Serving Line Redesign Meets Student Needs at Lubbock ISD

Change has been the name of the game when it comes to foodservice at Lubbock Independent School District in Lubbock, Texas. “Our district has been around for a long time and a lot of our buildings are very old, so we have serving lines that need updates to meet the needs of students,” says Lori Johnson, resident district manager for student nutrition with Aramark, Lubbock ISD’s foodservice provider for the past 40 years. The district also is consolidating a number of schools as a result of population changes within its boundaries. “Every time we have a consolidation, it brings more population to one school while it closes another,” Johnson says.

Students appreciate the upgraded stone finishes and lighting on the serving lines.

To better equip its foodservice operations for these changes, Lubbock ISD teamed up with Houston-based equipment manufacturer Mod-U-Serve. Over spring break earlier this year, Mod-U-Serve installed new serving lines in seven Lubbock ISD schools, including Atkins Middle School. “We have a large population at this school, but the lines and the kitchen footprint have not been adequate for good speed of service,” Johnson says. “Now, the way the lines are designed with a deeper U-shape instead of a long single-file line that reached back into the cafeteria. It allows more room for students to line up inside the serving area. That means there is less congestion in the cafeteria, and more kids who may not have thought they had time to get in line are now getting in line.” The new lines also hold more food, eliminating the need for staff to refill during meal periods. Johnson reports a 10% increase in lunch participation at Atkins as a result.

The lines feature dual hot-cold shelving that’s been a game changer for service. “We do two fruit offerings and two veggie offerings every day,” Johnson says. “It might be green beans one day or street corn that’s cold, so having the versatility of either hot or cold at any given time really gives us freedom with our menu.” Previously, they would set out cold sides on non-temperature controlled shelving. “We would put out a little at a time and replenish them from the fridge,” she says. “For the hot veggies, we would have to leave those in the steam table wells and serve those as students selected them, or … we would pre-portion some and put them on top of the serving line sneeze guard, and the kids couldn’t reach them or they would spill them.”

Some of Johnson’s other favorite features include drop-ins for utensils and a la carte salads and sandwiches. “Everything has a place instead of looking cluttered,” she says. Incorporating a heated pizza shelf also was a winning choice. “We can display the whole pizza, so it gives it a more elevated food-court feel, rather than it just being a piece of pizza on a plate,” Johnson says. “It’s more interactive for the students and it makes them feel more mature to make their choice, instead of it just being served to them like it is in elementary.”

Upgraded stone finishes and lighting have been a hit with students. “Our previous lines were interchangeable stainless steel, very basic. It didn’t have any character or style to it,” Johnson says. “When (the students) came back from spring break and they saw this line, they were just blown away. They kept saying they felt like VIPs, and ‘This is so fancy!’”

As part of renovations with Mod-U-Serve, Lubbock ISD also made the switch to waterless wells. “Our water is so corrosive that we get pinholes in our wells … so we are trying to upgrade the quality of our equipment and also shift to waterless wells to help us with the age expectancy of our equipment,” Johnson says.

Looking ahead, Lubbock ISD has plans with Mod-U-Serve to add new serving lines to 11 more schools. “We found a design that really works, and we are just going to do more of it,” Johnson says. “I have been here 10 years and I would never want to go back and try to work with a different vendor. It’s not only the product that’s excellent, but the team that installed it and followed up to make sure everything was as it needed to be. It has made it very worry-free for me.”

To learn more, visit the Mod-U-Serve website.