Planning and Designing Innovative and Modern School Kitchens and Dining Rooms

About the Book

This book highlights the planning and design process involved with building a new school foodservice facility.  The intended target audience is architects, business managers, kitchen consultants, school foodservice directors, superintendents, school board members, kitchen managers, and interested community stakeholders.

As part of the initial planning process, discussion must focus on future direction of the school foodservice program with consideration for factors that influence the design including the intended menu, foodservice production and delivery system, food safety and security, availability of labor, purchasing decisions and information about the customers and potential customers.

Design intent and planning the school foodservice facility is discussed in great detail with depiction of nearly fifty actual photographs of receiving areas, kitchens, storage rooms, dining rooms, dishrooms, and serving areas. A chapter is dedicated to decisions regarding equipment purchase and installation, types of bids, and considerations for how to award a bid for foodservice equipment as part of a building project.

Ergonomics, engineering, and equipment are discussed in great detail as considerations for designing for employee comfort, labor productivity, and reduction of on-the-job injuries.  Foodservice facilities that are designed correctly keep employees and customers safe, and reduce incidence of workers compensation claims. 

Sustainability and the “green movement” is included in one chapter as a means of considering social responsibility for reducing, reusing, and recycling to reduce carbon footprint.  Ideas for sustainability efforts are provided that may entitle the school district to be awarded LEED or Green Seal certifications.

A final chapter is devoted to reviewing the project with architects, engineers, contractors, school administrative and foodservice personnel, and community members.  A successful and well-operating foodservice facility is best achieved when many come together and agree on a design that works well for everyone in the community.

About the Author

Diane Schweitzer, PhD, is currently the Foodservice Director for the School City of Hammond in Hammond, Indiana.  She attained her PhD from Iowa State University, Master’s Degree from DePaul University, Bachelor’s and Associate Degrees from Purdue University.

She is a Certified Food Service Professional (CFSP), Foodservice Management Professional (FMP), School Nutrition Specialist (SNS), a Registered Nurse (RN), and Certified School Risk Manager (CSRM).

She has been named Indiana School Foodservice Director of the Year, Northeast Regional Director of the Year, was named the first District of Excellence by the School Nutrition Association.

She is a member of the School Nutrition Association, Indiana School Nutrition Association, Society of Safety Engineers, Kiwanis, Purdue Alumni Association, and Hammond Community PTA.

She has authored numerous articles and contributed to several books on worker safety, school foodservice facility design, and outsourcing options, and she has spoken at many national, state, and local conferences on benefits of facility design incorporating ergonomics and safety.