Glenbrook South High School, Glenview, Ill.

A sophisticated food court brings myriad choices to students at this Midwestern high school. Roll-through refrigerators, a beverage cooler with kitchen and servery access and other versatile, mobile equipment provide labor savings and options for menu changes.

By Donna Boss, Contributing Editor -- Foodservice Equipment and Supplies, 3/1/2008

Built in the 1960s, Glenbrook South High School's singleline cafeteria had become outdated and congested. In addition, noise from the student corridor was disruptive to the former faculty lunchroom.

A referendum in the school's district raised funding for many projects, part of which was allocated for a complete renovation of the cafeteria, as well as remodeling of eight science labs, a science computer room, three science prep rooms, an orchestra room, a student activities office and a student activity center and conference room. The $6 million foodservice project features a college-style food-court servery with seven food concept stations, a six-door beverage cooler and more cashier stations than were used previously. Two dining rooms contain small serving lines designed to handle overflow from the servery. The servery is so efficient, however, that Glenbrook South uses these lines at this time for supplemental meal service, special events and auditorium intermissions.

The décor in the two dining rooms, which together contain 840 seats, remains the same as it was following the 2001 and 2002 renovation projects completed in the seating areas. That project added convenience- store-style kiosks to each dining room. The 2007 renovation also includes a new faculty servery and private dining room.

“We were able to reconfigure the kitchen and servery, so the food court is now visible from a corridor, which draws student interest,” says Michael Sauer, senior associate principal and project manager at ARCON Associates Inc., the school district’s architectural and interior design firm.

Since the renovation, annual sales are on pace to register a 15-percent increase, according to William Cadman, foodservice director for Quest Food Management Services Inc., Glenbrook South’s foodservice provider. The cafeteria sells menu items à la carte only. The school does not participate in the federally funded National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.

The project teams faced several challenges as they gutted the original space. “As we cut through walls and floors to make new connections, we came across all the plumbing, electrical and heating lines, and the contractors found some lines that were not previously documented,” Sauer says. “The short construction schedule in the summer also added to the construction and completion challenges.”

A week before construction began in early June, the kitchen and serveries were closed so water and power connections could be disconnected, old equipment could be moved out and an asbestos abatement of the area could occur prior to the start of remodeling. The renovated operation made its debut when school opened on Aug. 23, 2007.

Creating better student flow into the new food court and finally to the cashier stations presented a challenge while working within the physical constraints of the existing space. “Students must be able to get through the food court and check out quickly during their short lunch periods,” Sauer says. “The solution was to place the in and out areas next to each other, partitioned by walls, so students are directed into the food court, then back down the center to get drinks, out through the cashiers and to their tables in one of two seating areas.”

The interior designers were challenged to find a balance between lively, trendy and comfortable. “Among the key features the team had to work with were the structural glazed blocks on the wall’s surfaces,” Sauer says. “The existing blocks are from the 1960s and proved difficult to match. We knew we had to preserve and reuse some of the existing glazed blocks due to budget concerns and time constraints of the summer break. The masons did a fantastic job placing and reusing original structural glazed blocks so you don’t see any transitions between the old and new blocks. They made the surfaces look seamless.”

The servery and kitchen feature non-slip floors made of gray quarry tile. These offset the color palette selected to feature the school’s colors, blue, gold and white. Along the servery counterfronts, dark blue plastic laminate complements the interior colors. A white and tan color on the tray slides with black accents on the equipment contribute to the integrated design. Ceramic tiles are bright white with an accent of a navy blue tile pattern. Suspended acoustical tiles and metal grid cover most of the servery and kitchen ceilings to provide building engineers easy access to electrical boxes, plumbing valves and mechanical systems.

Above the serving stations in the food court, a gypsum board soffit brings down the ceiling from nine to eight feet. “The serpentine treatment and signage above each station give a contemporary flare and interest to the area,” Sauer says.

Efficiency and safe product handling were top concerns and priorities of foodservice consultant Tom Laws, principal, Alpha Design Inc. “The kitchen has a natural flow,” he says. “Products come in raw through the back door and are always moving forward from there during production. This flow creates an efficient, safe food-handling kitchen.”

In addition, Laws says, “The associate principal, Gary Freund, wanted the cafeteria to last at least 10 years while remaining in style and being flexible enough to handle menu changes. Working with Bill Cadman, we selected versatile equipment that could be used if the menu changes. For example, the food counter can hold hot and cold foods at the flip of a switch. On one day, this counter can contain taco shells, meat, tomatoes and ingredients for Mexican food. On another day, this counter may hold hot or cold pasta and sauces.”

Versatility is also built into a flat-top counter, which is wired with enough electric outlets and power to switch out equipment when needed. A soft-serve machine will soon be added.

In addition to the natural flow of products in the kitchen, the design features wide aisle space and a spacious, well-lit atmosphere. “The aisles allow portable support equipment to move from one part of the kitchen to another,” Laws says.

Staff take bulk raw food from the cooler, prep it for cooking and serving, and place it into large pans and onto a mobile angle rack and back into the same cooler. When the serving staff need the products, they roll the rack into a roll-through refrigerator on the kitchen side with access on the food court side to servers.

Staff cook food on a hot cookline with a 40-gallon kettle, a fryer, a four-foot braising pan and a combi oven-steamer. “The line contains equipment for volume cooking and quick recovery,” Laws says.

Staff take products off the front cookline, place them into 12- inch by 20-inch pans and then place them in heated roll-through heated units containing portable angle rack shelving that goes into the roll-through warmers/coolers that are between the kitchen prep area and the servery with access on the food court side to servers.

“There is an absence of pot racks, so staff can see better throughout the kitchen,” Laws says. A portable shelving unit in the middle of the kitchen holds pots and pans. Staff can roll the wire unit into the warewashing area and later place the pots and pans back onto the washed rack and roll it back into the kitchen. “This eliminates double handling,” Laws says. “Also, ladles, whisks and other utensils can be stored in the pots and pans, which provides a serviceware-like container on the shelves of the rack.”

In the servery, seven food concept stations offer student customers myriad choices. Deli Depot features made-to-order sandwiches and wraps. Ingredients sit in refrigerated containers displayed behind a food shield similar to the setup in a popular quick-service chain’s units. Students tell staff which items they prefer as they move down the line.

The Pasta Zone features pasta and a choice of two sauces, warm bread sticks and a hot entrée such as pasta primavera or chicken Parmesan. Students also can select branded pizza slices that are delivered three times a week from a local pizzeria. Foodservice staff heat the pizza in convection ovens and display it in heated cabinets with humidity control.

The Main Event features two entrées. Hot food counters hold one entrée, such as fried chicken, macaroni and cheese or fish filet. The other entrée is a chef ’s choice option, which often includes staff-carved roast beef or turkey and dressing or pork loin. Students can also select two vegetables and two starches at this station. This station also offers the value meal, which includes a hot entrée or sandwich, vegetable and milk, available to all students for $2.25.

At Titan Grill, staff cook burgers, chicken patties and nuggets, and fish filets on a charbroiler and french fries, potato wedges and onion rings in a deep-fat fryer. This station’s menu also features a branded personal pan pizza, mozzarella-stuffed bread sticks with marinara sauce, pizza puffs and spiced chicken and beef tornadoes. Staff present all wrapped and packaged items on a multi-level warming slide unit.

Variety Junction, a station with a rotating menu, contains three woks for stir-fried entrées, a flat grill and a fryer. Traditional burgers are charbroiled in the kitchen and assembled to order by staff. The unit also serves breakfast items from 7:15 a.m. to 10 a.m. Students can choose made-to-order eggs, eggs on muffins, bagels with madeto- order omelets, breakfast burritos, french toast, pancakes and cereal. Heated slide units and a cold food counter hold menu items so students can help themselves.

Titan Fiesta Junction features Mexican-themed selections, such as tacos, jumbo burritos, taco salads, quesadillas, all assembled to order. “At this station and others, I wanted the flexibility to offer hot and cold ingredients,” Cadman says. “For example, on the Mexican line, the counter can have a cold pan for lettuce and hot pans for taco beef, chicken, refried beans and cheese sauce. We also offer homemade salsas in chipotle, green tomatilla and red sauce flavors. Students and faculty really all love this concept.”

At two locations within the serving lines, students find grab ’n go sandwiches, salads such as chicken Caesar, chef ’s, Asian and Aztec, wraps, yogurt parfaits and various sizes of fresh fruit salad selections. The student food committee requests sushi, as well, which is available several times each week. “This product is pre-packaged, fully cooked and brought in fresh,” says Cadman.

Oriental Express features a protein such as pork, chicken or beef and sauces such as General Tsu’s, spicy plum and sweet and sour. Staff place these items over Asian rice in a black bowl for service. The entrée comes with chopsticks and a fortune cookie. À la carte items include egg rolls, spring rolls and made-to-order salads such as Asian with Mandarin oranges, water chestnuts and Asian dressing. “The versatility of the hot/cold units helps us here, as well,” Cadman says.

Bakery Corner provides baked goods ranging from bagels (300 sold daily), fresh-baked cookies (400 daily), and doughnuts to Danish, brownies and pies.

For students looking for items lower in calories or fat, food baskets throughout the food court present choices with items containing less than 200 calories and 30 percent of calories from fat.

Near the cash registers, a beverage cooler allows staff to stock the convenience-store-style unit with wrapped cold salads and sandwiches, as well as yogurt and beverages, from inside the kitchen. “We use these frequently in our designs,” Laws says. “The unit relieves congestion and can reduce one staff position. A delivery driver brings beverages directly to the cooler rather than bringing product into the kitchen for staff to transport it into a cooler or refrigerated merchandiser. The direct delivery to the cooler eliminates double handling.”

Stocking the cooler using tested merchandising principles contributes to increased beverage sales and options. For example, staff place power drinks and bottled water in various locations rather than group them all in one spot.

Faculty also benefit from the renovation. A new servery contains a serving line that offers several hot options and grab ’n go salads and sandwiches. A salad bar offers ingredients sold by the pound. Staff carve roast beef or turkey on the line several times per month.

A carpeted seating area provides faculty with a comfortable space in which to dine and talk. Down lights and pendant lights contribute to a relaxing ambiance.

The project at Glenbrook South and the upcoming renovation at Glenbrook North are generating interest among school administrators and foodservice directors looking to transform their foodservices into appealing spaces to meet the demanding desires of today’s teens. College foodservice directors might also take notice. If the standards for a high school food court continue to rise in schools, just imagine what these students will expect from their college foodservices.