How Ty Moore Transformed Her Passion into a Restaurant thanks to CTI 

For Ty Moore, a former accountant, the journey to opening her own soul food restaurant was far from easy. “Fast forward to COVID, and I realized that life is too short; you need to follow your passion,” Moore reflects. After years in Corporate America, it was a food truck program at the Southeastern Technical Institute (STI) that ignited her confidence and equipped her with the skills to pursue her lifelong dream. Today, she’s preparing to launch Nytia’s Soul Kitchen in Taunton, thanks to the support and training she received through STI’s Food Truck Program, funded by the Career Technical Initiative.

Moore’s experience embodies the heart of the program: cooking is more than just chopping and frying—it’s a gateway to creativity and opportunity. The Food Truck Program at STI, located in Bristol County, is a testament to this philosophy, as it prepares students for culinary success. Moore is among the many students who have greatly benefited from the program, eager to fulfill her passion for cooking. After graduating from Bentley University in 2002, Moore worked as an accountant while managing her own soul food catering business for friends and family. However, it was her connection with MassHire that led her to the Food Truck Program at STI. “I was on unemployment and heard about the program through MassHire and was totally excited,” she says.

The program offers comprehensive training to its culinary participants, including ServSafe certifications, workforce readiness skills, and specialized instruction tailored to expanding their kitchen operations. One of the things that the program did for me was give me confidence,” Moore says. “Even though I was a great cook, I was not confident because I didn’t have a culinary degree.” With a variety of specialized instructors, the program supports its students and sets them up for success. Moore also attests that “They are very good at trying to place people in employment opportunities after the program” and mentions that she was able to intern at Kinfolk BBQ, a restaurant located in Taunton, where she was praised for her knife skills.

“Moore was a real asset to the program, always upbeat, and a mother figure to some of the other students in the program. She was a leader in the program,” says Patricia Illsley, Program Director at Southeastern Technical Institute. The STI Food Truck Program operates an on-sight food truck in the evenings four nights a week, preparing students from various backgrounds – from recent high school graduates to older adults changing careers – with the skills necessary to become chefs.

The program not only provided Moore with the foundational skills, like knife techniques, but also the opportunity to design menus and serve customers through the food truck “At the beginning of each week the students design the menu, 7prep the ingredients, and if the weather is good and if the food truck is available, they start working the food truck on Wednesday or Thursday nights,” says Illsley. “If the weather is not good then we have a cafeteria and restaurant as well and they’ll do a grab and go, like counter service.”

The impact of the program has been nothing short of transformative for Moore. “I honestly think that I got more out of this program than my accounting degree,” says Moore in gratitude. Overall, Moore is beyond thankful for STI for offering this opportunity to her. “If the state hadn’t funded this program, my life wouldn’t be where it is now,” shares Moore appreciatively. The time at the program and beyond has equipped her with the skills and connections needed to launch her business. Moore hopes that she will open Nytia’s Soul Kitchen at the end of 2024. She plans to have her restaurant run as a “casual dining and take-out” serving soul food to the community. “I’m also having a lot of Taunton High culinary students come because I want to mentor them and help them understand that no one should talk them out of what they really want to do,” she said.

Moore has proven that programs like the Food Truck Program at Southeastern Technical Institute are extremely rewarding. Not only do the students benefit, but businesses in the community strive, younger generations want to get involved, and community members like her start believing that their dreams can come true.