DELTONA, Fla. — With Volusia County students heading back to school on Monday, a Deltona restaurant owner wants to make sure that teachers know they are appreciated and start the year with a full belly.

What You Need To Know


  • Owner of Scorpio's Italian Eatery cooked food for 1,900 teachers

  • Vincenzo Scorpio and his staff started cooking at sunrise

  • Volusia County students return to school Monday

At Scorpio's Italian Eatery, the smell of fresh baked ziti greets visitors at the door. 

“We are adding our homemade sauce and then we are going to finish it out with some mozzarella," owner Vincenzo Scorpio said. 

Scorpio and his staff started cooking at sunrise, all to feed 1,900 faculty members across nine schools in Deltona. 

“It’s always people’s most favorite things to eat as well, so it’s a win-win," Scorpio said. 

Each meal is a yearly token of appreciation to hardworking teachers and staff​.

“They are really eager to go back, so we just want to do this for the last weekend before the kids are back on Monday and they are ready to go and nothing puts a smile on your face better than good Italian food," Scorpio said, as he loaded the food into his truck for delivery. 

Scorpio explained that he usually gets about $5,000 in orders from the schools for welcome back lunches. 

“Since we didn’t hear a bunch of that happening, that is one of the other things that sparked me to say, 'You know that is still going to be my investment,'" said Scorpio. "I am really happy to do it for them, they are just so deserving​."

His first stop was Deltona High School. 

“Time to make some teachers happy," Scorpio said with a smile. 

As teachers lined up for the tasty surprise, educators like Amanda Caplin were grateful. 

“This is just a wonderful thing to have and it is just a really big treat,” said Caplin, an exceptional student education teacher. 

It is a reminder that the community is behind her as they face this new challenge.

“I definitely feel appreciated and it felt so good while we were doing online learning previously that so many parents reached out to me and were just like, 'Thank you so much for taking the time every day to work with my child,'” Caplin said.

Scorpio does not think twice about the resources devoted to making these meals. For him, seeing their empty plates and their hearts full is what it is all about. 

​"We just want to send them back on a positive note," Scorpio said.