Ruthie’s is Fueling More Good in South Dallas Neighborhood with New Cafe

Ruthie's Fueled by Good, a popular food truck, opened Ruthie’s Cafe on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in South Dallas in late February.

Established by Dallas philanthropist Ashlee Kleinert, the mission-driven, gourmet grilled cheese food truck and cafe functions as a nonprofit, The Good Foundation, supporting underserved and overlooked communities through St. Philip’s School and Community Center, an early childhood through junior high private school.

The new, permanent cafe, which is just a two-mile drive from downtown Dallas, will send its net profits to St. Philip’s to help fund their work for the community. The school provides comprehensive educational programs and support to local families, making it an essential institution in South Dallas.

Apart from supporting St. Phillip's, the Ruthie’s Fellows Program employs people from underserved and overlooked communities, offering a fresh start for those affected by the justice system. Through this program, Ruthie’s Cafe will provide valuable jobs and life skills to individuals facing barriers to traditional employment opportunities.

The Fueled by Good food truck is not going anywhere and will still operate regularly.

New and returning customers to Ruthie's will revel in the cafe menu, which maintains its grilled cheese favorites from the original menu and has a variety of breakfast and lunch items, including salads, parfaits and healthy grab-and-go options. The cafe also has a walk-up window for quick coffee orders.

For its produce, Ruthie's is teaming up with local farms, like Bonton Farms, Liberty Street Garden and Restorative Farms for fresh, locally sourced vegetables.

Kleinert hopes this new space helps address the food desert in the area. For Ruthie's team, it's more than just a meal: it's an initiative that signifies efforts to address food insecurity and cultivate community and economic growth.

Kleinert hopes other Dallas businesses will follow suit and help develop the area and end food insecurity in South Dallas.

“Ruthie's has always been about more than just serving food," Kleinert says. "It's always been about serving the community and shining a light on good things happening in our community,”

Ruthie’s Cafe, 1632 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.