MECHANICSVILLE, Va. —At Mechanicsville High School, there are no couch potatoes in Sara Salvato's Adaptive Curriculum class.
Instead, students are busy running a thriving mini-restaurant business that's been serving up baked potatoes for 13 years.
"Today we are serving our teachers Salvato's Potatoes," said Salvato. "Salvato's Potatoes has been around for 13 years."
The innovative program pairs students with and without disabilities, giving them hands-on experience in food service and business operations.
"The students prep everything," Salvato explained. "Yesterday they prepped everything. They washed the potatoes. They wrapped the potatoes. They made the topping containers."
Students take pre-orders from teachers and staff members, selling fully-loaded baked potatoes with toppings for $6 each.
The business concept originated from Salvato's modest beginnings.
"Thirteen years ago, the school board gave me $200," said Salvato. "I had a dream that I wanted to open a restaurant."
That entrepreneurial spirit runs in Salvato's family.
Her great-grandfather immigrated to Hanover from Germany and established a trailer park gas station that eventually evolved into The Snow White Inn BBQ Restaurant.
For Salvato's students and their families, the program represents something much deeper than just selling potatoes—it's about meaningful employment, fair wages, and workplace inclusion.
"A lot of my students need those valuable skills because this is the last formal step in their education. And it's my job to prepare them for the real world," Salvato said. "It's been a self-sustaining business. It funds field trips for my students, community-based instruction. It allows us to purchase appliances for us to continue running our business."
The thriving potato business demonstrates that with the right support and opportunities, dreams can indeed become reality.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky| Facebook| Instagram| X| Threads| TikTok| YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
