Royal Ice Cream Summit 2025

About Royal Ice Cream Summit

The Royal Ice Cream Summit (RICS) is an annual convening founded and organized by Triangle Central Kitchen, a North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) social enterprise dedicated to transforming lives and building community through food and education.

More Than Food

Named in honor of Durham's historic Royal Ice Cream Sit-In — an early, and often overlooked, catalyst of the civil rights movement — RICS brings together chefs, scholars, activists, students, community leaders, and the business community to collectively reimagine food systems around a central annual theme.

What's On At RICS

RICS begins with youth education and activities, challenging students to rethink systems through storytelling and service.

This energy carries into two days of workshops and panels, featuring food justice thought leaders from across the Triangle and the country, including Robert Egger, the founder of DC Central Kitchen.

The week culminates with several large-scale activations: rebuilding gardens, community-centered health screens, and the preparation and distribution of 24,000 meals in 24 hours.