How to start a meal program at your academy

A well-managed, quality lunch program is a definite advantage for any academy or school. A hot lunch program is certainly not a reason for a parent to enroll their child in a particular school. However, the lack of a hot lunch program may be a deterrent, if the parent has a choice between two programmatically equal schools.

Unique Food Management, Inc. (UFM) is interested in supporting your school or academy with a high-quality food service program. We suggest that you consider the following ideas:

1. Market the food program to all of the students and parents by conducting advance mailings of the monthly menu with an explanation of how to order and pay for meals.
2. Encourage participation in the free and reduced lunch program for all who qualify. This must start with a clear, but thoughtful communication effort to the parents and collection of necessary state mandated information.
3. Develop an accounting process for collecting and recording payments for meals, and counting and reporting of actual meals served. (We can assist you with this!)
4. Assign responsibility to a specific staff member for the meal program. That person should become familiar with the State of Michigan and the USDA school lunch program requirements.
5. It is strongly recommended that the academy staff person in charge of the meal program become ServSafe certified. This is a training program sponsored by the National Restaurant Association and required by most County Health Divisions within the State of Michigan. (UFM staff teaches this course twice yearly, once in the Fall and once in the Spring).
6. The local County Health Division may require the academy or school to obtain a facility food service license. It is advisable for the school administration to contact the appropriate County Health Division staff prior to beginning any food service program.
7. Develop a plan to provide and emergency lunch for any student who may have forgotten their lunch or the parent neglected to arrange for lunch service. (We offer shelf-stable emergency meals at the contracted meal rate.)