When Kids Run the Kitchen
Most people think of dinner as a time to eat. At Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY), dinner has become something far more delicious, a time for celebration, culture, and a few adorable kitchen takeovers.
That’s thanks to the Guest Chef Initiative, a joyful twist on the House’s Meals Program that puts the menu and sometimes the chef’s hat directly into the hands of the kids.
For one night, these pediatric patients become culinary visionaries, menu planners, and even dinner hosts for every family in the House.
“It’s a nice way to celebrate a child and make it special for them,” says Caroline Gooch, a member of the RMH-NY Volunteer Team who helps coordinate the initiative with Volunteer Manager Lindsay Capehart. “The kids have a blast helping serve, and they like to be the ‘person of the night.’”
And really, who wouldn’t want to be?
Each Guest Chef night transforms the dining room into a party where laughter simmers, volunteers hustle behind the buffet line, and families cheer for the chef of the evening. It’s one part mealtime, one part kids to the darnedest things, and one part Food Network special, minus the judges and with a lot more heart.
How the Guest Chef Program Got Cooking
The idea of a child-led meal isn’t new to RMH-NY, but it’s taken on a special meaning in recent years. When kitchen renovations temporarily closed the communal cooking spaces on the second floor, the Volunteer Team wanted to find new ways to give families a sense of ownership and the ability to enjoy foods that taste like home.
That’s when the Guest Chef program took center stage.
“The idea is to offer families some control back in what they’re eating,” Caroline explains. “Since they can’t cook for themselves right now, this gives them the opportunity to choose what they have for dinner.”
And that’s no small thing. Many families travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to New York City for their child’s medical care. In a city of endless food options, being able to eat something that reminds you of your kitchen table back home can feel like an act of emotional support, a kind of edible hug.
So, Caroline began sitting at the craft table during dinner, casually recruiting chefs between bites of grilled chicken and mashed potatoes.
“At first, I sat at the craft table during dinner and kids would come to me to sign up,” she says. “After Maryam’s night, many kids were interested. Once two or three chefs did their night, I started being approached by kids and caregivers asking to be Chef in the future.”
It turns out word travels fast when you get to design dinner for 80 families and have your name on a poster.
Meet the Mini Chefs
RMH-NY’s Guest Chefs come in all sizes, from wide-eyed toddlers with bold opinions about pasta sauce to teenagers whose culinary dreams involve the perfect combination of sushi and fries.
Each week, a few new names appear on Caroline’s ever-growing schedule: Maryam, Aviana, Aybe, Mavis, Youssef, Melanie, Darius, Vaughncia, Rohona, Tahirah, Ezranique, Rashid, Devyn, and Dimitris, to name just a few.
Each young chef works with Caroline to design a menu that captures their favorite foods and flavors. Some go for crowd-pleasers, pasta, tacos, mac and cheese, while others dive deep into their heritage, requesting dishes that showcase their family’s roots.
One mother even brought an Ecuadorian flag to her daughter’s Guest Chef night, proudly hanging it over the buffet. “She wanted to make it more specialized and personal for her child,” Caroline recalls. “It was awesome. The whole family was excited.”
The Secret Ingredient: Rcano Catering
Behind every Guest Chef’s success story is a team that knows how to make magic out of a menu request, Rcano Catering, led by the ever-energetic and smiling Brianna Cano, who also serves on RMH-NY’s Board of Associates.
“Caroline helps the children fill out a survey where we get to know their likes,” Brianna explains. “From there, I curate a menu that consists of their favorite foods.”
It sounds simple until you realize that these menus can range from chicken nuggets to Egyptian koshari to Filipino pancit, sometimes all in one night.
But Brianna and her chefs wouldn’t have it any other way. “We bring delicious food and fun,” she says. “We try to help in any way we can.”
And they mean it. When the kitchen renovations began, Rcano helped secure a hot box oven to keep meals warm for families. When RMH-NY needs an extra meal donated, they step up. When a child dreams of a specific dish their grandmother used to make, Rcano’s chefs go to specialty markets across the city to find the exact ingredients.
“Our chefs have really gotten to expand their range,” Brianna says. “We’ve cooked Egyptian, Filipino, and Caribbean cuisine. We’ve found specialty markets to get high-quality spices and ingredients to make the dishes as authentic as possible.”
Comfort on a Plate
For many families at RMH-NY, the Guest Chef program isn’t just about food. It’s about connection.
“It’s so important for families to feel at home and to have food that brings them comfort and joy,” says Brianna. “Some families come from so far away, and everything is foreign to them. Being able to bring them familiarity through food is powerful.”
She references one of her favorite movie moments to explain why this matters.
“There’s this scene from Ratatouille where the food critic takes a bite of the dish and instantly flashes back to his childhood, his grandmother’s kitchen. That’s what we want to give our families. If we can make them feel that same warmth and comfort, we’ve done our job.”
That philosophy is baked into every Guest Chef night.
Take Mavis, one of the young chefs who brought her Filipino heritage to the table. Her family worked with Brianna to create a menu that featured pancit, a stir-fried noodle dish loaded with vegetables and chicken, and flan for dessert.
“It was such a hit,” Brianna recalls. “Mavis’s father came up to me and said our flan was on par, if not better, than his mother’s. If we can make anything that stands up to a mom or grandmother’s recipe, that’s the ultimate compliment.”
A House Full of Cheer and Maybe Some Karaoke
The Guest Chef nights aren’t quiet affairs. Between the smell of garlic bread and the clatter of serving utensils, there’s usually music and sometimes an impromptu dance party.
“I love interacting with the children and families, especially during our impromptu karaoke parties at dinner,” Brianna admits. “Seeing the kids break out of their shells and sing and dance like they’re on center stage is priceless.”
It’s that same spirit that keeps families coming back to the dining room night after night. The Meals Program at RMH-NY serves as the heartbeat of the House. It’s where friendships form, volunteers meet families, and children reclaim small moments of normalcy.
And Guest Chef nights? They supercharge that energy.
“The kids feel so proud,” Caroline says. “Some even make a little speech before dinner starts. One girl wanted to read the whole menu out loud. Everyone clapped for her, and she felt really special.”
The Poster Wall of Fame
Each Guest Chef night comes with a custom poster, a keepsake featuring a photo of the child, their favorite foods, colors, and hobbies. During dinner, it’s displayed proudly at the food bar.
“Families often want to keep the poster afterward,” Caroline says. “They feel proud to see their children honored in this way, and it helps the House get to know them better.”
These small details turn the dining room into a gallery of memories. Each poster tells a story of a child’s creativity, of a culture celebrated, of a night when the House felt just like home.
And sometimes, the chefs take their role very seriously. Some help serve behind the buffet in miniature chef hats, ladling pasta or offering dessert like seasoned professionals. Others stand by their posters, explaining the dishes to anyone within earshot. The pride on their faces is unmistakable.
Behind the Buffet Line
On any given Guest Chef night, the dining room buzzes with activity. Volunteers line up with gloves and tongs. Families file in, balancing plates and baby strollers. Somewhere near the buffet, you’ll find Caroline, smiling, clipboard in hand, making sure the evening runs smoothly.
Meanwhile, Rcano’s chefs are in the background, orchestrating the kitchen magic. It’s a true collaboration between RMH-NY’s volunteers and Rcano’s catering team.
“Brianna and her team have been wonderful to work with,” says Caroline. “The families have come to know them and appreciate their cooking.”
Brianna agrees. “We make all our food with love and care,” she says. “It’s so nice to see it resonate with the families.”
The Power of Choice
The Guest Chef program is simple in theory but profound in practice. Giving children the ability to choose what’s for dinner may sound small, but in the context of a serious illness, where so many choices are out of their hands, it’s monumental.
That’s why Caroline and the Volunteer Team plan to keep the program going well into the future, even after renovations are complete. “As long as we have interest from kids in becoming Guest Chefs, I’d love to keep scheduling them,” she says.
And judging by the growing list of sign-ups, the kids aren’t slowing down anytime soon.
Dinner with a Side of Compassion
At its core, the Guest Chef Initiative embodies everything RMH-NY stands for: compassionate care, family centered care, and emotional support.
It’s about empowering families to reclaim pieces of normal life through the universal language of food. It’s about health equity, making sure every family, no matter where they come from, can find nourishment that feels familiar and healing.
And it’s about community, where volunteers, catering partners, and families sit side by side, sharing stories over rice and beans, pesto pasta, or pancit.
That shared meal becomes something much larger than dinner. It’s connection. It’s hope. It’s home.
What’s Next for the Guest Chefs
Caroline has big dreams for the program and depending on the House’s choices around the meals program after the 2nd floor renovation is complete, she just may get her wish. “If we do end up getting a full-time chef for dinners, it might be easier to plan these nights more in advance,” she says. “It could also make it easier for families to be more hands-on in making the meal.”
For now, she’s scheduling chefs two to three weeks out and intentionally pairing some nights with Bloomberg volunteer groups, since Rcano first connected with RMH-NY through Bloomberg’s corporate volunteering events.
“It’s great for Bloomberg employees to see the happiness and joy their meal sponsorships bring,” Caroline says. “It makes the impact tangible.”
More Than a Meal
At the end of each night, after the last flan has been served and the final song has been sung, there’s always a moment when the dining room quiets just for a second. Families linger over dessert, children pose for photos beside their posters, and volunteers share smiles that say, this was a good one.
It’s in those moments that the Guest Chef Initiative reveals its true flavor, joy served family-style.
Whether it’s Mavis’s Filipino feast, Maryam’s first big menu debut, or the next budding chef with dreams of spaghetti perfection, these dinners are about giving families more than food.
They’re about giving them agency, comfort, celebration.
And, perhaps most importantly, one night to feel like they’re not just getting through this journey, they’re savoring it.
