Foodservices for K-12 Schools
Quality Contract Food Services for K-12 School Districts
Fresh Picks Café provides K-12 schools throughout the northeastern U.S. with fresh, flavorful, innovative on-site food services that support positive school dining experiences. Students benefit from freshly-crafted, creatively presented interactive menus and programs that enhance their healthy connection with food. Administrators benefit from the freedom to fulfill their core mission of education, instead of running large restaurants. Districts benefit from cost control and consistent compliance with nutrition and food safety mandates.
The Fresh Picks Café Difference
To us, fresh isn’t just an adjective. It’s a concept that guides everything we do. Fresh represents the opposite of institutional, and the intersection of healthy nourishment with fresh, flavorful, fun experiences with food for your school community. Fresh Picks Café is different because we appeal to the diverse social cultures and unique mindsets of your elementary, middle school, and high school populations. Our innovative, interactive approaches to connecting students with food make us an integral part of your school community. Beyond nourishing your students and staff, we facilitate memorable food experiences that enable them to thrive.
We Support Your School District’s Nutrition, Wellness and Financial Goals
We consider your district’s nutritional and financial goals as our own, to generate the results you desire. We start by embracing your district’s unique demographics, personality, and challenges, and then customize programs that encourage consistent participation and foster trust. This proven process results in your increased revenue, controlled costs, and consistent compliance with nutritional and food safety regulations.
In support of your school district’s health and wellness goals, our food service directors become active members of your wellness and food service committees. This participation maintains a vital communication link between your school community and Fresh Picks Café decision makers.
Schools Benefit from our Innovative, Personalized Approach
Unlike the impersonal cookie-cutter approach of many nationally-owned foodservice vendors, we adapt and customize our school cafeteria programs and services to fit each school district’s needs, desires and budget.
We constantly adapt our menus and presentation to appeal to the values and demographics of each community. For example, rural schools respond well to our farm-to-school locally-sourced food initiatives, while urban schools respond well to experiences that feature digital signage and promotional marketing.
Our innovative nutritional programs such as Try a Bite and Farm Fresh Focus promote fresh food with enticing presentations that encourage students to participate and benefit. Our easy-to-use app engages students to learn about nutrition and lets them review school lunch menus whenever they want. Our before and after-school meal programs enable students to fuel their brains and bodies, and meet their daily nutritional needs.
This proven approach to harnessing popular culture for healthy food interactions at each school we serve has proven to create excitement, interest, and ultimately the participation of students and staff.
A Local Food Movement Pioneer
Fresh Picks Cafe is a pioneer of the local food movement. For example, our popular farm-to-school program sources fresh, locally-grown food whenever possible. Our founding membership in Food Connects and early work with Farm to School out of the University of New Hampshire’s Cooperative Extension were milestone initiatives in connecting a food service management company with Farm to School organizations.
Foodservice Expertise and Empowerment
Our independent, privately-owned structure enables us to empower our staff to make local decisions, and encourage them to share their ideas for improving the quality and delivery of our services. We also empower students to benefit from our foodservice expertise. For example, we work with culinary students to teach them about USDA nutritional requirements, and how to creatively create and present meals that appeal to today’s discerning student communities.