Food Service Directors
School nutrition directors are faced with unique challenges and opportunities when making equipment and facility design decisions for their school nutrition programs, many of which focus on the specific goals of the programs and the experiences of their directors. With the current state of the economy, school food service operators are faced with a multitude of budgetary concerns in their operation. Many facilities operate with outdated food service equipment that ultimately can cost more to operate in the long run. It is a catch 22 problem, operators are working on a shoestring budget that doesn’t allow for any upgrades but not replacing the equipment actually costs more to operate than not doing anything to change the situation. Food Service Directors are hard pressed to come up with a feasible solution to meet these challenges.
What is not understandable is that when a renovation does take place or a building project comes along you end up with a serving line like looks like a new version of the outdated serving line. There are so many choices for cafeteria décor design, serving counter options and merchandising techniques available as there are food offerings. The challenge is that you need to have a vision of what would work for your program. The best place to start would be to visit newly built or renovated kitchens and dining facilities for a fresh perspective.
To achieve a cafeteria design success you should begin the process before it is in the hands of the architect or consultant. The best place to start would be to list your proposed menu ideas and concepts, keep in mind the number of students you are serving while deciding on the size and configuration of the serving stations required. The web is a wonderful resource to source out different equipment companies in order to compare equipment, features and their benefits to you.
Multiteria has acknowledged these daily challenges and have designed our food service equipment with flexibility, mobility and sustainability in mind to provide years of service. Our philosophy is that relying on only short-term solutions will inevitably lead to long term consequences. Instead of concentrating on ways to cut costs; we provide ideas that translate to increased revenue, increased participation and sustainable solutions for the future and solve many of the day to day challenges. Designing your cafeteria serving stations featuring interchangeable colorful, interactive graphic front panels demonstrating Health & Wellness will assist in marketing your “healthy” reimburseable meal options. Consider adding another dimension to your cafeteria with our School Signage Program featuring wall mounted or serving stations mounted artwork of ”real food” or “graphic illustrated” food to draw attention to your menu.
How can schools afford to purchase a serving line on a tight budget?
The total cost of ownership evaluates the cost of owning a particular piece of equipment over its lifetime. Most schools do not have the capital expenditure funds in order to purchase equipment outright. A consideration is a “Lease to Own Option” This provides school districts the opportunity to purchase a full serving line today and then pay off the cost with evenly spaced monthly payments which would be part of the operating budget.
Multiteria specializes in serving counters and serving systems.
