TWIN FALLS — The Ravenous Raptor Grill food truck has more than a catchy name and a brightly colored exterior.

It is a vehicle to assist young adults who are blind or deaf transition into adulthood.

“This is a hands-on teaching tool where students are getting practice out of the classroom,” said Kristy Buffington, transition coordinator for Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind, during Wednesday’s grand opening in Twin Falls.

Students in the Independent Living Skills program are 18 to 21 years old and high school graduates, Buffington said. The newly completed food truck will teach skills including customer service, cooking and budgeting — “things to help them be successful as they move into adulthood.”

Research shows that individuals who are deaf or blind are more successful and find employment easier when they have positive working experiences when they are young, she said.

The students run the food truck with staff support.

The food truck’s wares received great reviews from Molly Mason of Twin Falls, who stopped by Wednesday.

“It was delicious,” she said.

Grilled cheese sandwiches, with the customer’s choice of cheddar or pepper jack cheese, and tomato soup were on the menu.

“We are keeping it simple at first,” Buffington said, adding that later on, don’t be surprised if it’s offering burgers and fries.

A $55,000 grant from Chobani made the food truck possible, Buffington said. The food truck is actually a food bus — in its former life it belonged to the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind and in its old age was going to be auctioned.

Now it has gained new life. The bus was taken to Nampa where the interior was converted into a food truck. Then it was sent to Magic Valley where it received a wrap by Jeff’s Graphics in Twin Falls and some painting by Larry Chris Auto Body in Burley.

Larry Chris Auto Body owner Korbyn Karlson, who is partially deaf, said it was a good experience for him to work on the truck.

Although he never attended the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind, “they were advocates for me,” Karlson said.

Initially, the food truck will be open one day a week in Gooding, likely on Thursdays, and will branch out to other areas, Buffington said.

The name “Ravenous Raptor Grill” comes from the Raptor mascot of the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind, and students helped select the name.