Francesca Duarte - The Takeout

Location

Orlando, FL

School

University of Central Florida

Expertise

Plant-based and sustainable cooking, Coffee and beverage development, Latinx and Hispanic cuisine

When Francesca isn't freelancing for The Takeout, she's covering local food culture news with a focus on sustainability for Downtown Orlando's newspaper, The Community Paper.
She has gained thorough knowledge about coffee and beverages working as a barista at local coffee shops around her city, including a French cafe, a vegan coffee bar, and a Puerto Rican coffee truck.
With a passion for animal rights, she has practiced a plant-based lifestyle since she was 15 and is determined to try vegan restaurants in each state of the U.S. Her favorite vegan meals so far have been in Portland, OR and Miami, FL.

Experience

Francesca has always been passionate about writing and food, so combining the two into one role felt like the perfect intersection. She started off as a writer for her college newspaper while working as a server and barista. Having witnessed just how much waste is involved in the food service industry, she became an advocate for sustainability and has written features about the issue for Downtown Orlando's newspaper, The Community Paper. She began her freelancing career as an editorial fellow for YourTango, covering social justice issues, mental health, and pop culture. Having delved into various beats, she's excited to hone in on her passion for food culture and cuisine. Born into a Brazilian and Cuban family, she embraces her Hispanic and Latina roots with a plant-based approach and enjoys exploring the creative possibilities of plant-powered meals. She plans to one day open a vegan food truck featuring Hispanic and Asian fusion cuisine with her partner.

Education

Francesca has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a minor in Cinema Studies from the University of Central Florida.

The Takeout Editorial Policies

The Takeout’s industry-leading editorial coverage is the result of collaboration between writers and editors with a wide array of experience and expertise in the world of food and drink. Every article is fact-checked by our team of editors to ensure accuracy. Outside experts are also consulted to help deliver factual, up-to-date information.

Our mission is to both inform and entertain our readers, telling them everything they want to know (and more) about food. We strive to always provide a well-rounded reading experience, bringing both the biggest food news of the day and a break from the news. Additional information on our editorial process available here.