Food for Thought: The Inner-Workings of our LHS Cafeteria

Written by: Sraddha Vitta (‘29), Laura Vokits (‘29), & Abby Pena (‘29)

During the middle point of each school day, the cafeteria is there to provide us with good meals and a place to gather with our friends. Many students may not know how much goes into inventorying and preparing our food, determining the daily menu, and ensuring that we have the proper nutrition necessary to do well in our classes. To learn more about the inner-workings of our food and how the cafeteria operates, we interviewed the cafeteria Head Chef to answer some lingering questions. During the interview, he shared insights about their daily responsibilities and the important role they play in supporting our school community. We also surveyed 20 students about their opinions regarding the school cafeteria. 

During the first lunch on Tuesday, January 20, we had the opportunity to interview our cafeteria Chief Manager, John Vancheri, who happily answered our questions about the cafeteria. Mr. Vancheri informed us where the food that students eat each week comes from, how decisions are made with the lunch menu, and other guidelines that the lunch room staff follows to keep our cafeteria clean and safe. Though our cafeteria food is mainly supplied from Cisco Food Supply and the state’s Department of Agriculture, the cafeteria’s food is also provided by numerous other different sources including vendors who supply special items like ice cream, and milk from Cream-O-Land. While our food is supplied by many different sources, our cafeteria, like many others, is run under Maschio’s Food Services .inc, which is a food service organization specializing in school nutrition for grades K-12. They work to ensure our food is fresh, nutritional, and safe for kids that may have an allergy or restriction in their diet. Even though Maschio’s works to keep our food fresh and healthy, our community also has student advisory meetings, where students, teachers, and parents can come together to agree on meal planning and menus in the cafeteria. These meetings are intended to keep students safe, informed, and able to eat what they would like inside the cafeteria. 

Some students might not know all the work that goes into making and planning the food that you find in the cafeteria everyday. Workers in the cafeteria work from 6 am to 2 pm, making sure the students of Lawrence High School have nutritious, appetizing meals everyday for lunch. Food can take as long as two hours to prepare as it is made fresh everyday to ensure the best quality. Before any meal is served it is tested by one of the staff. But how do they plan each meal? The Head Chef plans out a detailed menu for the month, and the staff attend a Student Advisory meeting to get feedback from teachers and students on what food they would like to have served again, and what meals they can forgo in the future. Along with these meetings, they must communicate with the school nurse to make sure they provide options for anyone with dietary restrictions such as gluten free allergies and/or religious reasons. Each day, about 15-20% more food is made than required to make sure everyone has a chance to get a meal.

Of the 20 students we surveyed, many students said they enjoyed popular options such as chicken, cheeseburgers, the grill station, taco scoops, mozzarella sticks and mac & cheese. They love the cafeteria staff as they are very friendly and quick with their serving and cashiering. While the cafeteria meets students’ dietary restrictions, there is a strong desire for more variety in the menu. Portion sizes were also a common concern with students noting that they feel the portion sizes are smaller yet reasonable depending on the meal.

Overall, there is much more behind the school lunches than students may realize. From vetting carefully chosen food suppliers to following district safety guidelines and implementing hardworking staff members, the cafeteria plays an essential role in supporting students throughout the school day. While the survey results showed generally positive opinions on the food quality, prices, portion sizes and variety, it is clear that many students appreciate the friendly staff and overall cafeteria atmosphere. Behind each lunch is a team of dedicated chefs doing best practices to prepare and serve meals efficiently. Understanding both student experiences and the effort of the cafeteria staff gives a clearer picture of how important the cafeteria is to daily school life.

A special thank you to the entire staff for their dedication, hard work, and positive attitudes that help feed our school community each day. We would also like to give special recognition to our District Chief Steve and especially to our LHS Chief Manager Mr. Vancheri for taking the time to speak with us and for giving us an inside look at the effort and care that goes into serving our school community. 

The LHS Cafeteria is bustling during another successful lunch!