For over twenty years, Age Well has proudly offered the Restaurant Ticket Program (RTP), through partnerships with community conscious restaurants that support our mission.

What is the Restaurant Ticket Program?

The Restaurant Ticket Program offers adults over 60 in the Age Well service area—Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties—a fantastic opportunity to enjoy dining out at various local establishments, each featuring unique menus. This program not only meets Vermonters where they are, including in our rural communities throughout Northwestern Vermont, but it also provides participants with nutritious meals in a comfortable and familiar setting.

In addition to great food, this program provides an excellent opportunity for participants to meet up with friends and make new connections. Thanks to our amazing volunteers, Age Well organizes Community Meals at senior centers, churches, and parks across the state. However, we recognize that sometimes older Vermonters crave a different dining experience, and that’s where the Restaurant Ticket Program shines!

“It’s about being able to still go where everybody goes, and to offer a space for people who have gone through changes, for example, maybe a spouse passing – to do the things they used to do,” says Kerry Batres, Age Well Nutrition and Wellness Operations Team Lead. “The Restaurant Ticket Program provides access to a meal for communities that are not offering a sit-down meal daily. In a sense, it closes the gap to allow older Vermonters access to a delicious meal that meets their needs. This program offers the most choice to older Vermonters allowing them to choose when, where, and what they eat off the Age Well menu.”

A variety of restaurants participate in Age Well’s Restaurant Ticket Program, each offering different meals featuring familiar and comforting foods, which provide necessary nutrients for optimal wellbeing, and much more. Dining in a restaurant can provide more than just a tasty meal – eating with others in casual, community settings can lead to positive health outcomes. Research shows that programs that encourage older adults to share meals in public had a positive impact on their social networks and perceived well-being.

See our list of participating restaurants here.

How can I get Restaurant Tickets?

The Age Well Nutrition & Wellness Department manages the Restaurant Ticket Program.

To participate in the program and use restaurant tickets, you must be over the age of 60 and complete an annual registration with Age Well. Once you have registered with one of our Nutrition & Wellness Coordinators, you can visit an Age Well office in Colchester, Middlebury, or St. Albans and pick up your tickets.

While we do not charge participants for their meals, we do suggest a $5 donation to help sustain the program. Age Well is committed to serving all participants, regardless of their ability to donate. Although Age Well has not increased the suggested donation for many years, we are continually evaluating and managing our budget to continue the programming.  Age Well is so grateful for our community partners both past and present that participate in the program, and as always, we continue to look for new collaborations.

Restaurant Tickets expire on the last day of Age Well’s fiscal year, September 30^th, in order to close out our grant financial reports. New tickets are available on October 1^st of every year.

How is the Restaurant Ticket Program funded?

Meals served through the Restaurant Ticket Program are partially funded by participant donations, along with state, local, and federal funding sources—including the Older Americans Act, which covers no more than a third of the overall cost. We want to express our heartfelt appreciation for our restaurant partners, who generously work within the constraints of our limited funding to provide older Vermonters with an affordable place to gather and enjoy a meal. Their support is invaluable in creating this wonderful opportunity for our community!

Age Well kindly encourages participants in the Restaurant Ticket Program to be considerate of the restaurants they visit, and the time spent at the table while dining. A simple thank you to the staff for their dedication to the program, along with leaving a gratuity, is truly appreciated by the participating restaurants. Your kindness helps strengthen our community connections!

Are you a restaurant interested in joining our Restaurant Ticket Program, offering seniors the opportunity to dine at your establishment? Age Well is committed to fostering meaningful partnerships that positively impact our community. If so, please reach out to our Nutrition & Wellness department at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

What are the Meals Like? Nutritious, Balanced and OAA-Compliant.

Age Well collaborates with each restaurant to create a specific menu in compliance with the Older Americans Act (OAA), ensuring that meals are in compliance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and include 1/3 of the Dietary Reference Intakes for people over age 60. Every meal served through the Restaurant Ticket Program has been approved by an Age Well Registered Dietitian and is compliant with OAA guidelines.

Each RTP meal includes:

• 3oz of a protein source (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, legumes, or nuts)
• 2oz of grain (with 1oz preferable whole grain)
• 1.5 cups of vegetables and/or fruit (good sources of vitamin C and A)
• 8oz of milk (good source of calcium and protein)
• All meals are evaluated for fat and sodium content.

When dining through the Restaurant Ticket Program, meals must be compliant with OAA guidelines. Therefore, the menus have been set, and participating restaurants are unable to make substitutions. If you prefer a meal that is not included on the Age Well menu, the restaurant will charge you separately for that item.

Here are some delicious meals that have been offered through the RTP:

• 2 Eggs Any Style, served with home fries, your choices of wheat, white, or rye toast, milk and fruit cup.
• Half Sandwich, with turkey, bacon, cheddar, tomato, and mayo on a croissant with a side salad. Served with milk and fruit cup.
• Your choice of broiled or fried haddock, shrimp, bay scallops, or fish nuggets,
  served with baked potato, steamed vegetables, coleslaw, and tartar sauce. Served with milk and fruit.
• Pasta with veggies (tomatoes, spinach, artichokes, onions and peppers) served with green salad with an egg, garlic toast, and fruit cup. Served with milk.

For more information about our Restaurant Ticket program, please contact: [email protected] or 802-662-5283, or visit the Restaurant Ticket FAQ section of our website.