Six Flags New England Executive Chef Josh Streeter stands in a storeroom, surrounded by some of the ingredients that go into the amusement park’s food offerings.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
AGAWAM — Visitors come for the rides, but Six Flags wants them to stay for the food. The chain of amusement parks has added an executive chef to each park to elevate the food offerings. At Six Flags New England, that chef is Josh Streeter.
A native of Florence, Streeter spent a portion of his career in San Francisco, California where he worked with a Michelin star-winning team.
He has taught at a culinary school, been the head chef at universities, hospitals, retirement communities and bakeries. Prior to joining the team at Six Flags, Streeter was the head chef at MGM Springfield.
While he enjoyed working on the West Coast, Streeter said New England has positives. “I think we have the best tomatoes. I know we have the best asparagus,” he said. Fresh ingredients are just one aspect of Streeter’s approach to upgrading the park’s culinary experience.
There are 41 food venues in the park, ranging from snack stands to the Riverboat Cafe. While not all of them are structured for sit down meals, there is seating strategically located throughout the park. “When you’re walking between your favorite ride and your second favorite ride, you might want to stop somewhere to get something to eat,” Streeter said.
Streeter said he is excited to work with the food and beverage team at Six Flags New England. There are five people on the leadership team and hundreds of employees serving guests throughout the park.
“Overall guest experience is improved by having a better quality of food,” Streeter said. “People remember the last experience they have. We don’t want people leaving saying the rides were great, the games were great, but that food … ”
Among the changes are additions to the food options. “We are going to have some great changes: hand-breaded chicken tenders, a diner burger, new pizzas,” Streeter said. Describing the care that was taken when designing the food, he explained, “The chefs in the company spent a long time getting the right grind of the burger, the right cheese, the right buns. The goal is to make a burger so good you don’t need any sauce.” He laughed before saying that there will still be plenty of mustard and ketchup for condiment fans.
Streeter was quick to say that people’s favorites will not be disappearing. “Obviously, fried dough and french fries [are] a part of the fair experience,” he said. At Chop Six, the park’s Asian flavors venue, for example, Streeter is not making major changes to the menu. Instead, he said he is focusing on upgrading to seasonal ingredients; teaching team members new cooking techniques and elevating the presentation to “add depth, making things a little more authentic.” For example, he said that he spent six months searching for the right noodles to use. He said something as simple as a garnish can add to people’s enjoyment of the food.
While the quality of the food will be uniform throughout all the Six Flags locations, the offerings will be slightly different depending on regional preferences. For example, Streeter said that fried dough is a go-to in the Northeast, but in the Midwest, people love funnel cakes.
Streeter said becoming the head chef at Six Flags New England offered “the best opportunity to meet the challenges that I want to meet.”
The amusement park also offers the chance to speak with guests. “You don’t know how much interacting with people can add. People want to know who cooked their food.” Early in his career, that would have been daunting, but he said he has gained “deeper, richer experiences” and confidence since then.
Despite having more than 30 years of experience in the culinary industry, Streeter said the best philosophy he has heard came from the first chef he worked with. “Have a respect for life,” he shared. “Everything you cook was once alive. Don’t burn it, don’t just throw it out.” He said that respect translates onto the plate and customers notice. By giving the customers the best possible experience and final product, he said you are respecting them, as well.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chef Josh Streeter to the Six Flags New England family. His exceptional talent and innovative approach to culinary arts will elevate our entire food and beverage experience,” park President Peter Carmichael said in a press release. “We can’t wait for our guests to taste the difference — from enhancing park favorites to exciting, new additions.”
Sydney Snow, regional manager for public relations, said, “We are really excited for this season.” The addition of an executive chef is just one of the upgrades at the park. In addition to bringing Streeter on board, the park has undergone beautification, its flagship restaurant, Riverboat Café, has been completely renovated and is expected to open in late spring; and the park will be debuting its newest ride, The Quantum Accelerator,” this summer.
Six Flags New England’s 2025 season begins on April 5. For more information, visit sixflags.com/newengland.
