SHOULD BE FULLY OPERATIONAL BY SEPTEMBER 28
Waterloo Region public board finds new cafeteria provider for local high schools
Waterloo Region public board finds new cafeteria provider for local high schools
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by Helen Hall
Kitchener Citizen
September 13, 2012
The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) has found a new cafeteria provider for its high schools.
Aramark Canada Ltd., which provides cafeteria services to the Catholic board in Waterloo Region, will now also serve in the public high schools.
“While agreements are in place with Aramark Canada, we are experiencing some staffing issues that have delayed full food services in the short term. As a result, schools can expect limited services starting the week of September 10. We would like to assure you that we will have full food services in place by September 28,” said WRDSB’s Manager of Communications Abigail Dancey.
Twelve of the school board’s 16 high schools use an outside cafeteria provider. The remaining four schools, Grand River Collegiate, Jacob Hespeler, Waterloo Oxford and Waterloo Collegiate Institute have cafeterias that are run by the school board. Dancey said eventually they will all be run by an outside provider but, at the present time, there is no schedule for when that will happen.
The WRDSB found itself without a cafeteria provider last spring after JC Vending decided to withdraw its services after 20 years.
JC Vending co-owner Tom Gutoski said in an interview last April that they came to this decision when working under the Ontario Ministry of Education’s School Food and Beverage Policy’s Program Memorandum No. 150 (PPM150), which came into effect in September 2011.
The document sets the nutrition standards for Ontario elementary and high schools, and stipulates how much fat, sugar and sodium are acceptable in cafeteria foods. Some foods can be sold in limited quantities, while others are banned.
This has changed the menu at high school cafeterias from the old standbys like french fries and chili dogs, to healthier choices like tuna sandwiches and vegetables. The healthier food is also more expensive.
“The kids aren’t eating (in the cafeteria),” Gutoski explained in the spring. “They’re walking away in droves. Most of the schools have a McDonalds and everything else nearby.”
The contents of the schools’ vending machines have also been changed. The chips, pop and chocolate bars have been replaced with water, juice and granola bars.
Aramark is hoping to fight the trend of kids travelling outside the school for lunch by introducing some national brands such as Subway, Pizza Pizza, Extreme Pita, and the Aramark brands “Kickin’ Chicken” and “Pastalicious”.
All menus will comply with PPM150 legislation.
Kitchener Citizen
September 13, 2012
The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) has found a new cafeteria provider for its high schools.
Aramark Canada Ltd., which provides cafeteria services to the Catholic board in Waterloo Region, will now also serve in the public high schools.
“While agreements are in place with Aramark Canada, we are experiencing some staffing issues that have delayed full food services in the short term. As a result, schools can expect limited services starting the week of September 10. We would like to assure you that we will have full food services in place by September 28,” said WRDSB’s Manager of Communications Abigail Dancey.
Twelve of the school board’s 16 high schools use an outside cafeteria provider. The remaining four schools, Grand River Collegiate, Jacob Hespeler, Waterloo Oxford and Waterloo Collegiate Institute have cafeterias that are run by the school board. Dancey said eventually they will all be run by an outside provider but, at the present time, there is no schedule for when that will happen.
The WRDSB found itself without a cafeteria provider last spring after JC Vending decided to withdraw its services after 20 years.
JC Vending co-owner Tom Gutoski said in an interview last April that they came to this decision when working under the Ontario Ministry of Education’s School Food and Beverage Policy’s Program Memorandum No. 150 (PPM150), which came into effect in September 2011.
The document sets the nutrition standards for Ontario elementary and high schools, and stipulates how much fat, sugar and sodium are acceptable in cafeteria foods. Some foods can be sold in limited quantities, while others are banned.
This has changed the menu at high school cafeterias from the old standbys like french fries and chili dogs, to healthier choices like tuna sandwiches and vegetables. The healthier food is also more expensive.
“The kids aren’t eating (in the cafeteria),” Gutoski explained in the spring. “They’re walking away in droves. Most of the schools have a McDonalds and everything else nearby.”
The contents of the schools’ vending machines have also been changed. The chips, pop and chocolate bars have been replaced with water, juice and granola bars.
Aramark is hoping to fight the trend of kids travelling outside the school for lunch by introducing some national brands such as Subway, Pizza Pizza, Extreme Pita, and the Aramark brands “Kickin’ Chicken” and “Pastalicious”.
All menus will comply with PPM150 legislation.