Unlike restaurants, school cafeteria foodservice is on a whole other level. High volumes of meals, complex menus, and regulatory oversight are just a few of the challenges school cafeterias face. However, with the right equipment, administrators and operators can help streamline the kitchen and deliver superior meals at a lower cost.
Decoding K-12 Challenges
School foodservice is unique because it has to adapt to various obstacles and challenges. The first challenge is budgetary: school districts nationwide often struggle to balance budgets, forcing them to make cuts in different departments.
Another challenge is staffing shortages. Limited budgets mean the school can't afford higher wages, so filling and retaining various kitchen positions is harder.
Regulatory oversight is another hurdle because schools must follow nutritional guidelines, even with limited resources. School districts also experience much more scrutiny than other industries, so they must always focus on compliance.
Atlas Metal equipment is designed to alleviate many of these issues. With flexible and easy-to-use equipment, school districts can serve large numbers of students without sacrificing nutritional quality.
About Atlas Metal
Feeding children in school cafeterias is much different than other foodservice operations. Kids need healthy, affordable meals that keep them active and focused throughout the day. All while being served quickly to large numbers of customers, oftentimes in the thousands in secondary schools.
Atlas Metal is committed to providing the highest-quality foodservice equipment for
school districts from K-12th grade. However, the brand's commitment goes beyond using top-tier engineering and materials. Each piece undergoes an extensive 99-point inspection process before going into the cafeteria, and it comes with a comprehensive two-year warranty.
Atlas also designs its equipment to suit the specific needs of school cafeterias. This way, districts don't have to adapt to the equipment—it adapts to them.
Atlas Solutions for Evolving School Serving Line Needs
Modular Serving Lines
One of the best ways to streamline school cafeteria foodservice is to host a buffet-style lineup of hot and cold stations. This way, students can pick the items they like, and staff members can cook everything before breakfast or lunch service.
The INFINITI lineup from Atlas Metal enables schools to design their serving lines as they see fit. Each piece is on wheels for maximum convenience, and kitchens can easily maintain optimal serving temperatures for each dish.
Cold serving units can work with ice baths or electrical refrigeration. Hot serving units can be connected to the gas line for continuous heat and have drainage ports for easier cleaning.
Best of all, schools can add or remove serving lines before, during, and after shifts. Since each piece is self-contained and modular, rearranging the line doesn't affect everything.
Drop-In Units
A serving line is one thing, but providing the proper temperature controls is another. Atlas Metal offers drop-in units with refrigeration, warming, and dual temperature stations. This way, one serving line can offer cold foods during one meal and hot ones during the next, all without complicated or expensive infrastructure or engineering. Workers can swap these drop-in units easily, allowing for more flexibility and consistency with school cafeteria foodservice.
Best of all, schools can save money by investing in more drop-in units rather than full-service stations.
Food Guards
Food guards are necessary to help prevent cross-contamination and foodborne illnesses. Atlas offers a wide selection of food guards that fit on every serving line station. School operators can even change the guards throughout a shift if one becomes contaminated. These guards can also protect food before and after a shift change, ensuring less daily waste.
Overall, Atlas Metal empowers school cafeterias to do more with less. Despite budgetary constraints and staffing shortages, modular serving stations allow students to get food quickly while maintaining food safety and nutrition standards. Also, because the equipment is expertly engineered and inspected, districts don't have to worry about expensive maintenance or upgrades annually.
