OSHKOSH, Wis. — After an official ribbon cutting, the first customers of the Brewing Futures Mobile Cafe placed their orders on Tuesday. The mobile cafe a new food truck run by the special education department with the Oshkosh Area School District.
Natalie Lelinski is one of the students working inside the food truck.
She spent Tuesday calling out orders for her friends to make.
“I like it here with my friends and a lot of people," Lelinski said. "If they want a drink... they order it and we make it for them.”
The Brewing Futures Cafe menu has everything from different flavored lemonades, to fancy iced coffees and macchiatos with whipped cream on top.
It even has Dairy Queen Dilly Bars.
Cassidy McDaniels is a special education teacher with Oshkosh North.
While she works with the students on the truck, she said she’s just really there to help.
“These guys tell me what to do, I’m just kind of here to support, but they know what’s going on," McDaniels said.
The idea for the the Brewing Futures Cafe started about a year ago. Linda Pierron, the special education director for the Oshkosh Area School District, said it’s the first ADA accessible food truck in the country.
“Not only can wheelchairs work inside, wheelchairs can also pull up next to it," Pierron said. "All of our things are ADA accessible, so wheelchairs can turn; the truck designers had never had a request like that in the nation.”
In addition to learning how to make drinks, take orders and run the cash register, Pierron said these students are learning life skills they will use in jobs after they graduate.
“Soft skills and communication, cash register, inventory, planning, set up, take-down, etc," Pierron said.
Lelinski is excited to spend the summer working the food truck. She said she’s already learning a lot.
“I learned about like, if I need help, I ask one of my friends, ‘I need help,”' she said.
Her teachers said they couldn’t be more proud.
“They’re rockstars," McDaniels said. "It’s incredible. It’s very heartwarming and amazing to watch.”
To find out where the food truck will be, follow the Brewing Futures Facebook page.
The school said business and organizations in the Oshkosh community can book the truck for events through the school’s website.