When you look at your school cafeteria, do the words “dull” or “uninspiring” come to mind?
You realize your school cafeteria needs an update. You feel overwhelmed when realizing this cafeteria transformation will require finding the best vendor to order new tables from, finding a designer who can design a great mural that represents your school pride, or someone who can paint the walls. The list goes on. The dream of updating your cafeteria quickly turns into a nightmare.
The good news? It doesn’t have to be daunting.
At Ingenious Culinary Concepts, we take what seems like a huge feat and turn a school cafeteria redesign into a simple and streamlined process!
Define Your School Cafeteria Redesign Goals
What goal are you trying to accomplish when thinking about a school cafeteria redesign? Updating how the cafeteria looks is a given, but when you dive in a little deeper, what do you really want to achieve?
- Do you want to increase your numbers? Many school nutrition directors are trying to figure out how to increase school lunch participation. When a school cafeteria is more inviting, students are more likely to participate in school lunch. More participation can lead to generating more revenue for the school lunch program. We can give you school cafeteria engagement ideas when discussing your designs.
- Do you want to make your cafeteria more accessible? It is important to make your cafeteria ADA compliant to create an equal opportunity for all students. Creating ways to ensure students of all mobility levels are able to participate is something we can do.
- Do you want to improve the atmosphere? Students’ moods are greatly affected by things like seating, wall colors, murals, etc. A welcoming environment will have a positive impact on the overall student experience.
If you are not quite sure what your goals are, that is okay! We offer low school lunch participation solutions and can show you school nutrition program best practices.
Navigating School Cafeteria Layouts & Seating Logistics
A school cafeteria redesign can be a bit of a puzzle when it comes to the layout. You have to think about how many tables you can fit in the cafeteria and how many seats are at each table. Is the cafeteria used for more than just meals? Do tables need to be able to be easily folded and moved?
Our team works to make sure the layout is perfect for your space and that school meal times run as efficiently as possible. We make sure the entire school cafeteria redesign is thoroughly and carefully thought through so we don’t miss any important factors. Making the wrong choices when it comes to the layout of your space can be a costly mistake and we want to make sure that is avoided.
The Psychology Behind Successful K-12 Cafeteria Design Services
A big part of our research and the reason behind our designs are backed by psychology. There are many factors that might not be considered initially because they are things you can’t see such as social dynamics, the feeling of belonging and other behaviors. It is proven that physical design directly affects mood and decision-making and we use that to ensure that the cafeteria is a place where all students feel comfortable and included.
See What’s Possible For Your School
Managing the cafeteria upgrade should not feel like a second job for you. By working with us, you get a dedicated team who works with you from start to finish. You make the decisions, we keep the projects on track, on time and on budget.
Contact Ingenious Culinary Concepts today and let us show you how simple a school cafeteria redesign can be!
Kern Halls is the founder and Chief Innovator of Ingenious Culinary Concepts, a cafeteria transformation company specializing in K-12 school nutrition programs. With more than 17 years inside the k-12 school environment, Kern writes from firsthand experience about the challenges and opportunities facing school nutrition programs today. He is a recipient of the 2010 USDA Food and Nutrition Services Best Practice Award, a nine-year top-rated speaker at the School Nutrition Association Annual National Conference, and has led the transformation of more than 85 school cafeterias across the United States.
