Lawrence’s Test Kitchen

On a Friday afternoon in the heart of Northern Essex Community College’s urban Lawrence campus, El Encanto restaurant is doing a brisk lunchtime business. Students wearing backpacks and women in business attire fill the tables, their plates boasting authentic Puerto Rican dishes like mofongo, a green plantain dish. The restaurant is light and bright, with comfortable upholstered chairs and a sleek, modern décor. Across town the next day, another restaurant, CocoRay’s, is even busier, serving up tacos, smoothies, salads, soups, and Puerto Rican fare like pernil al horno (roasted pork shoulder) in a cozy, modern-looking space. As a ta

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RTK gives restaurant entrepreneurs a chance to test out their business ventures in a high-end space while also contributing to Lawrence’s economic development.

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