Food Truck Revolutionizes Lunch at Middle SchoolFood Truck Revolutionizes Lunch at Middle School A new food truck, the Cruisin’ Cafe, is set to enhance lunch options at Windsor’s Cali Calmecac Language Academy. Seventh and eighth graders will now have convenient access to freshly prepared meals on campus, alleviating the challenge of getting in line and receiving a satisfactory break. Driven by the need to improve lunch participation among middle school students, the food truck will offer a variety of items tailored to their preferences. It will be strategically parked near the middle school area, reducing the time students spend on campus. The Cruisin’ Cafe, smaller than a typical food truck, runs on electricity and features hot and cold boxes to maintain the temperature of 200 meals. This innovative approach not only provides older students with more appealing menu options but also reduces the workload for the Cali Calmecac kitchen staff. The $80,000 cost of the Cruisin’ Cafe was partially covered by a grant awarded to the school district. It is manufactured by ServeSmart, a California-based company specializing in school food service. The addition of the food truck promises to benefit Cali Calmecac’s large student population of approximately 1,186. It will ensure that all students, regardless of income level, have access to free and nutritious meals during school hours. Amie Windsor, Community Journalism Team Lead with The Press Democrat, is responsible for the reporting and writing of this article. She is available for inquiries at [email protected] or 707-521-5218.
Food trucks are a popular go-to for lunch on the go. Come this school year, middle school students at Windsor’s Cali Calmecac Language Academy will get to enjoy the action, too, with the arrival of a new food truck on campus.
Called the Cruisin’ Cafe, the food truck aims to get more seventh and eighth grade students to eat lunch during school, says Windsor Unified School District’s Director of Food and Nutrition Services Jennifer Baker.
“The middle school students have a hard time getting in line and getting a good break,” Baker said. “Often they don’t get lunch at all.”
And, unlike food truck lunches in the real world, students won’t have to pay anything for their meals. Under state law, school breakfasts and lunches are free to all students, regardless of income level.
Older students at Cali Calmecac, which serves transitional kindergarten through eighth grade students, will get to choose from items available at the food truck. It will be stationed near the middle school area of campus, so students won’t have to spend as much time walking across campus or waiting in line for lunch.
The Cruisin’ Cafe, Baker explained, is technically smaller than a typical food truck and is actually an electric vehicle. It is equipped with doors that open on both sides and is outfitted with hot and cold boxes that keep food, a total of about 200 meals in all, at temperature.
The new options will be a boon for the older students at Cali Calmecac, who are usually limited to a food menu meant for elementary school students, Baker said.
Since the meals will be prepared at Windsor Middle School then driven over to Cali Calmecac, the food truck will also help alleviate the workload of Cali Calmecac’s kitchen staff. Last May, the school kitchen produced 12,869 lunches, Baker said.
About 1,186 students attend Cali Calmecac, according to the latest data.
“It’s more than the high school,” Baker said of the number of lunches. “It’s a very large campus.”
Baker estimates the Cruisin’ Cafe cost around $80,000, but she noted the school district was awarded grant funding that was put toward the purchase of the vehicle, which is manufactured by ServeSmart, a school-focused food service company based out of El Cajon, California .
Amie Windsor is the Community Journalism Team Lead with The Press Democrat. She can be reached at [email protected] or 707-521-5218.
