AAPS: High school students test new dish & tell Chartwells what they’d like to see on the menu
By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor
If Southwest Breakfast Bowl makes its way onto middle and high school menus this fall, it’s because students decided they want it there.
Chartwells’ Student Choice program offers students the chance to test a new dish and then rate it to decide if they’d like the item on their menu. The idea is to get students actively participating in what they are being served at AAPS.
During a recent tasting event at Pioneer High School, Chartwells staff not only cooked and served the new menu items, they also share information about the recipes. As he scooped up portions of Southwest Breakfast Bowl, Chef Tim Connors told the students the dish features roasted potatoes, peppers and onions, cheese, salsa, and scrambled eggs.
“Students will taste it, then scan their phones and take a quick questionnaire about if they like the menu options and would like to see it at lunch,” he said. “It’s a good way to make their opinions known to us.”
Kitchen manager Carla Robinson prepares for students to try out and rate a new dish.
Chartwells K12 provides dining programs for school districts across the country, including AAPS. Chartwells introduced the Student Choice Program in 150 school cafeterias across the country in 2018 to give middle- and high-school students the chance to taste and vote on restaurant-inspired stations to introduce into their cafeterias.
