2015 F&B revenue: $445.7M*
2015 F&B purchases: $469.3M*
Audience size: 978,448*
No. of schools: 1,634*
Location: New York City
With nearly 1 million mouths to feed every day, the New York City Department of Education is far and away the largest school district in the nation. Many of the challenges faced by Eric Goldstein, chief executive of the Office of School Support Services, are the same as those in small towns across the country—they’re just magnified. “Sometimes it feels like going into a boxing ring with both hands tied and your feet shackled,” he says.
But with big trials come big rewards, and Goldstein adds that he’s proud of the “meaningful and sustainable changes we’re able to make in our school cafeterias.” Below, he defines five of the biggest letters in the NYC school dining alphabet.
A is for apples. Dining services goes through 18 million apples a year, many of them through Breakfast in the Classroom, Goldstein says. The program has increased morning meal participation to between 70% and 75%, up from 25% for cafeteria service.
F is for food deserts. Because of the schools’ ultra-urban environment, many students live in food deserts, and some have “never seen a carrot in their lives,” Goldstein says. Introducing salad bars in kindergarten means that unfamiliar vegetables become habit by 12th grade, and those healthy choices roll over into conversations at home as well.
L is for local. The district’s New York Thursdays program highlights items from within the state, including a New York beef burger, Goldstein says. NYC schools are looking to expand the program’s offerings in the coming year.
R is for rice dishes. Because of the broad ethnic diversity of the student body, rice dishes continue to grow in popularity. “We see a more robust flavor profile at a young age; I think that’s going to continue,” Goldstein says, adding that spicy dishes like a Sriracha chicken sandwich, would have been “unthinkable” 10 or 20 years ago.
S is for scratch cooking. A new area for NYC schools, Goldstein says his team plans to “experiment with [scratch cooking], see how we can push the boundaries” in the coming year. That includes raw proteins, which haven’t been part of the equation in years past because of the food safety challenges presented.
It’s like a body working in unison; you don’t realize how important it is until it goes wrong.” —Eric Goldstein, on why basics like menu and standardization
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*Technomic estimate