December 7, 2009

Bigger better kitchen means more choice, faster service for students

Twice a day in the old Parker Hall, roughly 300 students converged on the lunch counter at the same time. They stood in two lines that stretched out of the room and well down the hall as they waited for their turn to be served. Each of them was well aware they had only 30 minutes to get through the line, eat their lunch and get to their next class.

The line actually moved surprisingly fast, yet Food Services Director Ken Harrison knew that for many students it was intimidating. When they reached the front of the line, they had a choice of two or three entrees, usually pizza, a burger, and a special of the day.

In the new Parker Hall, which opened December 7 as part of the Student Union Building , all that changes. There is now five serving lines, each offering a different choice so students can hone in directly to their favorite food. In addition to the pizza, burger, and specialty of the day, there is a daily line for Pacific Rim or Asian cuisine, and a serve-yourself sandwich and salad line.

So far this year, less than half of the students are taking advantage of the food service at Oak Harbor High School. "People say it's because of the economy," Harrison said. "I disagree. It's long lines and the economy."

More choices and shorter lines is made possible by a vastly improved serving area and kitchen, roughly five times larger than the old facility and much better equipped. When Harrison walks through the old kitchen, it literally takes him only a half-dozen steps. Walking through the new kitchen is more of a journey.

There is more counter space, four high-capacity ovens, a clamshell griddle, an industrial tilt skillet (think of it as a 40-gallon frying pan), a steam kettle capable of making 20 gallons of soup, and six hotboxes to keep the food warm while it's waiting to be served. "These (hotboxes) are high tech so we can control the moisture level so they don't dry out or things don't get too mushy," Harrison said.

Everything is stainless steel with high-tech digital controls. The walk-in cooler and freezer are at least five times larger than the old ones and the dry storage has three times the space.

The amount of space makes all the difference when it comes to serving 600-plus meals a day, Harrison said. The high school will no longer have to get bulk foods, such as pasta, prepared in the bigger kitchen at Olympic View Elementary and then delivered to the school. The menu was limited to foods that could be prepared quickly and in a small space. "Burgers, pizzas, stir fry, sandwiches, and a daily special - to be able to do all that at the same time requires space," Harrison said. "And we've never had that space."

"It means the quality can improve because we have the facility to prepare it properly," he said.

Last year, Harrison conducted an experiment at the high school, cooking stir fry out in the open where students could watch. The response was overwhelming, with kids willing to wait a long time to get their fresh-cooked lunch. That led directly to the new line offering Pacific Rim foods on a daily basis.

"It's very popular," Harrison said. "Whenever we offer stir fry or some other Pacific Rim menu, it becomes the meal of choice for about one-third of the kids."

Harrison also has plans to develop a sandwich station, allowing kids to build their own sandwiches in the same way that Subway does. To begin with, however, he'll continue to offer pre-made sandwiches and salads.

The size of the kitchen means Harrison is adding two additional staff to handle the load, but he hopes added sales will help pay for the increased costs. He believes shorter lines, appealing food, and greater variety will mean more students will choose to eat at school.

"This kitchen allows us to be more diverse, to meet the needs of students in a more creative and exciting environment," Harrison said. "When food looks good and it smells good, we've already won over the customer."