YORK COUNTY, Pa. — In March, when Governor Wolf ordered the closure of indoor restaurant dining, Toni Calderone, CEO of York-based ONE Hospitality Group rose to the occasion and modified their business model to bring their services 'to the streets' during the pandemic.
"I just knew that I couldn't let this be our demise. We had come so far and have so many more plans for growth. I knew we had to get creative- and do it fast," Calderone said.
The team collected all their remaining food, equipment, and staff and set up new centralized headquarters at their commissionary kitchen location. They built an online store and started delivering orders, including groceries. But when the lockdown continued into late spring they had to change their business model again.
The pasta food truck, Rig-a-Toni, was filled with bags of fresh pasta, jars of sauces, salads, and more. The truck was driven around neighborhoods selling all the ingredients needed for a family meal. They even created an Instagram account with a live map tracker to help people track their whereabouts.
"The support and following that we received for the truck blew us away! We had whole neighborhoods that would plan driveway happy hours in anticipation for our truck coming because it was the main event of the week,” said Calderone.
As COVID-19 numbers began to rise in the fall the team changed their plan once more.
"The hospitality industry is here to serve our community through thick and thin. While we’re definitely hurting right now, we recognize that so are others. We decided to partner with Give Local York to give back to our community in this uncertain time. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we’re always stronger in numbers," says Calderone.
Give Local York is a 24-hour online giving spree that benefits hundreds of nonprofits in York County. It is the largest one-day "give" in York’s history. With their help, “the Rig” was able to set up weekday fundraisers to benefit partnering organizations.
During this winter, the Rig-a-Toni truck will be parked in various key locations across York County selling bags of Tutoni's Flour Shop fresh pasta, jars of sauces, and other ingredients that make up a family meal.
Customers can participate in "Feed your family and feed your community" which donates $5 to a local nonprofit with every second bag of pasta purchased. With every third bag of pasta purchased, $5 will be donated to a local small business.
Rig-a-Toni's schedule and corresponding beneficiaries are published weekly on the food truck's Instagram page @rigatonitruck.
