The culinary students at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) have brought Munchiez Food Truck to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. to serve food at New England Patriots Games.
“Having the Munchiez Food Truck onsite at Foxboro Stadium was just one of the many collaborative projects that we’ve coordinated with the Patriots,” Director of Marketing and Communications, Steve Boucher said. Culinary students prepare food from scratch before game day and then serve the thousands of game-goers. “Every single person attending the games [has] to pass the truck,” Chair of Culinary, Vicki Connell said.
In the past, Munchiez Food Truck parked near Patriot Place among other vendors including Dunkin Donuts, Draft Kings, and Life is Good. It is “in an area for vendors who have a relationship with the team,” Connell said.
For 1 p.m. games, “we have to get there very early because of the massive amounts of traffic on game day,” Connell said. “We have to be there when the gates open for the tailgating crowd.”
Culinary students get realworld practice through this opportunity. “It was a great experience for students in terms of logistics,” Connell said, which also included determining the truck’s placement so it kept people engaged but at the same time did not disrupt the flow of traffic.
“Experiential learning is extremely encouraged at SNHU. Not only do we want students to gain knowledge in the classroom, but to also go out into the community and learn by doing,” Boucher said. “Having the opportunity to prepare and serve food for huge crowds attending an NFL game is an amazing experience that teaches not only culinary skills, but also customer service, problem solving, and decision making.”
The process of getting a health permit was meticulous. “[The] health inspector was very diligent because we were serving such a large crowd,” Connell said. The inspector looked at their garbage facility, checked for an acceptable number of gloves, ensured everyone working the truck was Safe Certified, and took the temperature of the food.
“The university and the Patriots signed a multi-year partnership that includes opportunities for SNHU students including internships, and guest lectures as well as educational community outreach programs throughout the region,” Boucher said.
“We very much value our relationship with the Patriots and the Kraft Sports Group in general,” Boucher said.
Director of Partnership Marketing, Stephen Thiel plays a major role in collaborating with the community to bring SNHU students educational programs like this. “Ultimately, providing experiential learning and access to beneficial opportunities is at the heart of anything we do,” Thiel said. “In addition, SNHU’s backyard is always going to be in New England. It’s important that we take care of our own community and provide resources where we can to underserved populations, assist our military servicemen and women, as well as continue working towards the University’s mission of expanding access to education.”
When Munchiez Food Truck is not serving food in Foxboro, it can be found on campus serving the late night population Thursday through Saturday nights. Like them on Facebook (Munchiez Food Truck at SNHU) for more details.