5 For Good: Salvatore Lupoli makes it his business to help others

by PAULA DOUCETTE | February 20, 2017 | 0 comments

There’s an ongoing effort in the City of Lawrence to identify and support new opportunities in entrepreneurship. Thanks to a private/public sector collaboration between Lupoli Companies, the City of Lawrence, The Lawrence Partnership and Northern Essex Community College, local individuals will get the chance of a lifetime to grow their businesses through an innovate new program called The Revolving Test Kitchen (RTK).

RTK is an incubator and pop-up restaurant recently launched in downtown Lawrence with the goal of providing new opportunities for local food entrepreneurs. Selected restaurant startups will operate in premier, built-out space for a four-month to one-year incubator period. Local favorite food truck CocoRays, a “taqueria borinquen” that serves a variety of Mexican cuisine, is the first business to benefit from the program. Owner Raymond Gonzalez purchased his truck three years ago, and RTK will give him the necessary tools to take his venture to the next step with a brick and mortar facility. Lupoli Companies is providing ample support and mentorship to Ray and future participants, through various marketing, social media and financial planning efforts.

Sal Lupoli, CEO of Lupoli Companies and the visionary behind the RTK concept, is committed to providing ongoing guidance throughout the incubator period. Recently, WCVB Channel 5 news anchor Erika Tarantal paid a visit to Lawrence to film a 5 for Good segment, which features uplifting and inspirational stories from around the Boston area. Erika’s segment highlights Sal as a social impact entrepreneur in Gateway Cities, and how this venture not only benefits local entrepreneurs like Ray Gonzalez, but will also stimulate economic development in Lawrence. Featured in the segment are Sal Lupoli, Ray Gonzalez and Lane Glenn, President of Northern Essex Community College.

Check out the video here or to read more about this successful program follow this link to WCVB Channel 5. Be sure to follow Ray on Instagram and Facebook!