Design Ideas for Your School Kitchen
School kitchen design is not only focused on the type of cafeteria equipment that’s best for the lunchroom. Foodservice equipment is only part of the story when it comes to school kitchen design. The trend for many school districts as reported by leading school kitchen design experts is how to make the student experience a more positive one.
Today’s School Kitchen Serves a Different Purpose
School lunchtime has always been a popular “subject” among students. The school cafeteria is the place where children meet for their meals and have a little social time together. Today, school kitchens are more focused on delivering healthy options and creating an environment in which children feel comfortable.
Of course, healthy meals start with efficiency — but that is not where the school kitchen designer job ends. Today, more and more school districts are looking to use LEED-certified building methods, which may involve energy efficiency, space for new food technologies, and creating a space that can evolve with new technologies with minimal investment.
On top of all the must-haves, there is always the budget that has to be considered. With some careful planning and a school kitchen designer, it might just be possible to have it all and stay within budget.
Some Ideas To Consider
Many school districts are doing away with the single-file line to the serving station and instead are setting up multiple serving stations. For example, there might be a fruit and salad station, a main course station, a station for veggies, and other offerings in a help-yourself area. There are studies that indicate placement of food determines which foods will fill up the plate. This design idea can help to boost the consumption of fresh fruit and veggies.
The school kitchen should be designed with efficiency in mind. There are a lot of meals that need to be prepared, so one of the best sources of input for school kitchen design are the people that are going to be cooking in the area. Your school kitchen designer should collect information from the kitchen staff to learn what is working and what is not with the current design.
A school kitchen designer is your best option for getting the right design for your school cafeteria. You can get all the must-haves and do it at the right price. For more information, please contact us today.
