash on October 17, and is named as the future home of the town's fireworks. The outdoor lot is also the part of Hilltop the plan eventually replaces. For now, all eight trucks are still open seven days a week at FM 407 and Thompson Road, and the farmers market still runs every Sunday morning.
An annexation, a development agreement and a sewer connection can decide what a piece of land becomes, whether it's a 57-acre gathering place or a 5-acre homesite. If you're looking at a tract along the FM 407 corridor and want to know which of those steps it still needs, Ryan Stoddard can help you work through the access, utility and jurisdiction questions before you make an offer. Schedule a free consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
