When COVID-19 challenged schools to rethink their lunch service, Ridgefield Academy’s Director of Food Services Paul Desiano found the timing perfect to launch a customized meal program. Paul and his team of chefs organized into 6 separate “restaurants,” each offering a different menu. Students order individualized, fresh-made, takeout-style meals via iPads from over 25 options ranging from grilled chicken sandwiches to Caesar salads to Vietnamese Pho noodles.

In order to streamline the process, Desiano teamed up with RA parent of alumni Jon Brennan, who generously donates the use of his MenuMavin online ordering app, to create an easy-to-use ordering system with the ability to write in special requests and the flexibility to periodically change the menu. RA's food continues to be made from scratch, including the grinding of the meat for burgers and meatballs and the making of the pizza dough, and is now individually packaged in recyclable food containers.