Menu for Success

Rhode Island students to design, operate food trucks through RIDE’s $1.625 million initiative

For an investment of just over $1.6 million from the School Building Authority Capital Fund, RIDE can provide 13 school districts with food trucks and associated supports. The Menu for Success initiative will benefit communities at large by providing internship and job opportunities, concessions at games and work sites, presence at community events, fundraising and community service opportunities and more. Participating districts include Central Falls, Chariho, Cranston, Coventry, Davies Career & Technical High School, East Providence, Lincoln, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, Warwick, Westerly, and Woonsocket.

Pictured left to right: RI Governor Deputy Chief of Staff Joseph Almond, Family and Computer Science teacher Amanda Migneault, Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, Lincoln Superintendent Dr. Larry Filippelli, students Jayson Roy and Spencer Evans, Family and Computer Science teacher Frank DeCaro, Lincoln High School Principal Rob Mezzanotte.
Pictured left to right: RI Governor Deputy Chief of Staff Joseph Almond, Family and Computer Science teacher Amanda Migneault, Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, Lincoln Superintendent Dr. Larry Filippelli, students Jayson Roy and Spencer Evans, Family and Comput

 

Appetite for Equity 

Rhode Island's food industry is on the move! While Rhode Island’s food sector accounts for tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in sales annually, Rhode Island lags far behind in creating opportunities for people of color to own and operate restaurants. Only 2% of Rhode Island’s 14,000 restaurants are owned by people of color. Through industry exposure, RIDE’s Menu for Success initiative aims to open doors for students of color and increase the number of students who graduate with a defined plan for continued success.

Students from Davies Career and Technical High School Hospitality Career program celebrate the school being awarded funding for a food truck through RIDE's Menu For Success initiative. Joining them is Commissioner Infante-Green and RIDE Chief Operating Officer Mario Carreño.

Students from Davies Career and Technical High School Hospitality Career program celebrate the school being awarded funding for a food truck through RIDE's Menu For Success initiative. Joining them is Commissioner Infante-Green and RIDE Chief Operating Officer Mario Carreño. 

Area Career and Technical Center SkillsUSA students join Commissioner Infante-Green, WACTC Director Timothy Kane, Assistant Superintendent Bill McCaffrey, Superintendent Lynn Dambruch and WACTC Department Head Gene Kelly for a photo celebrating the Menu for Success opportunity.

Area Career and Technical Center SkillsUSA students join Commissioner Infante-Green, WACTC Director Timothy Kane, Assistant Superintendent Bill McCaffrey, Superintendent Lynn Dambruch and WACTC Department Head Gene Kelly for a photo celebrating the Menu for Success opportunity.

RIDE Deputy Commissioner Lisa Odom-Villella joins Woonsocket city, district and school leadership and students from the Woonsocket Area Career and Tech Center.

RIDE Deputy Commissioner Lisa Odom-Villella joins Woonsocket city, district and school leadership and students from the Woonsocket Area Career and Tech Center. 

Food Truck Initiative News Clipping

Menu for Success invites high school students to build their own business

 

Hungry for more?

In the News

Menu for Success is serving up a lot of interest! Take a bite of the news coverage:

December 20, 2022

The wheels are in motion! RIDE has been meeting weekly with school communities to discuss plans to bring food trucks to their high schools. Experts from the field have been extremely helpful meeting with teams and sharing their insight. The process to obtain and outfit the trucks is underway, and schools will soon begin to develop designs and logos for their trucks. RIDE is also working with partners across school communities and Rhode Island to plan an exciting food truck competition happening October 21 at Chase Farm in Lincoln. More to come on that. We are thrilled there is such a great energy surrounding this initiative that will benefit students and communities for years to come.

-The RIDE Team 

New year, new opportunities. RIDE, school administrators and educators met with Joe Boisvert, owner of Ocean State Concessions, to gain insight on how to efficiently plan for the operation of a food truck at their high schools. The group was grateful to leave ready to begin community engagement. Thank you to Cranston Area Career and Technical Center for hosting the meeting. 

-The RIDE Team

Rhode Island school administrators, educators and RIDE staff gathered at Cranston Area Career and Technical Center to tour a food truck and trailer and gain insight from industry professionals (Photo credit CACTC).

Welcome to the Menu for Success blog! Here, RIDE will share quarterly updates, as well as testimonials from school administrators, educators and students. We look forward to sharing the Menu for Success journey!

-The RIDE Team