{"id":142519,"date":"2026-02-23T10:48:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T10:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/142519\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T10:48:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T10:48:09","slug":"growing-staten-island-biz-brings-food-quality-to-pre-packed-meals-and-jobs-to-the-neighborhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/142519\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing Staten Island biz brings food quality to pre-packed meals, and jobs to the neighborhood"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.\u2014On a Saturday morning inside the cavernous Epicured warehouse off Richmond Terrace in Mariners Harbor, merengue music keeps time with the work. Pallets rumble across the floor, delivering boxes of food to two dozen women in food\u2011service bouffant caps and gloves who pack with rhythm and precision. And as Staten Island becomes the company\u2019s fastest-growing hub for medically tailored meals, bringing new jobs and unprecedented speed to Medicaid nutrition services\u2014the scene offers a first look at a quiet but significant shift underway in the borough.<\/p>\n

As the name suggests, food is central to Epicured\u2019s mission\u2014but the \u201ccured\u201d part is the real key. What moves down the line isn\u2019t takeout or meal kit filler. Epicured produces medically tailored meals: the convenience of a HelloFresh-style operation, designed instead for people on prescribed diets.<\/p>\n

And the company, born in Glen Cove, Long Island, is now a major new presence on Staten Island, operating from a facility at 1963 Richmond Terr. in Mariners Harbor.<\/p>\n

\"Epicured\"From left: Richard Bennett, Gwen Robinson, New York State Assemblyman Sam Pirrozzolo, Jerry Bogar and J.R. Silva.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)A visit from leadership<\/p>\n

We toured the facility with CEO Richard E. Bennett II and State Assemblyman Sam Pirrozzolo, who moves through the space with visible fascination\u2014studying workstations, asking questions and taking in the operation with admiration. Pirrozzolo brought Mariners Harbor resident and community leader Gwen Robinson, eager to see what she called \u201ca hidden piece of the neighborhood at work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every detail reflects Bennett\u2019s philosophy. \u201cThe food intervention, the meal, is only as good as people want to eat it,\u201d he says. \u201cEpicured was founded with Michelin-starred chefs and incredible registered dietitians to make sure we have culinary quality and experiential quality as if you were a consumer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mission is rooted in dignity: not just feeding people, but feeding them well.<\/p>\n

\"Epicured\"Local honey is packed in this particular box to stock a home pantry. (Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)Rapid growth on Staten Island<\/p>\n

Epicured\u2019s expansion is impossible to miss.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re growing each month,\u201d Bennett says. \u201cWe\u2019ve only been here since October, and look how far we\u2019ve gone in 90 to 120 days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staten Island is now Epicured\u2019s highest-volume producer.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now our largest volume is made on Staten Island and distributed to Staten Island,\u201d he adds. \u201cThe borough is not just a location\u2014it\u2019s the engine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pirrozzolo wants community groups to know the company is actively hiring. His office is planning a job fair and a health fair with Epicured and other employers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve hired at least 50 Staten Island residents, and as they expand, that\u2019s going to double or triple,\u201d he says. \u201cThis is meaningful employment. Community leaders like Gwen should see it\u2014not only because the services can help people in their neighborhoods, but because the jobs are local.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Epicured\"J.R. Silva looks on as colleagues work and guests check out the warehouse to understand the breadth of Epicured’s programming. (Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)A new model in Medicaid nutrition<\/p>\n

Dr. Joe Conte of the Staten Island Performing Provider System says Epicured stands out in the Medicaid nutrition space because it built its Richmond Terrace operation from start to finish without subsidies or capacity-building dollars. Instead, the company runs on a fee-for-service model\u2014putting its own capital at risk in what Conte calls \u201ca for-profit operation with a not-for-profit mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Epicured is a major partner in New York State\u2019s Health Equity Reform <\/a>waiver, a multibillion-dollar Medicaid initiative. The waiver tests whether food<\/a>, housing supports, transportation and chronic-disease management can reduce preventable ER visits and hospital admissions.<\/p>\n

Because Epicured can process high referral volumes, Staten Island now receives medically tailored meals faster than anywhere else in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople here are being served within five days. That\u2019s not happening anywhere else,\u201d Conte says.<\/p>\n

\"SaturdayOn Saturday, February 14, 2026 at Epicured, the warehouse is fired up for packing at dawn.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)How residents can enroll<\/p>\n

Enrollment begins with a 12-question screening survey offered at 90 partner sites available in person across Staten Island, including Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI)<\/a>, A Chance in Life<\/a>, the Central Family Life Center<\/a>, and the Community Health Center of Richmond<\/a>. Individuals may also self-screen online at StatenIslandPPS.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

All meal costs are covered through the CMS Waiver<\/a>, with Fidelis, Healthfirst and Anthem serving as the primary Medicaid Managed Care partners on Staten Island.<\/p>\n

In its first year, the Social Care Network<\/a> screened more than 50,000 residents, the highest per-capita rate in the state. More than 10,000 families now receive nutrition support, with Epicured providing over 70% of those meals.<\/p>\n

\"Epicured\"Herbs like this oregano are sourced from U.S. farming cooperatives and producers. These canisters are part of a kit that includes recipes and other ingredients. (Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)Inside the packing room<\/p>\n

As workers prepare for the 8 a.m. packing start, workers move with practiced speed. Pallets of milk sit beside boxes stamped MADE IN THE USA. Ceilings soar two stories high. The faint scent of soap lingers as the morning choreography takes shape.<\/p>\n

Along one wall, boxes reveal the raw ingredients behind Epicured\u2019s mission: jumbo yams, red onions in purple mesh, sweet potatoes, garlic and chickpeas stacked in white cartons. Flat corrugated boxes stretch ten feet high.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether you\u2019re living on Park Avenue or on Medicaid, the problem is the same\u2014and the quality should be the same,\u201d Bennett says.<\/p>\n

Nearby, J.R. Silva, recently promoted to supervisor, moves with newfound authority. His advancement mirrors the company\u2019s rapid growth and promise of upward mobility.<\/p>\n

\"SaturdayThe cluster of warehouses lines the waterfront, and Epicured\u2019s roughly 20\u2011percent week\u2011over\u2011week growth has quickly made it a dynamic employer for the borough.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)Meals, pantry boxes and dignity<\/p>\n

Epicured\u2019s motto, \u201cEat well and be well,\u201d is printed on every box. But Bennett treats it as mission, not marketing. From that perspective, he also acknowledges that the Epicured website<\/a> is not yet up to par, saying it needs tweaks and a more user-friendly design to match what the company has evolved into over its decade of growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeals aren\u2019t the only solution,\u201d he explains. \u201cSometimes people need grocery or household pantry boxes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingredients line the tables like a promise, with recipes tucked inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your father or mother is diagnosed and they still want to cook,\u201d he says, \u201cwe can provide recipes and guidance to help change cooking behaviors and habits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SaturdayThe sun rises over the packing warehouse, set beside the defunct North Shore Railway, a transportation line local legislators have repeatedly failed to revive. For a growing business like Epicured, the abandoned trestle offers no use.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)National reach and local roots<\/p>\n

Epicured opened its Staten Island facility in October and already runs with the confidence of a long-established site. \u201cWe hired 50 people and now we\u2019re in an opportunity zone,\u201d Executive Vice President Jerry Bogar says, \u201cinvesting in communities and generating jobs and career mobility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Founded a decade ago by Michelin-starred chefs and registered dietitians, Epicured now prepares more than 20,000 medically tailored meals for conditions including diabetes, chronic kidney disease, digestive disorders and pre- and postpartum care. From its two facilities, the company can reach 48 states.<\/p>\n

Epicured also employs about 30 registered dietitians, manages PACE programs in Massachusetts and supports research studies, from NYC Football Club performance nutrition to a cystic fibrosis trial.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether you\u2019re on Park Avenue with a platinum card or on Medicaid,\u201d Bennett says, \u201cyou get the exact same product.\u201d The company follows European food standards\u2014no highly processed ingredients, no artificial preservatives or coloring. \u201cIt needs to be clean, fresh, real food.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Bogar, the impact reaches beyond wages. \u201cNot only are we offering people jobs, but we\u2019re partnering them with other businesses and agencies that can help them better support their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in the warehouse, the beat goes on\u2014Tuesday through Saturday, from the danceable merengue tunes to the pallet jacks to the boxes stacked ten feet high. It\u2019s a warehouse built on logistics and precision and on a rhythm born on Staten Island but moving far beyond the borough.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.\u2014On a Saturday morning inside the cavernous Epicured warehouse off Richmond Terrace in Mariners Harbor, merengue…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":142520,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-142519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}