That Pop-Up Restaurant: Innovation in a Summer Feeding Program

Objective: That Pop-Up Restaurant Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) was a federally reimbursed program that first served healthy meals to families in a rural Kansas community during the summer of 2017. The program aimed to empower communities to address child hunger by reducing stigma concerning food assistance and providing high-quality, nutritious meals to families. This pilot was developed to increase low utilization rates of summer feeding programs. Methods: An ecological approach was implemented to engage students and families. Program innovations included an open menu ordering format with paid adult meals and proper food storage while maintaining USDA’s nutritional requirements. Additionally, the menu options exceeded fruit and vegetable requirements. Results: On average, 9.6% of youth who participated in the free and reduced-price lunch programs participated daily in summer nutrition during the 2016-2017 school year (FRAC, 2019). Comparatively, That Pop-Up Restaurant’s pilot had over 25% of eligible youth participate in the program one or more times. Conclusions: That Pop-Up Restaurant summer food service program showed promising results for the target population and program developers aim to replicate the program in various communities.