For many foodservice operators, finding space to offer display cooking can be a challenge, especially in school foodservice where the cafeterias are often part of a multifunction room. Joan Marsh, foodservice director for Aladdin Food Management at 1,600-student Charlotte Country Day School in North Carolina, was able to find space by removing unused vending machines.

“We were looking to do something different to bring some excitement for the students during lunch. We had a vending area that was off to the side of the cafeteria by the entrance. When we changed all of the machines’ offerings so that they complied with wellness policies, no one purchased items from the machines anymore. So we decided to take out the machines and put in a mobile cooking unit so that we could do display cooking for the students. Now, we do this daily.
The kids get to decide the menu for the station by writing suggestions on comment cards. I select items from those suggestions. The kids, especially the younger ones, really love it when their items are selected. It’s been a really big hit. Some of the items we’ve done were a cobbler bar, nacho bar, wing bar, pasta bar, sushi bar and an oriental station.”