Juneau School District Puts Expanded Focus on Improving School Foodservice

JUNEAU, Alaska, March 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Juneau School District today announced that its foodservice contract has been awarded to Chartwells School Dining Services.  Chartwells will help the District revamp its breakfast and lunch offerings and enhance the cafeteria environment for 5,000 students in six elementary schools; two middle schools, two high schools, an alternative high school, a K-8 charter school and a Montessori program (grade 1-8) within the district.  The new agreement will go into effect on July 1, 2014.

"Chartwells was chosen as our new foodservice provider due to the company's commitment to the students; feeding healthy and delicious meals that also adhere to nutrition and safety guidelines," said Glenn Gelbrich, Superintendent of Juneau School District.  "We were very impressed with the variety of meal choices and healthy food selections the company offers, as well as its business expertise in making better use of labor and increasing the use of existing equipment - all of which will result in enhanced and improved dining experiences for our students."    

Nutritious and Delicious
The first change that students will notice is the food.  Serving stations will feature a variety of comfort foods, international flavors, fresh crisp greens, lean meat proteins, fruits and vegetables in tasty combinations.  Other specialties will also be made available each day such as grab and go salads, sandwiches, fruit and yogurt parfaits, hot and cold meal combinations, sandwich and salad bars and hot and cold breakfast options.   

"We take great pride in providing students with nutritious foods that they actually like to eat," said Kevin Nelson, Regional Vice President for Chartwells School Dining Services.  "All of our serving stations, menus and programming were developed after extensive research with students, parents and school administrators and are uniquely tailored to each school level."

Creating an Atmosphere Around Food
Each cafeteria will also obtain a mini makeover with new serving station equipment based on the needs of each kitchen.  A new coat of bright paint will be added to many cafeteria walls and colorful, branded signage featuring nutrition messaging will be hung. 

"Eating at school is like eating at any restaurant.  You must create an inviting atmosphere so customers enjoy the experience and want to come back," said Nelson.  "We want this to be a place where students can congregate and socialize with friends while also consuming healthy and delicious food." 

Nutrition Education
Chartwells will also put an enhanced focus on food nutrition education at all schools, hosting various promotions throughout the school year to teach students about the importance of eating healthy, well-balanced meals.  Chartwells' Simply Good nutritional campaigns, for example, highlight important topics such as sustainable eating, breakfast, how to eat a complete meal and more. Monthly food focuses encourage students to try seasonal and nutrient-rich foods including apples, whole grains, yogurt, turkey, legumes and citrus.  The company also hosts a Chefs2Schools® program where professional and celebrity chefs come into the schools to sample and demo new, healthy recipes that students may be unfamiliar with.  These campaigns also filter into the classrooms when possible with curriculum that aligns with what is happening in the cafeteria. 

"Chartwells is committed to providing nutritious, high quality meals that will get students through their day.  We look forward to serving the students and the Juneau community," said Nelson.  "Each day we come to school, we strive to make a positive impact – on the students, school officials, parents and members of the community."   

For more information about Juneau School District, please visit www.juneauschools.org. For more information on Chartwells, please visit www.eatlearnlive.com.

About Chartwells School Dining Services
Chartwells, a division of Charlotte, NC-based Compass Group, provides dining services for over 550 public school districts and private schools, comprising over 4,000 separate elementary, middle and high schools nationwide.  For more information about Chartwells School Dining Services, visit www.eatlearnlive.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Chartwells School Dining Services