BARNEGAT – A long-awaited project came to life recently at Barnegat High School with the opening of Benny’s Bengal Bites in the rear of the media center. The new bistro features cozy booths, comfortable chairs, and shiny new equipment, offering a perfect spot for students and staff to enjoy a meal or take a break. And it isn’t just about delicious food – it’s part of a larger mission to support the district’s adult students with special needs in gaining valuable work experience.
Nutri-Serve, the district’s food service provider, has created a delicious menu for Benny’s Bengal Bites. Breakfast options include maple waffle flatbread sandwiches, egg bites, and yogurt parfaits. For lunch, there are salads like Greek and Caesar and sandwiches like turkey bacon panini and grilled chicken bruschetta. The café also offers cold brew coffee, fresh fruit, and baked goods.
“The food services vendor (Nutri-Serve) has been great,” said Board of Education President Scott Sarno. “They had food the night we opened it, and it was restaurant quality.”
Beyond serving food, Benny’s Bengal Bites has been set up as a learning hub for students in the district’s Work-Based Learning (WBL) program. The initiative, designed for students with special needs ages 18 to 21 aims to prepare them for employment by providing hands-on job experience. Through the WBL program, these students work alongside staff from Nutri-Serv, learning essential tasks like cleaning, stocking shelves, and managing inventory in a supportive, real-world setting.
A sample of the many food items available on the Benny’s Bengal Bites menu. (Photo courtesy Barnegat Schools)
Tom Duralek, a teacher in the Barnegat School District since 2007, is enthusiastic about the new opportunities available for his students through Benny’s Bengal Bites. He sees the bistro as an excellent addition to another of the district’s in-house training experiences. CLAWMART teaches students to create and design school-branded apparel and merchandise. Part of the CLAWS initiative – Career, Learning, Awareness, and Workplace Skills – this program focuses on teaching job skills through hands-on, practical experience and is part of the broader WBL program.
Through CLAWMART, students have already designed a custom Benny Bengal tumbler, which customers can use to get $1 coffee refills at the café.
“Some of the students that are with me, I take to the middle school, Dolce or work with them here (in the CLAWMART space). They don’t really go out into the community yet because of a medical situation or because they’re not really to the point of being independent yet when it comes to working,” Duralek said.
The benefits of both Benny’s Bengal Bites and the CLAWMART are the opportunity for students to build confidence and work skills close to familiar teachers and job coaches before transitioning to community jobs. The district’s job coaches are specially trained paraprofessionals dedicated to fostering independence, employment skills, and life skills in these young adults.
There are seats and tables in the back of the media center for students to take their food and drinks. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Gage Bowe, 19, a recent graduate of Barnegat High School, is among the students assigned to work at Benny’s Bengal Bites as part of the WBL program. He has previously gained experience cleaning tables at Brackman Middle School and Dolce Bagel and Café in the community. Gage’s ultimate goal is to work at McDonald’s, although it isn’t among the 50-60 employers currently partnered with the WBL program to provide job opportunities for students.
The WBL program at Barnegat High School coordinates job placements throughout the area, allowing students to work at regular franchises like Dunkin Donuts, CVS, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Other local favorites such as the Barnegat Diner, Dolce, Susie’s Hair Salon and Vinnie’s Pizzeria have all made spots to help students develop real-world skills that prepare them for paid roles in the community. And the experience is invaluable – not just for the students but for their families, who have eagerly supported the initiative.
“Prior to going into administration, I was a special education teacher,” said Superintendent Dr. Brian Latwis. “I am excited that our district was able to provide this hands-on experience for our students.”
Benny’s Bengal Bites
The district’s plan to open a bistro sparked controversy when it was first proposed in January 2023. According to Sarno, he was among the board of education members who were initially unaware that one of the key objectives was to create an additional learning space for students in the WBL program.
Gage Bowe, seen with his teacher Tom Duralek, is one of the students learning new skills at Benny’s Bengal Bites. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
The bistro’s funding was to come from an estimated $600,000 surplus in the district’s food services account. State law limits how this money can be used, restricting it to food-related projects. The project’s initial estimated cost was $340,000.
“Our argument was that we didn’t think we should spend such a substantial sum of money on this,” said Sarno. “The public wasn’t aware of areas within our kitchens and our lunchrooms throughout the district that needed to be updated. We had concerns about the costs of replacing refrigerators and stoves that could run as high as $20,000 to $30,000.”
The bistro project was completed at a total cost of $276,936.82, significantly under the initial estimate. Of this, $185,959.62 was funded through the food service account, and $90,977.20 came from the general fund. Key expenses included $57,277.47 for millwork, $77,732.40 for equipment, and $50,949.75 for furniture, all covered by the food service account.
Board of Education President Scott Sarno and Superintendent Dr. Brian Latwis high-five Benny the school mascot near Benny’s Bengal Bites. (Photo courtesy Barnegat Schools)
The general fund covered plumbing costs of $41,886.00, concrete work at $13,118.20, and an additional $36,000 for miscellaneous supplies. The project achieved substantial savings while meeting its goals.
As for the bistro’s catchy name, students and staff were surveyed for creative suggestions. The name “Benny’s Bengal Bites,” inspired by the school mascot, was proposed by Patrick Magee, the high school principal.
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