Soulcial Kitchen’s Food Truck Apprentice Program Goes National

Food is Love

Soulcial Kitchen’s DOL-certified Food Truck Apprentice Program, now adopted by the National Restaurant Association, empowers entrepreneurs nationwide for free.

For us, food has always been more than sustenance—it’s dignity, opportunity, and a pathway to a better life.”

— Brig. General (Ret.) John Michel

SWANSEA, IL, UNITED STATES, September 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In less than four years, Soulcial Kitchen has transformed an idea into a movement—training, equipping, and empowering dozens of graduates while helping launch seven brand-new food truck businesses. Today, we are humbled and honored to announce that the National Restaurant Association has officially adopted our pioneering program, making it available to aspiring entrepreneurs and culinary professionals across the country.

This is the first and only U.S. Department of

Labor–certified Food Truck Apprenticeship in America. What began as a local workforce development initiative to give people a dignified path forward—many from challenged backgrounds—has now become a national standard for excellence in mobile food entrepreneurship.

“For us, food has always been more than sustenance—it’s dignity, opportunity, and a pathway to a better life,” said Brigadier General (Ret.) John Michel, Founder of Soulcial Kitchen and President of the Food is Love Foundation. “We’ve seen firsthand how this program can change lives. Graduates don’t just learn how to cook or run a truck; they learn how to build a business, create jobs, and strengthen their communities. The fact that this life-changing program will now be available nationwide—at no cost—is both humbling and deeply exciting.”

Through this partnership with the National Restaurant Association, individuals anywhere in the U.S. can now pursue the only certified mobile food truck credential in the country—completely free of charge.

Soulcial Kitchen’s Food Truck Apprentice Program combines culinary training, business acumen, and hands-on mentorship to prepare graduates for real-world success. With the program now recognized nationally, the ripple effect of opportunity, entrepreneurship, and dignity will extend far beyond our own community.

About Soulcial Kitchen: Soulcial Kitchen, based in Swansea, IL, is a mission-driven social enterprise dedicated to transforming lives through food. From its award-winning Currency of Caring token program to mobile food initiatives serving hundreds of thousands of free meals, to workforce training that launches small businesses, Soulcial Kitchen exists to educate, empower, and restore lives.