News

Food truck in Hawaii mentors students

January 2, 2018

Students at Kealakehe High School are learning the food truck business under a public-private partnership at Kua Bay in Hawaii, according to the Hawaii Tribune Herald.

Pono Grindz, a healthy eating food truck that opened last December, provides students with hands-on learning. 

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources recently gave the truck permission to continue operating through Dec. 6, 2018, under a program with the department's Division of State Parks and Kealakehe High School's Culinary Program Healthy Eating Living Pono project.

The students make meals for the food truck in the department's certified culinary arts kitchen, with proceeds benefiting the culinary program. The meals are served to students at the Kealakehe High School campus.

The students have the option of being mentored by Chef Mike Haren in the food truck or Julie Ziemelis, of Ziemelis Communications, to work on social media and marketing. Eight students are signed up to work at the food truck during the next month.

Haren, who is also a chef at a private club, leads the food truck, along with his wife, Serene Newman.