Q-and-A: Rhode Island Food Fights Celebrates Fifteen Years

The Italian Corner is back to defend its winning title as the Best Sandwich of 2025 in RI Food Fights’ sandwich showdown. Photo from the Italian Corner.

Jim Nellis founded Rhode Island Food Fights to help food lovers discover new spots, and to help local businesses access a new active audience. Interested participants pre-order passports for each themed celebration, and once the month begins, they can discover the best spots for pizza, tacos, burgers, iced coffee, ice cream, sandwiches and more. Foodies are encouraged to share their finds on social media, and vote for their favorites. The passports offer one free item per person at each destination, but guests are encouraged to try other items while they are there, and always tip your server!

1. You are coming up on a big anniversary for RI Food Fights! How long has it been now? What originally made you want to start the passport program?

RI Food Fights was founded in 2011, which means we’re now celebrating our fifteenth anniversary — and that’s honestly wild to say out loud. The passport program came from a really simple idea: Consumers need a reason to try a new restaurant — they want an experience. They want a reason to explore, discover new places, and feel like they’re part of something bigger. The passport model created a journey. It turned food into an adventure, competition into community, and local dining into something fun, trackable, social and shareable.

2. For those who are unfamiliar, how does it work?

RI Food Fights hosts the events to find the best food in Rhode Island. Each month is a different food category. Think wings, doughnuts, sandwiches, burgers, tacos, pizza, etc. Food Fighters buy a coupon booklet, what we call a passport, for a themed month like burgers, tacos, doughnuts, iced coffee or pizza and they have the whole month to claim the coupons. That passport gives you access to a curated list of participating restaurants across Rhode Island. You go out, eat, explore, collect visits, vote in People’s Choice awards, participate in challenges, and help determine the final winners.

3. What is the benefit for the customer, and for the business that participates?

For customers: discovery of new local spots, built-in food adventures, rewards, voting power and a sense of community. For businesses: new customer acquisition at a very low cost, real foot traffic, social media exposure, repeat customers and association with a trusted local brand.

4. What’s the best way to be a good RI Food Fights customer?
Be part of the community. Explore multiple restaurants, tip well, support staff, share content, vote, tag restaurants and bring friends.

5. What are your next passports coming up for winter and spring?

March is all about sandwiches (11th Annual Search for BEST Sandwich RI) and craft beer (5th Annual Big LeBREWski!), May is burgers (Big BURGER Blowout 2026), and in July, Food Fighters find the best iced coffee (13th Annual ICED COFFEE Summer Celebration!).

By the Numbers

151: Total number of events hosted0 (every event has sold out)
12: Events hosted in 2025
428: Partner restaurants in 2025